Everyone Wants Meaningful Work. But What Does That Look Like, Really?

Jocelyn Lincoln was not prepared for the weeping.

Lincoln is the chief talent officer for Kelly Services, a global staffing firm, and she’s been in the recruitment business for 22 years. Over that time, she’s witnessed an evolution in ­attitudes — with candidates talking less about money, and more about things like mission, purpose, and bringing their whole self to work. But then came 2020, an exceptional year on an exceptional number of levels, and Lincoln was granted a front-row seat to a seismic shift that may have forever altered the relationship between Americans and work.