The human connection: why meaning is so important to work

Meaning increases motivation drives productivity and enhances employee engagement. But what can a business do to make work meaningful for its people?

 

Access our guide to find out

 

Today, people spend nearly one-third of their time at work. People’s careers form one of the main focal points for bringing meaning and identity to their lives.

While work is significant for almost everyone who is economically active, a 2015 YouGov poll in the UK discovered that only 50% of people with a full-time job were entirely sure their role made any sort of meaningful contribution to the world.

Concerningly, 37% were certain that their job had no meaning at all. This is not a UK-specific problem. A similar study in the Netherlands by Schouten & Nelissen found 40% of people felt their job had no societal value.

This leaves approximately 12 to 13 million working people in the UK, 48 to 52 million full-time workers in the US, and 91 to 98 million economically active adults in the EU believing their work makes no difference — with a substantial number suspecting this may well be the case.

So what can businesses do to turn the tide? Download our guide to learn:

• Why pay is no longer the principal motivator for workers
• How meaning at work is psychologically tied to our childhood experiences
• How more meaningful work improves overall business performance
• What your business can do to increase meaning for your employees

Download our guide here