Finding Your Passion and Purpose at Work in Singapore
Is life all about money?
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, humans are wired to fulfil their needs and wants. Starting from deficiency needs such as physiological and safety needs, it progresses to growth needs such as esteem and self-actualisation. In order to ascend this pyramid and meet each tier’s requirement, individuals often engage in work. They provide their labour in exchange for monetary compensation, as a form of personal fulfilment and job satisfaction.
However, it becomes apparent that at a certain point, money alone cannot effectively bring fulfilment and job satisfaction. Beyond a certain threshold, the comfort that money brings, begins to follow the law of diminishing returns. Money is not everything, and similarly cannot be your sole career motivation for professional growth.
This shift away from the money-oriented mindset became even more apparent when Citadel Search spoke to candidates post-pandemic. It seems prior to the pandemic, our senses had been dulled to finding meaning in work beyond the monetary. However, there is now a new growing consciousness regarding our definition of work and meaning.
Don’t Be Mistaken – Money Can Be a Career Motivation
It is perfectly normal to consider salary as one of your motivating factors at work. It is an undeniable fact that compensation has an impact on every individual’s motivations. In fact, the Ernst & Young 2023 Work Reimagined Survey revealed that 21% of those surveyed cited better salary packages as the top reason for considering making a career move. (EY 2023 Work Reimagined Survey – Webcast Deck)
Fair compensation demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to reward and display their appreciation towards employee’s contributions. When appropriately rewarded, employees feel valued. This leads to an enhanced career motivation to produce quality work, as well as increased job satisfaction and workplace engagement.
Only a Satisfier, Not a Motivator – Is There A Sense of Purpose at work?
According to Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, there are two distinct sets of factors in the workplace that add to or detract from job satisfaction. Salary falls under the category of hygiene factors and not motivation factors. The former encompasses factors that lead to employee satisfaction and motivation specific to the job. The latter refers to factors that decrease employees’ dissatisfaction toward the work environment. This suggests that if the organisation does not practise equity in pay, employees will leave. The organisation’s ability to attract and retain the talent pool is thus diminished.
Hence, in addition to salary, fostering a sense of purpose at work is crucial. Without this, employees may experience a lack of purpose at work, leading to disengagement and dissatisfaction. Understanding how to create a sense of purpose at work can transform the workplace environment. Thus, organisations can enhance both employee motivation and overall job satisfaction.
When employees find passion and purpose at work, their engagement and productivity soar. The importance of purpose at work cannot be overstated. It plays a significant role in both personal fulfilment and organisational success.
Don’t Be Blinded By Your Pay – The Importance of Passion and Purpose at work
While money can be a significant motivating factor, you should not treat it as the only driving force in your career. If you rely solely on monetary compensation to stay motivated, you may find yourself feeling unfulfilled. You may lose your sense of purpose at work rapidly! This is because the moment the compensation is met, then there is nothing to look forward to. Hence, you may hear employers frown at candidates whose driving factor to move jobs is only compensation! They do not want employees who are motivated by only a fat pay-check at the end of the month.
Compensation, therefore, should be viewed as a short-term incentive. It is not a sustainable way to motivate yourself to carry out meaningful work or benefit your organisation.
At Citadel Search, we understand the importance of purpose at work. We strive to uncover the motivations behind every candidate’s desire to make a move. In our journey, we have come across and partnered with many candidates who are willing to look beyond the paycheck. When talking with them, we learnt that they have bigger motivating factors at work. Candidates value other factors, such as having a vibrant work culture, nurturing leadership, or finding fulfilment in the job and purpose served. You would be surprised! Some candidates do not even mind leaving for a lower paycheck,so they can make a bigger impact.
Finding Sense of Passion and Purpose at work
In a world driven by material success and financial gains, it can be easy to fall into the trap of prioritising a job solely based on its pay. However, beyond the numbers, there exists endless possibilities of meaningful work. Your unique talent and abilities can make a real impact on the world.
When you seek genuine fulfilment in your job, you will be able to build a more sustainable career pathway. This way, you can better fulfil your self-actualisation needs. Here are 4 strategies you can take to find meaning and purpose within your workplace.
1. Discover the Impact of Your Work
What is the core purpose of the job that you are doing?
Instead of blindly following standard operating procedures and guidelines, take time to reflect. Understand how your contributions make a difference, no matter how small. Does your work benefit another employee in the company, or a group of employees? Does your work provide additional value to your customers, or leave a positive mark in the world?
Engage in conversations with your colleagues, supervisors, customers, and other stakeholders. Gain insights and feedback on your performance. Hearing from different perspectives will help you realise the impact of your work on others.
