Purposefulness

In one of my all-time favourite books, “Man’s Search for Meaning”, Victor Frankl, while talking of his experiences in concentration camps during World War II highlights that the “meaning” of life is found in each moment. The core of his belief lies in the fact that a man’s deepest desire is to find meaning in his life, and if he finds it, he can survive anything.

This search for meaning also finds resonance in the 4 ashramas, where the man is expected to move into “Vanaprastha” and “Sanyasa” stages to explore deeper meaning into existence and purpose. Maslow in his famous “Hierarchy of Needs” theory talks about “Self-Actualization” as the desire to become the most as one can be, at the top of the hierarchy. In most such theories, this search for meaning or finding purpose is always sequential and comes at a stage where one is free from worldly responsibilities, at a much later stage in life. 

In a work context, professionals in Gen X and Z have always endeavored to find this meaning at work itself. The struggles of a previous generation ensured that this generation was busy ensuring a better life for their children. It is only in their “second innings” that they look for meaning beyond work and engage in finding their true passion, a sense of purpose. However, for the current younger generation of millennials, the context is very different. Their concerns are not the same as their parents grew up with. The millennials look for meaning and purpose in their work from the beginning. They do not wait for any “second innings” do define their purpose. The sense of purpose and the meaning they look for can change frequently, but a job without a purpose is not a job for them.

In this context, keeping the millennials engaged in an organization, really means helping them find a purpose in their jobs. To build a psychological contract with the younger workforce an organization needs to create purposefulness, help them find meaning in their work. 

Organizations that invest time in helping youngsters find their sense of purpose also do a good job of engaging and retaining these youngsters. Purposefulness would be a key differentiator in employer branding in times to come.