The first case of Covid in the US was diagnosed two years ago. Since then we’ve all been involved in the worst global pandemic in a century. One seemingly unrelated result of the lockdowns and masks and widespread illness has been how people think about their jobs. Record numbers are leaving for something better – better jobs, better bosses, a better culture.
Many are leaving in a search for meaning in their work. If you’re going to spend a third of your adult life working, why can’t it be something you feel good about? That’s the new question – more than pay, more than hours, more than location, or whether there’s a ping-pong table in the break room.
One poll pegged the number of people who considered their jobs meaningless at about 20 percent. A Harvard Business School study found that 90 percent of people were willing to work for lower pay if the work was more meaningful.
Polls aren’t the most accurate way to measure intent, but they do show what’s in the zeitgeist. We also know that people who feel their work is meaningful are more productive – studies dating to the 1970s have shown that over and over.
If I can’t make a decision beyond what to have for lunch, what’s the point of me being here?
What constitutes meaningful work is largely in the eye of the beholder. It can be something you’re passionate about or can be something that makes the world a better place (or both). But meaningful work can also be something that has meaning for you specifically because you feel that your efforts have a direct impact on a desired outcome.
I’ve spoken to many people who just want to feel as though what they do matters – not globally, but to the company paying them. The frustrations of groupthink, endless meetings, and having to run every decision by an entire team is not only frustrating, it begs the question of purpose. “If I can’t make a decision beyond what to have for lunch, what’s the point of me being here?” That’s a quote from one senior executive I spoke with and echoed by others.
After two years in a pandemic, more and more are questioning their work life and their long-held beliefs about that work. There has to be more than just a paycheck and some benefits. Right? Employer demands have become more and more unrealistic; employees are forced to accept those expectations or find another job.
As worker expectations change, employers will need to change their expectations.
Employee expectations are changing though, with the current labor situation allowing people to do just that: quit and find something better. Often what seemed better from the outside is less appealing from inside the cubicle. And the search goes on to find that perfect job that meets all of our expectations for meaningful work, flexibility, and a decent wage.
As worker expectations change, employers will need to change their expectations. That will take longer – maybe a lot longer. It might not happen at all – in some cases employers are waiting for things to “get back to normal.” The power struggle is ongoing, and workers won’t always have the upper hand. But the desire for a better balance and greater flexibility aren’t going to go away.
In response to those desires, small businesses are opening at a rate not seen in years, if ever. According to new data from the US Census Bureau, 5.4 million new business applications were filed in 2021. That beats the previous record (from 2020) of 4.4 million and dwarfs the 3.5 million in pre-pandemic 2019. The smart money is betting on 2022 as another record-breaker.
If you’re done being a cog in someone else’s machine, there has never been a better time to build one of your own. Meaningful work awaits those able to think outside the traditional model and willing to see the possibilities.