Multiple research studies show people who love their work are more engaged, productive, and creative. Yet, only 18% of people feel fully engaged in work, according to the ADP Research Institute (ADPRI). So how can more people feel love for the tasks they are paid to do?
This engagement problem is perhaps even more critical in today’s work environment where many people are switching jobs. To attract and retain talent, many companies have been increasing wages and other benefits. While higher wages and better healthcare might attract more employees, it’s unlikely to retain them unless something else is done to improve the content of their work.
In the May-June Harvard Business Review article “Designing Work That People Love,” Marcus Buckingham believes love may be the answer organizations are looking for. Not office romance but rather love for the content of work itself. According to Buckingham, when we love our work it’s no longer a stressor but instead a source of strength and resilience. And the best part is we don’t need to love all the tasks we do. Based on research by the Mayo Clilnic, we only need to love 20% of what we do to get the benefits.
To help people find love in their work, Buckingham suggests organizations concentrate on making people the point, recognizing the uniqueness of each employee, and increasing trust across the board.
Make People the Point
Loving work is all about putting people first in organizations. During onboarding, Buckingham suggests companies show how each person contributes to the overall value of the organization. Companies should then invest in each employee’s development and ongoing learning. Finally, when the employees move on to new opportunities, organizations should support their alumni. One company that practices putting people first is Lululemon. During the onboarding process, new employees are encouraged to set career and professional goals. While they are with the company, the company invests in their development and, after they leave, it stays connected to the employees in their new enterprises.
For more on how to make people the point, consider work engagement Eric Termuende. He suggests many companies are trying too hard these days to be the perfect place to work for everyone. There is no “perfect place to work.” However, if you are intentional and transparent about your work culture, you can attract and keep the people who will want to stay.
Recognize Each Employee’s Uniqueness
Similar to making people the point, organizations need to recognize the uniqueness of each employee. Buckingham suggests organizations change their one-size-fits-all approach to a “one-size-fits-one” approach. Two ways to recognize uniqueness are to avoid using standardizing tools and to focus on having employees work in teams. Since each employee is unique and has a different set of skills and experiences, having them conform to standardized competencies and rigid career paths will only decrease their love for their work. Instead, if organizations focus on teams, then each person can offer their unique talents and experiences to the group. Teams thrive on having a variety of talents and people love when they can use their individual talents in their work.
For more on teamwork, consider inspired leadership and teamwork keynote speaker Robyn Benincasa. Robyn teaches organizations the keys to working together as a team and recognizing people’s individual talents that she learned as being part of a World Champion Team in Adventure Racing.
Build Trust
Finally, if organizations want to help employees love their work, they need to build more trust. Buckingham suggests two ways to build trust. First, organizations should throw out rituals that erode trust, such as annual performance ratings and 360-degree surveys which often signal an organization doesn’t trust its people. Instead, team leaders should pay attention to their unique employees by doing once-a-week check-ins and asking each individual “What did you love about last week?” “What did you loathe?” “What are your priorities this coming week?” “How can I best help?”
For more on building trust, consider communication and management expert Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor. Kim shows leaders how to build trust with employees so they can give and receive feedback that will help everyone thrive
The reality is our work expectations have changed and companies need to rethink how they attract and retain talent if they want to thrive. One of the ways to do this is by creating an environment that focuses on people and their unique skills so they can love their jobs.
