Clarity in the workplace isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a fundamental driver of employee experience. When employees clearly understand their goals and expectations, they tend to be more engaged, productive, and successful. Research backs this up: Gallup finds that “knowing what is expected” – essentially having clarity in one’s role – is strongly linked to higher productivity and safer workplaces. And this doesn’t just boost day-to-day efficiency; it can also impact financial performance. One study found that organizations with a strong sense of purpose and clear direction achieved up to 7.6% higher annual stock returns.
Despite the well-documented benefits of clarity, it’s not something employees can always count on. Gallup data reveals that in 2024 only 46% of U.S. employees strongly agree they know what’s expected of them at work – down from 56% in 2020. This signals that organizations must do more to provide employees with the direction they need to succeed. Without clear expectations, engagement and morale suffer. In fact, research shows that workplaces with high role clarity report significantly higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates, reinforcing that clarity isn’t just beneficial – it’s essential for retaining talent and maintaining a strong workforce.
We often talk about “providing clarity” as if it’s a single concept – but is it really that simple? Think about it: there’s the clarity an individual employee has about their personal role – “What exactly is my job here? What do I need to do today?” – and then there’s the broader clarity about the company’s mission and direction – “Why are we doing this? How do I contribute to this?”. Both fall under the umbrella of “clarity”, but are they the same? Does being clear about your daily tasks carry the same weight as understanding your company’s vision? And do different roles or work environments require different kinds of clarity?
The answer may depend on the nature of the role. Employees in customer-facing or revenue-generating roles – those who directly represent the company’s mission, products, and values – may benefit from understanding the bigger picture and how their work contributes to overall success. In contrast, employees in internal-facing or operational roles – where tasks and responsibilities are more company-specific – may rely more on clearly defined expectations, processes, and decision-making structures to perform at their best.
In short, the kind of clarity that drives a person’s best work may depend on context. If that’s the case, leaders need to think beyond simply providing more clarity and instead focus on delivering the right kind of clarity where it matters most.
Clarity is associated with a host of positive outcomes at HubSpot
Clarity is embedded as one of the key focus areas in HubSpot’s People strategy, along with Growth, Belonging and Recognition.
“While leaders assume that larger canvases foster greater creativity, research reveals the opposite: constraints actually amplify innovation. By narrowing focus and creating clarity, we paradoxically unlock more profound creative solutions” – Helen Russell, CPO HubSpot
And the results are clear: Having Clarity has a measurable impact on the employee experience. After accounting for tenure, department, management levels and gender, employees who have strong clarity at HubSpot are:
10x more likely to recommend HubSpot as a great place to work
6.8x more likely to feel confident in their career growth at HubSpot
6.1x more likely to express intent to stay at HubSpot over the next 12 months
1.4x more likely to meet or exceed performance expectations
Clarity isn’t just an individual experience – it’s something that great managers create for their teams. We measured the extent to which employees feel they get clarity from their managers based on responses to the following questions:
- My manager clearly articulates what’s expected of me in my role.
- My manager helps me prioritize my work to align with our team’s goals and objectives.
- My manager makes timely decisions that help me get work done.
82% of employees agreed that their managers give them clarity at work.
Our research shows that managers who provide clarity – particularly by making timely decisions – are significantly more effective at driving results. In fact, clarity is the strongest predictor of a manager’s ability to drive performance, even more than other tenets of HubSpot’s People Strategy like belonging, growth, or recognition. Managers whose teams score then high on clarity are scored 27% higher on performance reviews than managers whose teams rate them low on clarity.
These findings reinforce that providing clarity is a key leadership skill. When managers make thoughtful, timely decisions and communicate expectations effectively, they set their teams up for success – not just by improving productivity, but by creating an environment where employees can thrive. Organizations that invest in developing clarity as a core leadership competency will see stronger team performance, higher engagement, and better talent retention.
The Different Types of Clarity – and Which Types Matter When?
While clarity is crucial across all roles, it’s not a one-size-fits-all concept. Our research revealed that clarity comes in two distinct forms, each shaping the employee experience in different ways.
Mission Clarity is about seeing the bigger picture – how one’s work connects to the company’s purpose and strategy. Employees who feel high mission clarity tend to agree with statements like:
- “HubSpot has a clear and compelling mission and strategy.”
- “I understand how my role impacts HubSpot’s customers.”
- “I understand how my work aligns with HubSpot’s strategic priorities.”
