A Sense of Fulfillment: Two Employee Motivations That Will Improve Job Satisfaction

If you’re familiar with Maslow’s iconic hierarchy of needs, you should know that a person’s desires increase as they climb up the pyramid: starting with acquiring the basics like food and shelter, to more complex stages that include building meaningful relationships and accomplishing a greater purpose.

Some of us like to dream about being our own boss, making a lot of money, or even changing the world. Unlike decades ago, when the priority of most people was as simple as having a roof over their heads, these days the desire to make an impact – whether at a collective or personal level – has become much greater.

The Desire to Work at a Mission-Driven Workplace

While goals are commonly used as a quantitative measure for evaluating job performance, modern organizations are taking goal-setting to the next level as a means to attract young and new hires. Having an inspiring brand vision is especially appealing in this day.

Over the years, we see customers and employees getting more vocal about their desires to make the world a better place, whether that’s to save the environment or achieve justice and equality. As people begin to expect more from large corporates, the pressure on businesses to be more socially aware and active has also heightened.

“It will no longer be a choice for companies to embed social impact into their business and brand strategies – it will be required to thrive and compete for talent, customers and investors.” – Patsy Doerr, Global Head of Corporate Responsibility & Inclusion

The Dream of Achieving Personal Goals

Although there’s evidence that a clear vision and deliberate strategy are key for growth and profit, the secret to business success sometimes comes directly from the employees themselves. After all, they’re the ones doing the job every day.

Listening to the outside interests of your employees is indeed extra work, and it’s true that they may not even bring direct insight to the work table. But self-fulfillment, or a good work-life balance per se, plays a significant role in an individual’s quality of life. Whether that being to stay healthy, to learn a new skill or to start a band – pursuing a passion outside of work allows you to express personally meaningful values, as well as to gain control over your life. In summary, if you’re happy outside of your job, you’re likely going to perform better at work.

Given that we all have different needs and motivations, everyone derives a sense of fulfillment from a variety of sources. As we reach the top of Maslow’s pyramid of needs, the knowledge you gain from learning what truly drives your team will be a key factor in your ultimate business success.