When the job is calling: The role of applying one’s signature strengths at work

by Claudia Harzer and Willibald Ruch, Journal of Positive Psychology, 7(5) p. 362-372, September 2012

Special thanks to Brodie Gregory, PhD for providing this summary

Were you “called” to your line of work? In their recent Journal of Positive Psychology article, Claudia Harzer and Willibaud Ruch suggest that individuals who have a calling view their work as their purpose in life, as opposed to simply a job, source of income, or path to advancement. They predict that when people’s signature strengths are aligned to the demands of their work, they are more likely to experience that work as a calling. Past research has shown that people tend to be drawn to jobs that utilize their signature strengths, and that when signature strengths are applied on the job people experience higher job satisfaction, positive emotion, and meaning in their work.

In their study, Harzer and Ruch confirmed that when individuals use their signature strengths on the job, they are more likely to experience that job as a calling, as well as more likely to experience positive emotions at work. One of the most interesting findings was the importance of how many signature strengths are applied on the job. Harzer and Ruch discovered a “tipping point” between 3 and 4 strengths – such that applying 4 or more strengths on the job resulted in participants a) experiencing more positive emotion at work and b) indicating that their job is a calling. Individuals who applied 3 or fewer signature strengths on the job experienced less positive emotion and did not perceive their jobs as a calling.

Overall, Harzer & Ruch’s findings indicate that people are more inclined to perceive their work to be a calling when it is allows them to apply 4 or more of their signature strengths. How can you use this research in your practice? How can you help clients or colleagues find deeper meaning and experience more positive emotion and job satisfaction in their work? Knowing that higher job satisfaction contributes to reduced turnover and employee withdrawal behaviors, how can you help organizations appeal to their employees’ “callings” and more effectively match their work to their signature strengths?