'Finding ways to build employee engagement by developing personal purpose across remote, onsite and hybrid workers is key for long-term business success'
Workers are finding the workplace to be less fulfilling than it was in the past half a decade – and that could mean they may be leaving soon, according to a recent report from fulfillment-focused firm Ricoh.
Overall, workers rate their current fulfillment levels only at 6.89 out of 10.
And 51% of Canadian and US workers feel less fulfilled at work now compared
to 5 years ago, while 47% feel more disconnected from their colleagues now compared to 5 years ago.
This is crucial as 84% of workers say that how fulfilled they are at work is a main decision factor in whether they stay at a company.
“With employees across North America craving a sense of overall fulfillment, in their professional and personal lives, companies must address this growing gap in what employees view as fulfilling and what is being provided beyond traditional measures in the workplace,” says Donna Venable, chief human resources and shared services officer for Ricoh North America.
“Companies can work to bridge this gap by creating an ongoing feedback loop with employees, developing engaging mentorship programs and removing hierarchy barriers through servant leadership.
Despite high confidence among organizations, less than half of employees feel comfortable talking with their supervisor about personal issues that are affecting work, according to a previous report from Express Employment Professionals.
Over 4 in 5 (82%) employees say feeling fulfilled at work helps them feel fulfilled at home and they feel they’ve contributed something positive after a day’s work, reports Ricoh.
Workers claim that the following are what drives fulfillment, according to the survey of over 2,000 U.S. and Canadian adult conducted Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, 2024:
And there have been gaps when it comes to employers’ efforts to keep workers fulfilled and what employees feel.
Fulfillment gaps are more pronounced between onsite and remote employees and younger and older cohorts.
Just 22% of employees globally are “thriving” at work, Indeed previously reported.
“With employee attraction and retention challenges on the rise in a complex talent market, companies must go beyond simply offering traditional benefits to offer workers of all ages and backgrounds a meaningful path forward for career development,” says Amy Loomis, research vice president at IDC. “Ricoh’s survey shows that finding ways to build employee engagement by developing personal purpose across remote, onsite and hybrid workers is key for long-term business success.”
Here’s how to influence and promote employee fulfillment, according to Insperity:
“Fulfilled employees are aligned with the organization’s values and goals, have a sense of purpose in their role and enjoy the feelings of camaraderie, belonging and community in their workplace – perhaps as much as the salary,” says Insperity.
“They are genuinely happy and know that they are ‘complete.’ They’re satisfied with their role but are planning ahead on their next move within the company. And they’re unlikely to consider leaving the company – they’re basically the dream employee for any company.”
