Imagine a workplace where every employee is seen, valued and empowered to make a difference. This vision isn’t just a wish, it’s a ‘promise’important’.
Understanding what it means to matter has the potential to open up new opportunities for mental health and employee engagement. Significance is the degree to which one feels that one’s existence is significant and valuable (George & Park, 2016). It is a unique psychological construct that holds great potential for understanding and enhancing individual well-being and collective flourishing.
For decades, employers have been trying to discover the key components to optimizing their workforce. At the same time, social impact is increasingly recognized as a business imperative. We know from the literature across countries and industries that engaged employees are happier, more productive, and intend to stay in their roles. By addressing a basic human need, businesses can attract higher caliber employees.
So what does it matter? The issue itself has three main components:
1. Education – the feeling that people are paying attention to us.
2. Importance – the feeling that others consider us important.
3. Confidence – the feeling that others depend on us.
If these three conditions are present, we are likely to feel important (Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981).
Matter also has two dimensions:
1. Interpersonal Relations – the feeling that we are important to a person or a group of people.
2. Social Issue – the sense that our actions affect the world around us (Rosenberg, 1985).
We need both interpersonal and community feelings to feel that we really matter.
Mattering plays a protective role in psychological well-being (Flett, 2024). Research shows that feeling important balances two complementary psychological experiences: feeling valued and adding value (Prilleltensky, 2020). It reflects what most employees are looking for: recognition of their hard work and confidence that their work will make a difference. One of the most effective and efficient ways businesses can increase their value is through employee volunteering.
Volunteering is associated with greater psychological well-being (Kragt & Holtrop, 2020). It also uniquely bridges interpersonal and societal themes. Volunteering with colleagues strengthens interpersonal connections, while contributing to meaningful causes instills a sense of social purpose and impact. While the benefits of volunteering are clear, achieving its full impact remains a challenge.
Metrics such as participation rates and hours contributed do not reflect the full value of employee volunteerism. By adopting a relevance lens, businesses have the opportunity to rethink their impact metrics, highlighting how volunteering improves employee well-being, strengthens workplace culture, and drives meaningful change. This holistic approach ensures that employee volunteering programs achieve their ultimate goals: creating shared value among all stakeholders.
By prioritizing what matters, businesses can not only increase employee engagement, but also have a wider social impact. Workplaces that embrace the commitment that matters not only to employees, but also to clients, customers and the wider community can strengthen their brand reputation, attract and retain top talent, and drive productivity and innovation. Consider these practical strategies for fostering a culture of caring in the workplace:
- Design meaningful work It gives employees autonomy, increases competence, and creates opportunities for authentic relationships with others (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
- Develop transformational leaders fosters a sense of importance through consistent, active and personalized support and recognition.
- Develop workplace culture values and prioritizes interpersonal relationships among colleagues, encourages empathy, cooperation and mutual appreciation.
- Implement strong social impact initiativesincluding well-designed employee volunteer programs that allow employees to experience a sense of community importance.
- Build strategic community partnerships ensuring that employee volunteer programs create real value while offering employees meaningful and enriching volunteer experiences.
Making people feel important is fundamental to individual and collective well-being. When businesses choose to matter, they do more than encourage employee engagement—they create a ripple effect of positivity that extends beyond the workplace into society. How will your business harness the transformative power of importance to unlock employee potential and create lasting community impact?
IAVE’s 27th IAVE World Volunteer Conference concluded with an invocation by Executive Director Nichole Cirillo. IAVE is concerned that the role that volunteers play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not recognized or appreciated. Before the United Nations International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IYV) In 2026, IAVE is hosting a series of Global Dialogues to encourage broad conversations about volunteerism that will inform and inspire what happens in 2026 and beyond.
IYV 2026 is an ambitious and effective “Call to Action” for greater recognition and investment in volunteering, and we plan these dialogues to respond to this call. Visit to learn more or engage iave.org/iyv26 and https://www.iave.org/what-we-do/leadership-development/gcvc/
References
George, LS and Park, CL (2016). Understanding, purpose, and meaningful meaning in life: Toward integration and new research questions. Overview of General Psychology, 20(3), 205-220. https://doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000077
Kragt, D. and Holtrop, D. (2020). Volunteerism research in Australia: A narrative review. Australian Journal of Psychology, 71(4), 342-360. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12251
Prilleltensky, I. (2020). An issue at the intersection of psychology, philosophy and politics. American Journal of Community Psychology, 65(1-2), 16-34. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12368
Rosenberg, M. (1985). Self-concept and psychological well-being in adolescence. In RL Leary (Ed.), Self Development (pp. 205-246). Academic Press.
Rosenberg, M., & McCullough, BC (1981). Significance: Achieved significance and mental health among adolescents. Research in Community and Mental Health, 2163-182.
Ryan, RM and Deci, EL (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1521/978.14625/28806
