Want to Keep Your Employees Productive? Help Them Find Their Purpose. A new study looks at how finding meaning in work helps us both financially and emotionally.

By Nina Zipkin

Hero Images | Getty Images

We all want to have a job that motivates and fulfills us. But according to a recent study from LinkedIn and leadership training firm Imperative, there isn't only an emotional gain, but a fiscal one, that comes from finding purpose in your work.

The 2016 Workforce Purpose Index found that while only 30 percent of American workers say that they are enthusiastic about their work, 85 percent of companies that were able to find ways to help their employees feel more purpose-driven saw positive growth in revenue.

Businesses with "purpose" are defined by the researchers as ones with an understood mission that has a positive impact on the world, a culture that encourages individual growth and business that is done based on the strength of interpersonal relationships.

Related: Americans Are Most Confident in Their Work, But Are They the Most Productive in the World?

The study identified entrepreneurship as one of the top three most purpose-oriented job areas, coming in at number two behind social and community service and ahead of education.

Since hiring people who believe in and want to pursue your vision is a big part of building a successful startup, when it comes to hiring your staff, the study found that the three factors that contribute to an employee feeling like they have purpose at work are independence, influence when it comes to decision-making and compensation and recognition for their work.

Thirty-nine percent of purpose-driven professionals were more likely to stay at their company for three years or more, compared with 35 percent of non purpose-oriented professionals. And 73 percent of purpose-oriented workers reported being satisfied with their jobs compared to 64 percent of their non purpose-oriented counterparts.

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Career

What Is 'Task Masking'? Young Workers Retaliate Against Return-to-Office Mandates With a Viral Strategy.

Many professionals value the flexibility of remote work — and they're not reacting well to forced in-office returns.

Devices

Why So Many Business Owners Now Have This Gadget in Their Back Pocket

One cable can completely change how you interact with smart devices.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Side Hustle

This 30-Year-Old's $6,000-a-Month Side Hustle Started Making Money 'Immediately' — But He's Not Quitting His Day Job

Derrick Mathy works in orthopedic surgical device sales and is on a mission to bring people together in real life.

Business News

UnitedHealthcare Offers Employees Voluntary Buyouts to Meet 'Evolving Needs'

The health insurance giant could resort to layoffs if it doesn't meet resignation quotas with buyouts.

Starting a Business

The Mindset that Helped Me Start 5 Companies Before Age 30

If you were completely rational, you would never attempt anything.