<ul><li>In a tight labour market, it's essential to keep your employees engaged.</li><li>It takes more than a 20% pay raise to lure most employees away from a job where they feel engaged, and unsurprisingly next to nothing to poach most disengaged workers.</li><li>Of course, not everyone finds motivation from the same things.</li></ul>

Keeping Employees Engaged

<ul><li>Managers create a set of shared goals and return to them frequently.</li><li>The more a manager creates shared goals, the more they create a sense of being part of an 'in group' between the team.</li><li>This leads to accurate sharing of information, more accurate perception, better collaboration, and good motivation.</li></ul>

Shared Goals To Provide Meaning At Work

<p> The <a href="https://neuroleadership.com/research/tools/nli-scarf-assessment/?utm_term=&utm_campaign=Solutions+-+NA&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=6445333425&hsa_cam=15017298938&hsa_grp=135603230083&hsa_ad=594742821016&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=aud-1507475523550:dsa-19959388920&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjwtIaVBhBkEiwAsr7-cx3rApHq-Fov7fu3kL5Xt3IUQIllmoSM_l5k4SQ_-GzwfqvdlMKDcRoCRF4QAvD_BwE">SCARF assessment</a> is used by many companies to figure out how to keep employees motivated and engaged.</p>
<p><strong>SCARF stands for Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness, which are the five intrinsic motivations.</strong></p>
<p>This model was created over the course of several years by scientists studying the brain’s rewards systems.</p>

