Creating meaning for employees sounds easier said than done—but every HR leader can do it

What if there was a simple way for HR to help employees derive meaning from work? It sounds easier said than done.

But there are three key ways leaders can help employees feel more connected to their work, according to Wes Adams, CEO of consulting firm SV Consulting Group, and Tamara Myles, a business consultant, speaker, and Boston College professor.

In their graduate psychology program, Adams and Myles connected over a passion for helping company leaders create meaning for employees, which led them to co-author, Meaningful Work: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee. The duo highlights how community, contribution, and being challenged helps employees find meaning and purpose on a daily basis.

“Community is that belief that you matter, that you can show up authentically, you belong in your organization. Contribution is understanding how your work impacts other people in a positive way,” Adams told HR Brew. “And finally, challenge is the opportunity that we have to learn and grow and improve our capabilities.”

HR Brew spoke with Adams and Myles about what people pros can learn from their book.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you both end up writing this book?

Adams: I worked in hospitality the first 10 years of my career, opening nightclubs, event spaces, restaurants, and then transitioned into social enterprise and did some consulting. And so, really was a part of launching and growing a number of businesses and ventures over 20 years, and some of those places were really great places to work, and some of those places were not such great places to work. And, some of the ones that I thought were going to be really great places to work, like the mission-driven organizations, didn’t always end up that way, and I wanted to understand why.

Myles: Prior to graduate school, I had spent 15 years consulting with leaders on productivity systems. I had published my first book on a productivity model. The book is called The Secret to Peak Productivity…and in doing that work closely with leaders over 15 years, I noticed that there was a virtuous cycle in place…[People who] focus on being productive actually had more time to spend on things that really mattered, and when people were spending time on things that matter most, they were energized, engaged and more productive. And, so, I really wanted to understand the science behind the cycle and how to create this intentionally across organizations.

What stood out from your research?

Adams: What we found is that these three sources of meaning [community, contribution, and challenge] hold across industries. We studied thousands of people from 25 different industries, and these things are important no matter what business you work in, and the same things that we teach to folks at Microsoft and at Black Rock work at businesses like Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s, or Marriott. These are things that we all care about and are important, and it’s important for each of those three Cs to be present in our work.

You mentioned the hospitality industry, which reminds me of the TV show The Bear, a show that takes place in a highly stressful workplace. How can HR pros create meaning for employees, specifically in high-stress environments?

Myles: There’s an episode in The Bear, Season Two, called “Forks” that really exemplifies contribution C of meaningful work…They’re polishing forks, and all they have to do is clean those forks, and polish them, and they’re kind of bored. They’re like, “Oh my God, come on. Like, I’m just going to do this all day?” And, then the manager of that restaurant is having [a] huddle with the team before going into the specials…and he says, “Every day here is like the Super Bowl. People wait months to get a reservation, and they come, and it’s our job to create the best experience.”

[This] really highlights that, in that moment, or in that speech, what their work really means [is] it’s not about polishing forks. It’s not about serving the right dish to the right customer, but it’s about creating this magical experience that people have waited months for, and giving the customer the best experience possible. And, so I think that was such a beautiful example of contribution in hospitality, in [a] high-stress environment where it’s a moment that really mattered. It really brought to life what their work means.

Adams: One of the things that hospitality businesses do really well is the community piece of it. I’ve found that when I work in that environment, it’s like a big family, sometimes a messy family, like in The Bear, but it’s that idea that we’re all here together.

We’re in it together, even if we’re fighting, and I can show up and be me, and that kind of friendship, camaraderie is a huge source of meaning when you feel like you’re a part of something bigger, when you’re a part of that community.