Seventy percent of employees have said they would leave their current role in order to find a position that they feel more fulfilled in. While around 80 percent of employees have said they believe they need to take the lead in making their work fulfilling, the leadership team must play a part as an ally on the path to fulfillment. If a company wants to stay competitive and recruit talented employees, they need to make sure their employees are fulfilled by their work. Here are four ways to help your employees find purpose in their work.
Make space for employees to create meaning
Tools like digital assessments and personal exploration are useful for encouraging employees to reflect on their work and duties. Self-reflection is essential for finding meaning. Once your employees discover what makes them feel fulfilled, you can help them seek out these opportunities, or help create them. Because your employees are the best judges of their personal motivations, your role is to help them discover what they are.
Provide some structure, but not too much
Having some structure allows your employees to make their own work more meaningful while still working towards the overall goals of their team and the organization at large. Provide your employees with opportunities like innovation labs and mentorship programs to help them build deeper relationships with both other employees and their work itself, while also promoting growth in the office.
Create a culture that shows purpose
Culture is one of the most critical aspects of a business. Change yours so it’s one that provides support and reinforcement for the employees looking to make their job more fulfilling. To create a purpose-led culture, workplaces must target the specific behaviors that encourage relationships, growth and impact; identify the informal leaders in the office; and encourage leaders to model these behaviors to the entire workplace.
Be intentional with team building
Building effective teams is part of your role as a leader. Instead of just bringing employees together without a clear reason, view team building as a way to bring employees together to make meaningful connections and give them opportunities to learn new things. Shared experiences are often a fulfilling experience and help your employees to make deeper connections with each other. Take this one step further by using it as a way to make a collective impact.