The document discusses six traits ("DREAMS") that employees look for in their work environment to feel engaged. DREAMS stands for Difference, Radical honesty, Extra value, Authenticity, Meaning, and Simple rules. While these qualities are important for engagement, they can conflict with traditional business practices and be difficult for leaders to implement fully. However, building a workplace with these qualities is important for companies to attract and retain talented employees.

1. Authentic organisations help
employees to thrive. Rob Goffee and
Gareth Jones chart six traits people
look for in their working environment.
Why should
anyone work here?

2. Why should anyone work here?
2
EngagementLevel
Number of employees
Academics and practitioners have
tested answers to this question.
But depressingly low rates of employee
engagement all over the world remind
us that there’s still a long way to go.
After exploring people’s positive
visions for firms, we found that
responses grouped naturally around
six broad imperatives, forming a handy
mnemonic: DREAMS.
Why should anyone work here?
D R E A M S

3. Difference
“I want to work in a place
where I can be myself and
express the ways in which
I see things differently.”
D R E A M S
Why should anyone work here?
3

4. Radical honesty
“I want to know what’s
really going on.”
D R E A M S
Why should anyone work here?
4

5. Extra value
“I want to work in an
organisation that magnifies
my strengths and adds
extra value for me and my
personal development.”
D R E A M S
Why should anyone work here?
5

6. Authenticity
“I want to work in an
organisation I’m proud of,
one that truly stands for
something.”
D R E A M S
Why should anyone work here?
6

7. Meaning
“I want my day-to-day
work to be meaningful.”
D R E A M S
Why should anyone work here?
7

8. Simple rules
“I do not want to be
hindered by stupid rules or
rules that apply to some
people but not others.”
D R E A M S
Why should anyone work here?
8

9. Why should anyone work here?
9
DREAMS qualities can often run counter to
traditional practices in companies and are
not easy to implement. Some conflict with
one another. Most require leaders to
balance competing interests and rethink
how they allocate their time and attention.
The traits may seem obvious.
Yet most firms fail to get even half right.
Our research indicates that when companies
do try to tackle these issues they often do
so superficially.
Are we dreaming?
D R E A M S

10. Why should anyone work here?
10
We are optimistic but not starry eyed.
The challenges are huge. This is not
a matter of either/or. Building better
workplaces is not an alternative to but
rather a means of winning.
Above all, we aim to inspire you to create
a positive answer to that hard question:
why should anyone work here?
The way forward
D R E A M S

11. Rob Goffee (rgoffee@london.edu)
is Emeritus Professor of Organisational
Behaviour at London Business School.
Gareth Jones
(gareth@creativemanagementassociates.com)
is Fellow of Executive Education at London
Business School.
The full article was published in
London Business School Review
Volume 26, Issue 3 2015.
Visit the website: www.london.edu/lbsr