Marcel Schwantes

Ever felt like you’re invisible at work—like no one sees you, hears you, or values what you bring to the table? Psychologists actually have a term for this: anti-mattering. It’s that sinking feeling of being insignificant, and when people experience it, they tend to check out, lose motivation, or walk away entirely.

We often think top talent quits because of money or new opportunities elsewhere. For many, sure. But for high performers, there’s another, quieter reason: They don’t feel like they matter. The solution is to reverse course. In six words:

Make people feel like they matter.

Unlike pay raises or competing job offers, mattering is something self-aware leaders and managers have the power to control every single day.

In a study of 200,000 employees across 741 companies, compensation ranked dead last as a reason high performers left. What topped the list instead? Things like purpose, growth opportunities, and—most important—relationships with their leaders.

This isn’t surprising. Managers play a huge role in whether people stay or go. People want to feel like they matter. They want to experience more positive, meaningful interactions and be recognized for their unique contributions.

3 Steps to Make People Feel Like They Matter

Offering some employees their desired salary to keep them around longer is certainly an option, but it’s not sustainable under undesirable work conditions and poor managers with inadequate people skills.

Managers must realize that they have plenty of power when it comes to creating the right environment and opening up opportunities that align with employees’ personal and professional goals.

To future-proof your retention strategy and ensure people feel fulfilled by the work they are doing, here are three ways to start the process.

1. Make a way for career development

Today’s employees not only want the ability to grow their careers, but also the opportunity to explore different career paths.

Career development is no longer just about moving up the career ladder to the next position; it’s also about trying on different hats and learning new skills. Employees are interested in pursuing opportunities that align with their skills and interests and that empower them to create a career path on their own terms.

Employers need to replace traditional career ladders with lattices that enable their people to grow—not just vertically, but across departments and functions.

2. Align your company’s values to employees’

More and more, employees want to work for a company that aligns with their values. Jobs are not looked at as merely a means to pay bills but instead are increasingly viewed as part of their identity. Job seekers are looking for a more authentic connection between corporate and personal values.

A real concern is that many of the newest members of the workforce think their employers leave a lot to be desired when it comes to aligning corporate values with their personal beliefs.

If you want to hold onto top talent in the current environment, you need to make sure your people believe in the work they’re doing. 

3. Recognize your employees

Study after study—too many to mention here—has been published highlighting the importance of meaningful workplace recognition. For employees to find meaning in their work, they need frequent validation and recognition that what they do day-to-day matters in the context of the greater goals of the organization.

In one survey I tracked, employees recognized in a previous month were 29 percent more likely to agree with the statement, “The work we do at my organization has meaning and purpose for me,” compared with those who have never been recognized.

Inc