The SCARF Assessment

<h2>Meaningful work isn’t just some lofty goal. In a tight labor market, it’s essential to keeping your employees. On this episode of The New Way We Work, we explore how to find meaning and fulfillment in any job. 
</h2><figure><picture><source media="(max-width: 40em)"><img width="705" height="396" alt="The science of what makes work meaningful" srcset="https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/w_562, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/ar_16:9, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/c_fill, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/g_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/f_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/q_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/fl_lossy/wp-cms/uploads/2022/06/p-1-this-is-how-to-find-meaning-in-any-job.webp 562w, https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/w_937, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/ar_16:9, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/c_fill, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/g_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/f_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/q_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/fl_lossy/wp-cms/uploads/2022/06/p-1-this-is-how-to-find-meaning-in-any-job.webp 937w, https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/w_1153, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/ar_16:9, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/c_fill, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/g_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/f_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/q_auto, https://www.fastcompany.com/90761508/fl_lossy/wp-cms/uploads/2022/06/p-1-this-is-how-to-find-meaning-in-any-job.webp 1153w"></picture></figure><div class="caption">[Photo: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images]
</div><img src="https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/v1595605760/fcweb/Path_33_zlkv0h.svg" alt="" width="9" height="6"><div>advertisement</div><p dir="ltr">There are a lot of things that make for a good job: <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/section/equal-pay" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">fair pay</a> and <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/section/employee-benefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">benefits</a>, a boss who treats you with <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/section/leadership-now" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">empathy and respect</a>, an <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/section/inclusion" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">inclusive culture</a>, and<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3051290/why-having-friends-at-work-is-so-important" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr"> friendships with colleagues</a>. But there’s one aspect of a “good job” that’s a little bit harder to pin down: What makes for meaningful work?</p><p dir="ltr">Meaningful work—a job that isn’t just about paying the bills, but is connected to purpose, that makes you feel fulfilled and valuable—isn’t just some lofty goal. In a tight labor market, it’s essential to keeping your employees. In fact, <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/351545/great-resignation-really-great-discontent.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">according to a recent Gallup poll</a>, it takes more than a 20% pay raise to lure most employees away from a job where they feel engaged, and unsurprisingly next to nothing to poach most disengaged workers.</p><p>So, what makes employees feel engaged with their work, and has that changed in the last few years?</p><div>advertisement</div><p dir="ltr">On the most recent episode of <em dir="ltr">The New Way We Work,</em> David Rock explains the factors that make a job meaningful. Rock is the cofounder and CEO of NeuroLeadership Institute, a cognitive science consultancy that has advised some of the biggest companies. He is also the author of four books including <em dir="ltr">Your Brain at Work</em>, and a contributor to <em dir="ltr">Fast Company.</em></p><p>Rock points to a process in the brain referred to as “the ladder of construal,” which is basically how you connect your actions to larger purpose. It’s how, as he says, the janitor at NASA doesn’t view his actions as simply sweeping the floor, but instead as being connected to the larger purpose of putting people in space. But finding that connection to a larger purpose can be more challenging when your company isn’t saving lives or sending people to the moon. It can also be difficult for employees to stay connected to the larger meaning and purpose of work when they’re bogged down in back-to-back meetings.</p><p>To help employees find that connection, Rock suggests that managers create a set of shared goals and return to them frequently. “The more a manager creates shared goals, the more they create a sense of being part of an ‘in group’ between the team. That’s a really important thing, because when you have a sense of [an] ‘in group,’ you have much deeper collaboration,” he says. “Your brain literally pays more attention and processes more accurately. . . . You get more accurate sharing of information, more accurate perception, better collaboration, and good motivation.”</p><div>advertisement</div><p dir="ltr">Of course, not everyone finds motivation from the same things. Rock points to NeroLeadership’s <a href="https://neuroleadership.com/research/tools/nli-scarf-assessment/?utm_term=&amp;utm_campaign=Solutions+-+NA&amp;utm_source=adwords&amp;utm_medium=ppc&amp;hsa_acc=6445333425&amp;hsa_cam=15017298938&amp;hsa_grp=135603230083&amp;hsa_ad=594742821016&amp;hsa_src=g&amp;hsa_tgt=aud-1507475523550:dsa-19959388920&amp;hsa_kw=&amp;hsa_mt=&amp;hsa_net=adwords&amp;hsa_ver=3&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwtIaVBhBkEiwAsr7-cx3rApHq-Fov7fu3kL5Xt3IUQIllmoSM_l5k4SQ_-GzwfqvdlMKDcRoCRF4QAvD_BwE" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">SCARF assessment</a> which has been used by many companies to figure out how to keep employees motivated and engaged. SCARF stands for Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness. The model, he says, was created over the course of several years by scientists studying the brain’s rewards systems. It describes what Rock calls the five intrinsic motivations. “When you’re trying to create meaning for someone [who is] really passionate about autonomy, they love it when they have choices, so to that person&nbsp; meaningful work is when they get to be more in control,” he explains. Meanwhile if someone finds more motivation in relatedness, meaningful work for them is when they feel really connected to people and helping other people.</p><p>Listen to the episode for how to identify your and your colleagues’ motivations, how to keep all employees engaged with hybrid work, and how to adjust your mindset to make it through challenging work environments.</p><p dir="ltr"><i data-stringify-type="italic" dir="ltr">You can listen and subscribe to&nbsp;</i>The New Way We Work<em dir="ltr">&nbsp;on</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/secrets-of-the-most-productive-people/id1393035987?mt=2" data-stringify-link="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/secrets-of-the-most-productive-people/id1393035987?mt=2" data-sk="tooltip_parent" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNTg3Mi9yc3M=" data-stringify-link="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNTg3Mi9yc3M=" data-sk="tooltip_parent" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">Google Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/fast-company/secrets-of-the-most-productive-people" data-stringify-link="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/fast-company/secrets-of-the-most-productive-people" data-sk="tooltip_parent" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">Stitcher</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2POyz4d2ymhs8NqSBY7gfW?si=17J9_QVvRquD04C3_X5oJg" data-stringify-link="https://open.spotify.com/show/2POyz4d2ymhs8NqSBY7gfW?si=17J9_QVvRquD04C3_X5oJg" data-sk="tooltip_parent" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://radiopublic.com/secrets-of-the-most-productive-pe-GMawMl:RkNTZWNyZXRzLUFQMQ" data-stringify-link="https://radiopublic.com/secrets-of-the-most-productive-pe-GMawMl:RkNTZWNyZXRzLUFQMQ" data-sk="tooltip_parent" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">RadioPublic</a>,<i data-stringify-type="italic" dir="ltr">&nbsp;or wherever you get your podcasts.</i></p><h4>About the author</h4><div dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Kathleen Davis is Deputy Editor at FastCompany.com. Previously, she has worked as an editor at Entrepreneur.com, WomansDay.com and Popular Photography magazine.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/user/kathleen-davis" dir="ltr"> More</a></p></div><div dir="ltr">Today's Top Stories:</div>

Meaningful work isn’t just some lofty goal. In a tight labor market, it’s essential to keeping your employees. On this episode of The New Way We Work, we explore how to find meaning and fulfillment in any job. 


career

Career

humanresources

Human Resources

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

Meaningful work isn’t just some lofty goal. In a tight labor market, it’s essential to keeping your employees. On this episode of The New Way We Work, we explore how to find meaning and fulfillment in any job.

