Research indicates workers want jobs that give them meaning — that align with who they are as a person and what they want to contribute to the world.
Still, many employers are slow to respond to this signal, or don’t know how.
In a RealClearMarkets op-ed, Clayton Christensen Institute Co-Founder Michael Horn and Charles Koch Foundation Executive Director Ryan Stowers argue facilitating lifelong learning is the answer. Business leaders can offer employees the chance to “define, refine, and redefine” their purpose through in-house educational opportunities or partnerships with online hybrid universities, local colleges, or trade associations.
The key is for employers to “support the journey — no matter where it happens, or where it leads.”
And what if the journey leads employees away from their current jobs?
Horn and Stowers reassure hiring managers concerned about turnover in an already-competitive job market. By promoting economic mobility generally, and responding to workers’ desires for purposeful work specifically, companies will “become the first-choice place of employment” and will see higher rates of employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and profitability.