The Dangers of Searching for Meaningful Work: A Letter to Employers and Employees

Prior to launching my own business, I held a great job. I was an administrative/executive professional with supportive colleagues, a manageable workload, a good salary, and was frequently acknowledged for my contributions. I even had the luxury of walking to work. Despite these perks, something was missing. My work lacked a sense of meaning, leading me to feel trapped and disengaged. This dissatisfaction drove me to seek fulfillment outside the organization, ultimately leading to my departure.

In the current era of self-actualization in the workplace, the message from educators, career advisors, and self-help experts is often the same: find meaning in your job. I embraced this philosophy throughout most of my career, believing that fulfilling work was paramount. This pursuit of meaningful work, combined with a lack of understanding about what it truly entails, results in disengagement for many, as it did for me. This is a prevalent and costly issue for organizations today.

Employees frequently believe that their job should provide them with a sense of meaning or that their employer is responsible for instilling this. When this expectation isn't met, or when perceived meaning is lost, employees become disengaged, impacting their performance and workplace environment. This can lead to resignation or termination, burdening the employer with the costs of turnover. This widespread misconception—that a job should inherently provide meaning—misleads employees. Emotions, including a sense of fulfillment, are self-generated, not the responsibility of an employer.

This raises a crucial question for modern organizations: how can they retain and engage employees who seek fulfillment from their work?

During my time away from my last job, I discovered the concept of job crafting, which involves modifying aspects of a job to meet an employee's personal needs, enhancing engagement and satisfaction. Job crafting shifts the responsibility of finding meaning to the employee, empowering them to find it within their role, rather than expecting it from external sources. As a mid-to-senior-level employee, I didn't realize I had the power to shape my job to increase my happiness at work. I could have influenced my daily tasks, work methods, and colleagues, infusing my job with meaning. Unfortunately, I was unaware of this possibility and left my organization because of it.

The onus of finding meaning in work lies with the employee, not the employer. Many employees mistakenly believe that a new job will provide them with meaning, leading to a repetitive cycle of job changes. Meaning cannot be given by an employer; it is crafted by the individual.

Although employees are responsible for finding their own meaning, employers bear the consequences when employees fail to do so. The turnover costs, particularly for leaders and potential leaders, are significant. Therefore, it is imperative for employers to educate and empower their employees to craft their jobs meaningfully. They should provide strategies and guidance on how to derive fulfillment from current roles. Ultimately, an employer’s best retention strategy is enabling employees to take charge of their own work satisfaction. Employers can provide the tools and environment for job crafting, but the creation of a fulfilling job rests with the employee.

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