The Motive For Work

At the end of 2021 and now through 2022, people have been leaving their jobs in droves. Baby Boomers are retiring at a record pace. Young moms are staying home due to the rising cost of daycare and shifts in perspective on work. The gig economy has grown rapidly and continues to displace entry-level jobs, which is having a ripple effect on career-level jobs. And yet, many of the current people in charge keep focusing on doing the same ‘ole things in the same ‘ole ways.

A great shift is happening. It is more than a great resignation. It is a shift in attitudes, values, and focus regarding work. We spent roughly 80 years striving to have more, do more, and achieve more, with the focus being on what we get rather than what we give. It appears the pandemic has caused a great deal of reflection in the minds and hearts of employees, though. This shift in thoughts has pulled us back to wondering… what is the purpose of all of this?

According to a research study by Gartner, the fundamental shift centers around the new requirement for employees to feel valued and purposeful in their work. They indicate that if a person was underpaid at the start of the pandemic, they are unlikely to be willing to accept that same underpayment as we come out of the pandemic. Their motives for working have shifted from survival to a need for purpose and fulfillment. We have faced the idea of imminent death, and the sting of that possibility has lessened, or at the least dulled our fear of it. When the idea of death, pushed by the narrative of the media, has lost its sting, we begin to focus on what truly matters to us.

In this great reflection, we have discovered that we want to live our lives, love our families, be with our friends, and make an impact. Though this has not been the focus of employers since the onset of the Boomers’ striving for success shifted work previously, it has been our motivational driver in the past. And now, it seems that this has become the basis for which employers will thrive. Which employers can shift their own perspective and create opportunities for people to be of value, driven by purpose, and filled with fulfillment in their work? These are the employers that will come out stronger on the other side of this.