What We Want When Working

                The article, The #1 Feature of a Meaningless Job, by Adam Grant explores what most employees want from a job. It focuses on what jobs give employees a sense of purpose, the benefits of this, and possible ways for other fields to utilize these benefits.

                After supporting that most employees seek purpose from their work, Grant listed jobs, varying from teachers to firemen, which have been noted for a high degree of meaningfulness to workers. He notes how these jobs see more interaction between the worker and those who benefit than other jobs which, despite some having more opportunity for creativity and independence at work, are statistically found less meaningful to the workers. Of particular interest are the studies referenced, with one linking a employees sense of job meaningfulness to positive impacts on others, another pointing out how, in countries around the globe, most citizens describe activities that contribute to society as work.

                While it is hard to know how big a role an employee’s sense of purpose plays in their work, the examples cited definitely support the claim that work which benefits others is inspiring. Improved performance from radiologists simply from having a patient’s face linked to an x-ray and how meeting a single person who’s directly benefited from their work resulted in significant improvements in revenue (>150%) from university fundraisers. These examples demonstrate both the degree to which motivation improves work, and simple ways to foster this motivation.

                Grant furthermore noted his own experiment on motivation. He and his colleagues worked with salespeople on crafting their job and approach to work to be more motivating to them. He noted how coworkers and employers of these salespeople reported them as happier and more effective for at least six months after developing motivational skills. However, as positive as the author is towards his experiment, without a control group it’s hard to judge how much of this improvement is due to the actual benefits of this job crafting, and how much is due to the placebo effects of attending an hour and a half session on improving your work.

                Overall the article was informative and filled with supportive studies from other sources. With so many studies indicating the link between benefiting others and finding fulfillment in your work, I can definitely view increased interaction as a way to improve worker happiness, and with it a better society.