More than a Paycheck

Ever since Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs pyramid, people have been pursuing self-actualization.  Finding life’s purpose can be a life-long quest.  Maslow claimed that a person has to first master the lower tiers of the pyramid, such as safety, social and self-esteem needs before breaking through to self-actualization.

The pursuit of that pinnacle is the reason so many people switch jobs.  Even after years of study and multiple degrees qualifying them for what they thought would be their dream job they can become disillusioned and empty.  It’s difficult for recruiters to find out if the job an applicant interviews for is the right job for them—the one that will give them (at least for a while) a feeling of purpose and fulfillment.

Everyone wants to feel that their life means something--that they are making a contribution.  The average person spends between seven and 10 hours a day, five days a week, at a job or combination of jobs, so it makes sense to find a job that gives purpose and meaning to all those hours.  There are countless lists of clever interview questions available to determine the skills, experience and ability of job candidates.  But how do you find out if the job opening you have will be the job that gives an applicant purpose and meaning?

An Inc.com article, “How To Know If You’re Working (And Living) With Purpose,” suggests four questions workers ask themselves to determine if their jobs are meaningful.  Self-examination is great therapy, but it’s a little too late after an applicant takes a job.  These interview questions, modeled after the four self-examination questions, can help recruiters find out if a job will give an applicant more than a paycheck. 

1. “What was the most exciting day on your last job?”  “What element of your last job gave you the most satisfaction?”  Just completing a task gives some measure of satisfaction.  But when you’re really engaged, the work you do can stir up emotions as well—pleasure, excitement, joy, laughter, contentment.  Ask another question:  “What is the craziest, wildest, most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?”  Taking risks, getting through a tough situation brings out all kinds of emotions.  Is there any correlation between the job and the kinds of things the applicant likes to do?
2. How does the applicant see himself?  “Are you more of a Doer or a Thinker?”  Most will try to tell you they are a little of both.  Some people have to be active; talking, interacting, and moving.  Others prefer studying, reasoning, problem solving, researching.  “Think of a time when you felt most fulfilled and happy?  What were you doing?”   The actual work you do doesn’t matter.  If you felt most happy running a 5K, you can get the same kind of feeling working on a difficult problem and coming up with a solution.  It’s all in the process.
3. Many companies give employees the opportunity to take time off to do community service or sponsor community projects that employees can participate in.  “What do you like to do in your spare time” is a worn out question.  You can ask a question, “…if you were in charge of giving away $10,000 to a charity or cause on behalf of the company, what would it be?”  Or, “How can companies like ours be good members of the community?”  You’ll find out if being part of a cause or doing something that has lasting effect on the community or organization is important to the applicant.  How does your company’s mission, vision and core values line up with the applicant’s?  Will they find a connection?

Companies can offer jobs.  They aren’t necessarily responsible for providing a life of purpose.  But, if an applicant doesn’t find meaning as well as a paycheck and good benefits, he might move on.  Asking the right questions and listening to the answers can help recruiters find talent and commitment.

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