Recognising the value you bring can provide a stronger sense of purpose and ignite your motivation. One’s sense of fulfillment and enjoyment at work is found when our personal work benefits others. It is a call of doing, not just for ourselves, but for others as well. Helping others is one of the most common ways in creating a sense of purpose at work. We function most powerfully when we are giving. Do you agree?
2. Nurture Relationships and Collaborations
Meaningful relationships play a pivotal role in creating a fulfilling work environment and creating a sense of passion and purpose at work. Cultivate strong and genuine relationships with the people around you, forge bonds with those who share similar values and inspire you. As you build your community and network, you will develop a stronger sense of belonging and purpose within the workplace. Such collaboration not only enhances your mindset and quality of work, but also provides a solid and valuable support system that is hard to come by.
We are not an island. We do not live in silos. Hence, when you belong to a group and give as a team, the common values and common purpose unites people together to synergistically create a strong sense of purpose.
3. Embrace Learning and Growth Opportunities
Step out of your comfort zone to seek learning and growth opportunities. Continual development is a powerful catalyst for finding meaning in your job. Keep this in mind, especially as you explore different avenues to contribute to your organisation to a higher purpose.
As you widen your horizons and hone your skills, you can unlock new opportunities and serve as a bigger contributor to your organisation. Keep an open mind and readily invest in your growth. Understand how to create a sense of purpose at work through personal and professional development. This can help you overcome a lack of purpose at work.
This approach not only enhances your career motivation but also allows you to find new passion and purpose at work. Ultimately, it highlights the importance of purpose at work for long-term satisfaction and success.
4. Find Personal Fulfilment Harmony in Work and Life
Have you uncovered your purpose in life? This is a question we all wrestle with and can rarely answer easily. In your pursuit of discovering your reason for living, perhaps you can consider finding your Ikigai.
Ikigai is a Japanese concept that combines the terms ‘iki’, meaning ‘life’, and ‘gai’, meaning ‘worth’ or ‘purpose’. When combined, this term translates to a person’s purpose, meaning or worth. The Venn diagram below illustrates the four elements of Ikigai. Ikigai is the point of intersection between what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs and what you can get paid for. Every individual has an Ikigai, something that they are passionate about and has the potential to benefit others. It’s only a matter of finding it. Using our helpful diagram, take some time to reflect and find your calling and a sense of purpose at work.
Take the dramatic career changes you’ve watched in movies or heard about it online with a pinch of salt. Your pursuit of a dream job does not have to be so extreme.
Look at your current or previous job experiences. Consider which types of responsibilities or tasks give you the most pleasure and joy. Use the following guiding questions as a start:
- Do you enjoy managing a team or prefer working independently?
- Do you enjoy solving complex issues or prefer giving presentations?
- Do you like directly engaging stakeholders or prefer to read pages of documents and reports?
By asking yourself these types of questions, you can slowly sift out aspects of your work you enjoy. Start to gain a sense of your Ikigai and overcome any lack of purpose at work.
In your journey to understand how to create a sense of purpose at work, consider the importance of purpose. How does it tie into your overall career motivation.
Passion and purpose at work are not just buzzwords; they are integral to your professional fulfilment and job satisfaction. Reflecting on these aspects will help you find meaningful work and align your personal values with your organisation’s goals.
Finding purpose in your job contributes to a more sustainable career pathway and enhances your self-actualization. Embrace opportunities for growth and learning, and remember that the significance of meaningful work goes beyond the paycheck. By aligning your passion, skills, and the world’s needs, you can find your Ikigai and live a fulfilled professional life.
Salary is Important, But Not Everything
Salary is an important aspect of any job. However, individuals who seek fulfilment and a deeper sense of purpose understand that financial compensation alone is not enough. Finding meaning and purpose in the workplace requires you to reflect and align personal values with organisational visions and goals.
At Citadel Search, we understand the importance of finding meaningful and purposeful work. Similarly, we pride ourselves in connecting talented individuals like you with organisations aligned with your values. We help you find organisations that are willing to support your aspirations towards a fulfilling career.
You deserve a job that serves your life.
You deserve a life that serves that higher purpose.
We believe that every individual stands a chance to be placed in his or her desired position. At Citadel Search, we find meaning and purpose in every successful placement and positive feedback from our candidates or clients.
If you seek a meaningful job that goes beyond your paycheck, we invite you to partner with us. You deserve so much more! Find a job that allows you to play to your strengths so that you can fulfil that higher purpose! Our dedicated team will work closely with you to discover where your motivations lie. We match you to a position that meets your needs and preferences. Contact us and take the first step in writing your own career story today. Together, let’s embark on a fulfilling career journey and unlock possibilities.