What Makes a Good Job? A Framework for Meaningful Work That Transforms Lives

"A job is the most meaningful yardstick of success for any individual: with a job comes dignity, pride, and the ability to provide for yourself and your family."

— Ajay Banga, World Bank President

When we talk about ending poverty, the conversation often centers on aid, charity, or economic policy. But for those of us engaged in impact investing, we know the most powerful and sustainable solution is simpler and more profound: good jobs.

Yet not all jobs are created equal. A sweatshop position and a role at a thriving local business both count as "employment" in economic statistics, but their impact on human flourishing couldn't be more different. So what exactly separates a job from a good job?

The Three Pillars of a Good Job

At Talanton, we've developed a comprehensive framework for evaluating job quality across our portfolio companies.

A truly good job must be:

1. Predictable

Predictable work provides stability people can rely on. It means clear expectations, consistent schedules, and reliable pay—so families are not left wondering where the next paycheck will come from. When income is steady, households can plan for the future, weather emergencies, and invest in their children's education.

2. Dignified

Dignified work treats people as whole human beings, not just labor inputs. It begins with safe conditions, fair treatment, and respect for workers' fundamental rights. But it goes further—creating environments where employees are trusted, supported, and given opportunities to grow. Dignified jobs recognize workers' aspirations, invest in their development, and enable people to bring their full selves to work with pride, purpose, and agency.

3. Generative

Generative jobs create value that is real, visible, and transferable. They start with useful products and services that meet genuine needs, generating income that is earned—not extracted or subsidized. That income gives workers stability and dignity, allowing families to invest in education, health, and long-term wellbeing. Over time, this stability strengthens communities through local spending, stronger institutions, and shared prosperity. At scale, these same jobs contribute to national productivity and economic growth. Generative work is not zero-sum—it compounds, multiplying tangible good across households, communities, and economies.

Five Dimensions of Job Quality

Within these three pillars, we evaluate five specific dimensions that determine whether a job truly contributes to human flourishing:

• Safe: Physical and psychological safety in the workplace, with proper equipment, training, and protocols
• Stable: Job security and income predictability that allows for financial planning and family stability
• Inclusive: Equal opportunities regardless of gender, disability, ethnicity, or background
• Enabling: Pathways for skill development, training, and career advancement
• Purposeful: Meaningful work that contributes to something larger than individual gain

The Job Creation Ecosystem

Understanding what makes a good job is only part of the equation. For impact investors, it's equally important to understand how jobs get created. We categorize businesses in our portfolio by their role in the job creation ecosystem:

• Job Creators: Companies with labor-intensive operations that directly employ large numbers of workers
• Job Enablers: Companies that expand access to employment for people who are otherwise excluded—such as women, youth, refugees, people with disabilities—by removing barriers to work
• Job Enhancers: Companies that improve quality, productivity or accessibility of existing jobs, without creating much net new employment
• Job Pioneers: Companies that introduce new job types and skillsets into a region, often replacing imports and catalyzing upstream and downstream economic activity

Good Jobs in Action: Real Impact

Theory matters, but results matter more. Across Talanton's portfolio, we see the transformative power of quality employment every day.

Measurable Transformation

Research conducted with our portfolio company Biofarms revealed that contracted farmers experienced an 86% increase in income compared to baseline. But the impact goes far beyond a paycheck. When asked what they valued most about their increased earnings, the most common response wasn't material goods—it was the ability to pay school fees for their children.

This is what meaningful work looks like: income that doesn't just sustain a family but enables the next generation to build a better future.

Inclusion That Creates Opportunity

At Masaka Farms in Rwanda, more than half of all employees are deaf women who might otherwise face significant barriers to employment. By intentionally creating an inclusive workplace, Masaka demonstrates that businesses can be both profitable and purposefully inclusive, proving that job quality and business success aren't competing priorities.

Technology as a Job Enabler

poa! Internet provides affordable connectivity to underserved communities across East Africa. Our impact study found that 60% of households using poa! services reported using their internet connection for income generation; 65% of households use the internet to better their children's education. This is job enabling in action: technology infrastructure that opens doors to economic opportunity.

Why This Matters for Impact Investors

For faith-driven investors seeking to align their portfolios with their values, understanding job quality isn't just nice to have—it's essential for genuine poverty alleviation. Creating any job is relatively easy. Creating jobs that actually transform lives requires intentionality, measurement, and accountability.

At Talanton, we evaluate every potential investment against our job quality framework. We partner with organizations like Decodis to conduct rigorous community research, ensuring we can measure real impact on real families.

Our goal isn't just job creation—it's quality job creation. Work that provides living wages, safe conditions, and genuine opportunity. Work that honors human dignity and contributes to human flourishing. Work that reflects our belief that every person is made in the image of God and deserves meaningful employment.

Join Us in Creating Good Jobs

If you're an investor who believes in the power of meaningful work to transform communities and end poverty, we'd love to connect. Talanton's faith-driven impact investment funds are designed to create exactly these kinds of opportunities: sustainable, dignified, generative employment across East Africa.

Learn more about our approach to impact investing at talantonimpact.com or contact our team to explore how your capital can create jobs, bring hope, and transform lives.