Employees with a strong sense of purpose are more likely to be engaged, thriving, and satisfied in their work, according to The Power of Purpose, a national study by Gallup and Stand Together. The research found that workers who identify a clear sense of life purpose are 3.8 times more likely to be engaged in their jobs and 3.2 times more likely to be thriving in life compared with those who report low purpose.
These findings demonstrate that purpose is more than a personal mindset—it’s a measurable factor influencing performance, motivation, and organizational success.
The cost of employee disengagement
Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report found that global disengagement costs the economy billions in lost productivity each year. When employees feel disconnected from their work, performance and innovation decline. By contrast, organizations that help people find meaning in their roles see measurable gains in productivity and retention.
The data reveal that purposeful employees bring greater energy and creativity to their work. They are also less likely to experience burnout—only 11 percent of high-purpose employees report feeling burned out “very often,” compared with 52 percent among those with low purpose.
Purpose reduces employee turnover and supports resilience
Purposeful employees are more likely to remain with their current employer. Forty-one percent of those with strong purpose say they are watching for or seeking a new job, compared with 68 percent of employees who report low purpose. Purpose, therefore, acts as a buffer against turnover and workplace stress.
The findings reinforce that engagement and retention are closely linked to whether people see value and meaning in what they do each day.
Purpose is a measurable driver of performance
For laboratory teams and research environments, Gallup’s data highlight purpose as a tangible management variable, not an abstract idea. Reinforcing how each project, experiment, or process connects to a larger scientific or societal outcome can strengthen engagement and reduce burnout. By treating purpose as a measurable part of organizational culture, science-based institutions can build teams that are not only productive but also deeply motivated.
This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
