When Tom from the film (500) Days of Summer was asked why he had never achieved his dream of becoming an architect, his response dripped with sarcasm: “I guess I just figured, why make something disposable like a building when you can make something that lasts forever, like a greeting card.”

Tom's words are more than a smart line in a great movie. They're emblematic of the way a new generation of employees are approaching the workplace. In The M Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace (HarperCollins, 2010), Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman present results from their study of the workplace to show how Millenials bringing unprecedented energy, innovation, and a sense of purpose to their jobs.

“They want good pay and good bosses, too,” Lancaster and Stillman write. “But beyond that they want to find meaning in what they do.”

More than 90 percent of U.S. Millennials said that being able to give back through their company was somewhat to very important when joining an organization. And according to the Kelly Global Workforce Index, over half of young workers would accept a lower wage or lesser role if their work contributed to something “more important or meaningful.”

During countless interviews with Millennials, Lancaster and Stillman observed that these youngsters want more than a reliable job with competitive salary. The Millennials interviewed who loved their job, also talked about making a difference there. Those who disliked their job cited a lack of meaning. If they are going to devote hard work over an entire lifetime to something, they want it to make a difference, solve a problem, or—cliché as it may sound—change the world. They want to feel like they are striving for more than a bigger bottom line.

But what does “meaning” look like for this generation overall? Lancaster and Stillman say it means they want to be heard, they want to know they are succeeding, and they want to be innovators. Most of all, they want to express who they are and what they love through their work.

Christians have a word to describe the urge to express who we are and how we’ve been built: calling. “Calling” or “vocation” captures the essence of that inner compulsion to contribute to a greater mission through using one’s gifts and passions. You don’t have to join the Peace Corps or head out to the mission field to pursue your calling (although some might); you can pursue it right where you are.  In fact, you were meant to pursue it first where you’ve been placed.  It doesn’t matter if you are a teacher, business executive, pastor, or musician. You can partner with God to reflect his Kingdom right where you are.

This is where the trend becomes powerful. Tapping into one’s talent and passions within their place of work releases a torrent of enthusiasm unmatched by most other twenty-somethings. The leaders who can make the connections and instill meaning in the workplace for those they lead, will inspire truly great employees. “The truth is that for many Americans, work is much more than what we do,” write Lancaster and Stillman, “it’s who we are.”

Drawing from your own workplace experience, we'd like to know: What does the future of the workplace look like in your opinion? Do you view your career more as a job or a calling?

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