A recent survey found that the average worker would give up $21,000 a year in exchange for a workplace role that always offered them meaning. Employees who derive meaning from their work are more than <a href="https://theenergyproject.com/">three times as likely</a> to stay with their organizations.

Finding meaning

Define what meaningful work means to you.Find your own personal satisfaction and connection to your work. It could be the people you work with or a project you are passionate about.

How to find meaningful work

There’s always some level of personal investment in your work.If what you're doing has a positive impact, it adds up and makes you feel proud of what you’re working on.

Personal engagement

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How much is meaningful work worth to you? A
 found that the average worker would give up $21,000 a year in exchange for a workplace role that always offered them meaning-whether that's personal or professional growth opportunities, the chance to do work that betters the lives of others, or having a clear shared sense of purpose within the company. Not only is meaningful work becoming increasingly important to employees, but it's unquestionably vital to companies. Survey findings from 
 , an engagement and performance firm, found that employees who derive meaning from their work are more than three times as likely to stay with their organizations and are 1.4 times more engaged at work. However, that same survey from Energy Project found that 50 percent of employees lack a level of meaning and significance at work. And while there's plenty of talk about how millennials in particular are in search of purpose over paycheck, a recent 
 found that a sense of purpose in your work actually deepens the further along you are in your career. While 74 percent of candidates want a job where they feel like their work matters, only 30 percent of millennial survey respondents said that they prioritize purpose over pay and titles-either because they don't yet know what's meaningful to them or because they're struggling to find it. 
So how can you find more meaningful work? It starts with being able to define it. Sarah Haberman is the Executive Director of
 , a nonprofit dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. Haberman has always harbored a love of the arts. "Growing up, I participated in all the nerdy arts programs in high school: dance, musicals, writing groups, acting, and I did most of it pretty badly. But I loved being a part of that universe. It was exhilarating. Since I don't have an obvious creative talent, I knew I had to find another way to belong to that world." When she had the opportunity to be a part of the work The Moth was doing, she jumped at it. Not only did it tap into her love of creativity and art, it was also meaningful work, which Haberman defines as both fulfilling a higher purpose and a sense of accomplishment in what you're doing. "Today my work at The Moth takes on particular resonance, given the divisions and lack of empathy that we are experiencing in the world," says Haberman. "I can't think of a better time to focus on elevating true personal stories of people from all walks of life. It's a direct means of creating human connection and understanding." 
"It's important to find your own personal satisfaction and connection to the work-whatever that may be," she continues, sharing advice to others looking for meaning. "That could be the people you work with, a project you're passionate about, or just the satisfaction of doing a great job." Driven by a growing trend of consumer demand for brand purpose, more and more companies are putting social good front and center-putting more meaning into the work their employees do.
 , the maker of hip expandable phone grips, is using its position as a successful brand to empower people to raise money for causes they care about. With newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer Becky Gebhardt at the helm, the brand launched 
 , a program that aims to democratize giving. Starting this month, consumers are able to design custom accessories and donate portions of the profit to any registered 501c3 that is important to them, including causes such as March for Our Lives, American Heart Association, and charity: water. When conceptualizing this new initiative, PopSockets reflected on what it stood for as a brand. Says Gebhardt, "It's really about creating positive impact. It's about harnessing the free market for good. So we said it's not about asking what is PopSockets going to do to give back, but rather, what are our customers doing to create impact and how can we help them do that?" At PopSockets, Gebhardt has seen first-hand the impact corporate good has had on employee engagement. " No matter how much you think there isn't, there's always some level of personal investment in your work," she explains. "If what we're doing has positive impact, big or small, I think that adds up and makes you feel proud of what you're doing." But what if you work at a company that isn't committed to social good? It might just be up to you to push for change. That's the position Rebecca Leonard found herself in five years ago when she was advocating for corporate responsibility at TJX. Unfortunately, her timing was off. "My mistake was thinking that strategy always trumps culture," she admits. "The strategy was right on, but ultimately with a marco strategy like CR, if the culture isn't aligned, it's not going to go anywhere. You need to be the facilitator of a shared vision, not the sole provider of it." Oftentimes, these culture shifts are leader-led. "Marketplace conditions are changing so rapidly and people are responding so rapidly," says Leonard. "If you look at it through the right lens, it creates enormous opportunity for someone who is willing to jump into the abyss and try the unknown." Gebhardt agrees that leaders have a responsibility to push for a purpose-driven culture. "At the end of the day, it's our responsibility to lead by example, put our personal values right up front, and instill that in the company culture." And it starts with listening to employees, she explains. "It's not something that has to be inauthentic, it just has to be something that makes sense, and our employees, especially our young ones, are telling us what and how to do that." 
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How much is meaningful work worth to you? A found that the average worker would give up $21,000 a year in exchange for a workplace role that always offered them meaning-whether that's personal or professional growth opportunities, the chance to do work that betters the lives of others, or having a clear shared sense of purpose within the company.

How To Find Meaning In Your Work, Wherever You Work

Finding meaning

How to find meaningful work

Personal engagement

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