Workforce is Ready for Purpose

It is becoming increasingly clear that workers are extremely interested in the purpose behind their work. Many of us think about monetary rewards as the primary motivator behind work. Money is absolutely a motivator, especially until a worker's primary obligations (housing, health care, food, etc.) have been met. Once a worker makes enough for money to be "taken off the table," primary motivation and job satisfaction are derived by the degree of autonomy allowed in their job and the higher purpose of the work.

Research shows that when a worker is required to figure out how to best do a job, throwing more money at them can actually cause them to become demotivated. The trick for managers is to find the right mix of purpose with enough guidance to get workers on the right track.

I have been discussing this topic with my students and clients for years. I highly recommend watching this video by Dan Pink.