Who is actually happy at work?
A new six-year
Cornell study offers a surprisingly simple answer: the happiest people focus on contributing to others. That contribution boosts well-being, purpose, and belonging, which also happens to be the essential ingredients of an engaged team.
As we head into Thanksgiving, I’ve been thinking a lot about the people in my life who lift me up, keep me grounded, and remind me why purpose matters in the first place.
The other day, in a quiet moment between meetings, I felt this wave of gratitude for my team, clients, friends, and family, who continually spark purpose for me. It hit me how much happiness is in a collective effort. We don’t thrive alone. We thrive because of the people who encourage us, support us, and sometimes gently tell us to put the laptop away.
This idea is backed up by research but also echoed in
Tim Durkin’s book
Points of Contact. He writes that it’s the ongoing job of leaders to help people see the meaning in their work. When people feel connected to something bigger than themselves, they grow, they contribute, and they stay.
I saw this firsthand in my years as a technology recruiter. The job descriptions that led with mission and purpose always attracted stronger, more engaged candidates.
Purpose is a recruiting magnet, especially for Gen Z and others.
Imagine taking that one step further:
- Job postings that explain the why, not just the tasks
- Stories about how the company impacts the community
- Short videos of employees sharing how their personal purpose connects to the organization’s purpose
Suddenly your recruiting becomes more human. Your culture becomes more magnetic. And your employees become more energized and less burned out.
This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for my family and friends, and also for the workplaces that understand contribution and purpose aren’t feel-good extras. Rather, they’re the foundation of a thriving, happy team.
As I always say, a happy team creates a healthy company.————–
For more information about why Purpose is an important part of employee engagement, check out my book, Banish Organizational Burnout: 26 Tips for Managers.