Finding Fulfillment at Work

Employers in North America overlook employee fulfillment regarding their talent retention strategies, reveals Ricoh USA's 2024 North American Workplace Fulfillment Gap Index. A company's investment and focus on core organizational strategies are directly tied to employees' fulfillment, according to the report, which is based on a survey of more than 2,000 US and Canadian full-time adult workers.

The index found that businesses are not meeting employees' expectations for organizational priorities that matter most to them, such as work-life balance, purpose-driven work, and a growth-oriented culture. Respondents note a correlation between feeling more disconnected from co-workers and feeling less fulfilled at work. Nine in 10 individuals said camaraderie with people they work with is important to feeling fulfilled at their job. On-site workers ranked their fulfillment level at 6.9 on a 10-point scale, while remote workers scored lower, at 6.6. Less than one-quarter of respondents said they are completely fulfilled through their work.

Companies should take note because more than eight in 10 individuals stated that their fulfillment is an important deciding factor in whether to stay with an organization.

The survey also shows the need to prepare for the next generation of business leaders. Sixty-three percent of Generation Z employees—people born between 1997 and 2012—associate their personal identity with their profession more than any other generation of workers. Gen Z workers are also most likely to say that feeling fulfilled at work helps them feel fulfilled at home, but they are least likely to say they believe they have contributed something positive to the world after a day's work.

"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 HR and shared services officer at Ricoh North America, in a press release. "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."