A recent study by Spherion, The 2013 Emerging Workforce, examines the 2013 workforce and the post-recession resurgence of the “emergent worker mentality,” characterized by the study as one which focuses on a free-agency style employment.
While the study provides data to support this point it is more than likely we have experienced the validity of this resurgence in our daily lives, perhaps witnessing friends or colleagues job-hopping more frequently, or seeing an increased social conscience in employees and new talent.
Whether we’ve confirmed suspicions that our current workforce is driven by a very different set of factors than previous generations or not, insights from this report can help to remind us of the importance of understanding this emergent worker mentality.
Higher job satisfaction when there is a clear corporate mission
Data supports the notion that connecting employees to an organizations values and greater corporate mission is one of the most influential attributes of job satisfaction for the emergent worker.
Some 70 percent of respondents from Spherion’s study who worked for a company with “a clear mission and follow through” reported that their level of job satisfaction was very/extremely good , compared to a job satisfaction rate of just 23 percent for organizations with no clear mission and follow through.
As Jake Magleby stated in a blog published by Great Place to Work in Ocotober:
Businesses with vision are often more successful than their competitors. This is because people like to support a specific cause or purpose. Business leaders who recognize this can develop a vision for their company that is based on common values and shared goals… This vision for a better world is something that most people not only relate to, but very much want to support. This support translates into a healthy bottom line for the company and a healthier community”.
A clear mission is also a good retention device
Data from the 2013 Emerging Workforce Study not only confirms that employees at companies with a clear mission are more satisfied with their jobs but are also that they are more likely to stay at their jobs.
Some 70 percent of respondents at a company with a clear mission and follow through reported that the likelihood they would stay at their current job for the next five years was excellent/very good, and only 21 percent responded that they were at least somewhat likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months.
Additionally, respondents from companies with a clear mission and follow through felt more confident in their growth potential than employees from organizations without a clear mission and follow through.
Given these returns, all organizations should consider making their mission and values even more visible and relatable for employees and this has been a top priority for me in my new role at Great Place to Work.
Does your company place a premium on mission and values? What actions do you take to connect employees to your mission?
This originally appeared on China Gorman’s blog at ChinaGorman.com.