The role of faith and spirituality in providing meaning at work
By Brian Grim
This month a Wall Street Journal headline declared Young People Are Taking Over the Workplace, and That’s a Problem for Bosses. The article, noting that Gen Z workers are expected to outnumber baby boomers in the U.S. workforce this year, asserts “If only their bosses could understand them. Companies find their youngest employees the most difficult to work with, surveys show.”
Of the top reasons managers find GenZ difficult to work with, two are related to spiritual health: lack of effort and lack of motivation.
McKinsey Health Institute’s survey of 41,000 people worldwide finds that — regardless of age, country, or religious beliefs — spiritual health matters to many.
According to McKinsey, “Spiritual health. enables people to integrate meaning in their lives. Spiritually healthy people have a strong sense of purpose. They feel a broad sense of connection to something larger than themselves, whether to a community, a calling, or to a form of divinity. Spiritual health helps people feel rooted and mindful in the present moment. … We note that strong spiritual health does not necessarily imply the adoption of religious beliefs, in general, or any specific dogma.”
Indeed, “having meaning in one’s life, a sense of connection to something larger than oneself, and a sense of purpose” is not only associated with strong mental, social, and physical health, strong spiritual health is also associated with increased motivation and effort.
Related to GenZ’s, McKinsey Health Institute’s 26-country survey found the vast majority of respondents said that spiritual health is “somewhat” to “extremely” important to them. However, based on statements about purpose and meaning. GenZ is the generation with the lowest level of spiritual health by significant margins.
Among Millennials, GenX and Baby Boomers, GenZ is the least likely to report having meaning in life (63%), finding purpose in work (58%), and having personal beliefs that give the strength to face difficulties (57%).
By comparison, more than 70% of Millennials, GenX and Baby Boomers report having meaning in life; more than 60% find purpose in work, and have personal beliefs that give strength to face difficulties.
McKinsey Health Institute argues that social, public, and private stakeholders can and should find ways to “help people find purpose and space to reflect on their lives.” This not only includes employers finding ways to help people find meaning in their work, but meaning in life which gives meaning to work.
This is a consequential issue, as my daughter, Melissa, and I found in our widely-cited research on how faith is indispensable in preventing and recovering from substance abuse. Key findings from our study include:
- — Faith Reduces Risk, Helps Long-Term Recovery, Saves Lives
- — Provides $316 billion annually in savings to U.S. economy
- — Authors Warn that Declining Religiosity is National Health Concern
- — Perception that Religion Can’t Answer Today’s Problems Don’t Match Reality
Businesses that adopt faith-friendly policies and provide opportunities for employees to form formal affinity groups around faith and belief, provide chaplains to provide compassionate care, as well as provide designated spaces for reflection, meditation and prayer are best equipped to address the management problem the Wall Street Journal identifies.
Fortunately, religiously inclusive, faith-friendly workplaces are on the rise.
America’s biggest companies are embracing religiously inclusive workplaces at a faster pace than ever before, according to the 2024 Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI) Index and Monitor, released by the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF).
The REDI report finds that 429 (85.8%) Fortune 500 companies now mention or illustrate religion as part of their broader commitment to diversity, more than double the number in 2022 (202 companies, or 40.4%). The study also found a 68% increase in the number of Fortune 500 companies showcasing that they have faith-oriented employee business resource groups (EBRGs), rising from 37 companies in 2022 to 62 in 2024.
This is not only good for employees and employers but also for society. Stay tuned as we continue to monitor these trends in 2025.