Role Clarity is about having a deep understanding of expectations and responsibilities of one’s work. Employees with high role clarity resonate with statements like:
- “I have clarity on what is expected of me in my role.”
86% of HubSpotters agree they have mission clarity, while 83% agree they have role clarity at work.
We know that both mission clarity and role clarity matter – but does one have a bigger impact depending on the role? The type of clarity that matters most might depend on the type of role an employee has. For some roles, knowing the company’s mission might be crucial for success, while for other roles, the company’s mission is less important as long as the employee knows what they need to do within the company.
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Job A: Mission clarity matters more |
Job B: Role clarity matters more |
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To test this theory, we looked at role and mission clarity for HubSpot jobs that fit Profile A and Profile B. For Profile A, we examined Sales roles, and for Profile B, we examined Engineering roles. Sales and Engineering are two of our largest functions, and they represent fundamentally different types of work. Sales roles are driven by clear targets, quotas, and customer relationships, where mission clarity plays a key role in aligning daily activities with broader company goals. In contrast, Engineering roles focus on technical problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration, where role clarity may be more important to ensure alignment with specific tasks and project outcomes within the organization.
Sure enough, we found that for Sales teams, high mission clarity is predictive of higher sales attainment.
“Put the customer first. It’s one of the things that has contributed most to our success…it is one of those things that keeps motivation and morale up. We will show up if we feel like we’re actually making a difference to customers and the people we work with.” – HubSpot Sales Employee
“There are countless reasons I love HubSpot. At the top of my list is our emphasis on our mission to help customers grow better. It’s a straightforward message that should resonate with everyone and keep us focused on what truly matters.” – HubSpot Sales Employee
On the other hand, in Engineering, those who have a strong understanding of their role contribute significantly more pull requests (PRs), while mission clarity doesn’t meaningfully predict output.
“Clarity around role definitions and focus areas helps each team member understand how they contribute to our broader goals, which is essential for staying focused and motivated. These strengths are instrumental in making our team effective and well-connected within the organization.” – HubSpot Engineering Employee
Discussion and Implications
Clarity is a powerful driver of engagement and performance, but it isn’t one-dimensional. Our findings show that different roles benefit from different types of clarity – meaning organizations should shift their focus from simply increasing clarity overall to ensuring that employees have the specific kind of clarity they need to succeed.
When employees lack clarity, they waste time seeking answers, duplicating efforts, or focusing on things misaligned with company goals. But clarity isn’t just about overloading teams with information or rules. Effective clarity is context-driven – in some cases, employees need a clear connection to the mission to stay engaged; in others, well-defined roles and processes are the key to execution. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. Leaders must ask: Where is the ambiguity causing the biggest pain? Is it in vision, roles, or processes?
How Leaders and Organizations Can Apply Contextual Clarity
- Measure and improve clarity continuously: What felt clear last year may now be murky, especially as AI becomes an omnipresent tool for employees at all levels. Organizations should regularly assess both mission and role clarity through employee feedback, engagement surveys, and performance reviews. These insights can help leaders refine communication, update processes, and address areas where clarity is slipping.
- Establish Mission Clarity: Leaders can create a foundation of mission clarity by first articulating a compelling vision that resonates across the organization. By reinforcing the mission through daily operations and adapting it as the company evolves, organizations transform it from a statement into a lived experience. This approach is particularly beneficial for customer-facing and revenue-generating roles, where understanding the bigger picture drives engagement and performance.
- Foster a culture of clarity: The wide-ranging benefits of clarity – from better engagement and retention to higher performance – suggest that clarity should be embedded into an organization’s core people strategy. Companies should actively reinforce clarity through leadership communication, company-wide priorities, and shared best practices.
- Develop clarity as a leadership competency: Our research shows that managers who provide clarity are significantly more effective at driving results. Organizations should train leaders to articulate expectations clearly, help employees prioritize, and make timely decisions that cut through ambiguity.
- Tailor clarity strategies by role and function: Different teams benefit from different types of clarity. The data indicates that customer-facing roles thrive when they understand the company’s broader mission, while technical and operational teams need clearer role definitions. Leaders should adapt their approach based on what matters most for each function.
At its core, clarity is most effective when it is intentional and adaptive. By delivering the right clarity in the right places – whether it’s reinforcing mission alignment, sharpening role definitions, or simplifying decision-making – organizations create an environment where employees can focus on what truly drives success.