'Can you imagine feeling happy, relaxed and satisfied when you believe that what you do has no meaning at all?'
Amid the upheavals of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees are asking themselves: Is my work meaningful?
Encouragingly, 73 per cent of respondents to a recent survey say yes. Another 47 per cent believe their jobs have become even more important and impactful during the pandemic.
But what makes work meaningful?
Having a sense of purpose (79 per cent), a high salary (77 per cent), a sense of satisfaction (77 per cent) and a chance to help others (74 per cent), finds the survey of 1,067 U.S. respondents in March by MyPerfectResume
“People need to be needed. They are willing to help, do meaningful things and contribute to society. Feeling that your work is important goes hand-in-hand with job satisfaction,” says Agata Szczepanek, career advice contributor at MyPerfectResume. “The pandemic has made it clear that a job’s value is not about money and prestige anymore.”
While defining what is meaningful may be hard to pin down, it often varies from person to person, says Szczepanek.
“It all depends. For some, making money is enough to feel their job makes sense; they can feed their families, pay the bills and plan holidays and that’s perfectly fine. On the other hand, there are employees looking for a higher cause, let’s say. They value job satisfaction, the opportunity to help other people and contributing to society more than a high salary.”
When employees were asked why they quit in another survey, the reasons cited by employers and employees were often at odds.
