People want to feel that their work makes a difference, especially in their professional roles. When employees realize that their efforts impact others—even in small ways—their job satisfaction and productivity improve.
Interestingly, actions that managers often take to boost productivity tend to reduce worker satisfaction. Conversely, initiatives aimed at boosting morale can sometimes lower productivity. It’s rare to find a solution that benefits both morale and productivity equally.
Adam Grant, a doctoral student in organizational psychology at the University of Michigan, believed that researchers could identify ways to improve both happiness and productivity in the workplace. To explore this idea, Grant conducted several experiments and field studies, focusing on workers from various industries, such as firefighters and telemarketers.
Grant’s research revealed that feeling one’s work positively impacts others leads to increased job satisfaction and better performance. One surprising finding came from a study of 60 firefighters. Ten of them expressed a desire to fight more fires to have a greater impact on people.
Similarly, among telemarketers, those who felt their work helped others were more satisfied and made more sales per hour. Grant explained, “Most work makes a difference in someone’s life in some way, or else the job wouldn’t exist.” He also found that showing employees the people who benefit from their work—whether through a direct interaction or simply by seeing the individual—can increase their care and effort in the job.
In some professions, workers receive immediate feedback and clearly see how their actions impact others. This is true for doctors, teachers, and performers, for example. When these individuals see that their work is appreciated, their job satisfaction soars.
Grant conducted an experiment with students asked to improve a peer’s cover letter. One group was told that the student didn’t really need a job, while another group learned that the student was struggling to find employment. The students who met the job seeker in person, especially those who knew he needed help, made 25 percent more changes to the cover letter and spent more time improving it than those who saw only a picture of the student.
Grant concluded, “Even in a job like packing paper clips, if you understand how your work helps others, you will be more motivated to care about what you do.”
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