<p>There are a lot of things that make for a good job: <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/section/equal-pay">fair pay </a>and <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/section/employee-benefits">benefits </a>, a boss who treats you with <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/section/leadership-now">empathy and respect </a>, an <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/section/inclusion">inclusive culture </a>, and<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3051290/why-having-friends-at-work-is-so-important">friendships with colleagues </a>. But there’s one aspect of a “good job” that’s a little bit harder to pin down: What makes for meaningful work? </p>

<p>Meaningful work—a job that isn’t just about paying the bills, but is connected to purpose, that makes you feel fulfilled and valuable—isn’t just some lofty goal. In a tight labor market, it’s essential to keeping your employees. In fact, <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/351545/great-resignation-really-great-discontent.aspx">according to a recent Gallup poll </a>, it takes more than a 20% pay raise to lure most employees away from a job where they feel engaged, and unsurprisingly next to nothing to poach most disengaged workers. </p>

<p>So, what makes employees feel engaged with their work, and has that changed in the last few years? </p>

<p>On the most recent episode of <em>The New Way We Work, </em>David Rock explains the factors that make a job meaningful. Rock is the cofounder and CEO of NeuroLeadership Institute, a cognitive science consultancy that has advised some of the biggest companies. He is also the author of four books including <em>Your Brain at Work </em>, and a contributor to <em>Fast Company. </em> </p>

<p>Rock points to a process in the brain referred to as “the ladder of construal,” which is basically how you connect your actions to larger purpose. It’s how, as he says, the janitor at NASA doesn’t view his actions as simply sweeping the floor, but instead as being connected to the larger purpose of putting people in space. But finding that connection to a larger purpose can be more challenging when your company isn’t saving lives or sending people to the moon. It can also be difficult for employees to stay connected to the larger meaning and purpose of work when they’re bogged down in back-to-back meetings. </p>

<p>To help employees find that connection, Rock suggests that managers create a set of shared goals and return to them frequently. “The more a manager creates shared goals, the more they create a sense of being part of an ‘in group’ between the team. That’s a really important thing, because when you have a sense of [an] ‘in group,’ you have much deeper collaboration,” he says. “Your brain literally pays more attention and processes more accurately. . . . You get more accurate sharing of information, more accurate perception, better collaboration, and good motivation.” </p>

<p>Of course, not everyone finds motivation from the same things. Rock points to NeroLeadership’s <a href="https://neuroleadership.com/research/tools/nli-scarf-assessment/?utm_term=&utm_campaign=Solutions+-+NA&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=6445333425&hsa_cam=15017298938&hsa_grp=135603230083&hsa_ad=594742821016&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=aud-1507475523550:dsa-19959388920&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjwtIaVBhBkEiwAsr7-cx3rApHq-Fov7fu3kL5Xt3IUQIllmoSM_l5k4SQ_-GzwfqvdlMKDcRoCRF4QAvD_BwE">SCARF assessment </a>which has been used by many companies to figure out how to keep employees motivated and engaged. SCARF stands for Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness. The model, he says, was created over the course of several years by scientists studying the brain’s rewards systems. It describes what Rock calls the five intrinsic motivations. “When you’re trying to create meaning for someone [who is] really passionate about autonomy, they love it when they have choices, so to that person  meaningful work is when they get to be more in control,” he explains. Meanwhile if someone finds more motivation in relatedness, meaningful work for them is when they feel really connected to people and helping other people. </p>

<p>Listen to the episode for how to identify your and your colleagues’ motivations, how to keep all employees engaged with hybrid work, and how to adjust your mindset to make it through challenging work environments. </p>

<p><i>You can listen and subscribe to  </i>The New Way We Work<em> on </em> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/secrets-of-the-most-productive-people/id1393035987?mt=2">Apple Podcasts </a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNTg3Mi9yc3M=">Google Podcasts </a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/fast-company/secrets-of-the-most-productive-people">Stitcher </a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2POyz4d2ymhs8NqSBY7gfW?si=17J9_QVvRquD04C3_X5oJg">Spotify </a>, <a href="https://radiopublic.com/secrets-of-the-most-productive-pe-GMawMl:RkNTZWNyZXRzLUFQMQ">RadioPublic </a>,<i> or wherever you get your podcasts. </i> </p>

<p>Kathleen Davis is Deputy Editor at FastCompany.com. Previously, she has worked as an editor at Entrepreneur.com, WomansDay.com and Popular Photography magazine. </p>

The science of what makes work meaningful

Keeping Employees Engaged

Shared Goals To Provide Meaning At Work

The SCARF Assessment

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