5 things employees crave—but don’t get enough of

Humans are dazzlingly diverse, but we all share certain innate needs and desires.

Employers would be wise to meet these primal emotional longings. Communicators, too, should be mindful of crafting messages that resonate on a more profound, meaningful level.

What is it that even the most inscrutable or cranky among us crave? Here are five human hungers to consider in the workplace:

Purpose

A job is just a job, right?

Your company might not be saving the world, but you must make employees feel good about what they’re doing. Encourage your colleagues, and consistently remind them that their toil is not in vain. Their efforts are meaningful, substantive, important and appreciated—heroic, in a way.

There’s a reason why Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life” has become one of the best-selling books of all time. People crave purpose. We want purposeful lives, and we want purposeful jobs—often even more so than fat paychecks.