The search for purpose at work has become increasingly important since the pandemic. New ways of working, the desire for a better work/life balance and a growing focus on business’s role in society mean that both employees and employers are prioritising purposeful work like never before.
Take the great resignation, for instance. Buoyed by their experience of life beyond the nine to five, UK workers quit their jobs in record numbers from Q3 2021 to Q4 2022. For many, a key factor was a sense that their work no longer aligned with their personal values. They wanted more than just a steady job and a regular income.
In a world where work is a subset of life rather than separate from it, it’s becoming clear that employers have to treat their employees as people, not simply workers.
Intentional action
So, what have employers learnt? Research by Adecco in the UK has found that 73% of large employers believe that their purpose and values play a significant part in staff retention. Conversely, they also found that 22% of employees are looking to change jobs in the next 12 months because they don’t find their work meaningful enough.
“The trajectory for purpose has been on a steep incline, with Covid-19 acting as a catalyst,” says Rachael Boyes, head of market insights, Adecco UK & Ireland. “When more than a fifth of employees want to change jobs, that brings the importance of purpose home to employers. People with a sense of purpose are happier, more resilient and more successful, which translates to greater productivity.”
When it comes to redesigning an organisation’s purpose, there is no quick fix. Authenticity, trust and communication are key components, but walking the talk is vital. Without action, values become meaningless.
“If organisations say they’re going to do something and then don’t, it destroys the employee experience.”
Creating a strong corporate purpose is not an easy thing to do but there is a real sense in business that it needs to be done
RACHAEL BOYES, HEAD OF MARKET INSIGHTS, ADECCO UK & IRELAND
So says Sandeep Bhandal, vice-president of marketing, insight and social impact for Adecco in the UK and Ireland. He argues that any work on organisational purpose has to be “intentional”. This means that, when a business commits to a particular value, it must act accordingly. Having clear structures, pathways and measurable outcomes helps to ensure this.
“Purpose initiatives need to be endorsed and driven (but not forced) by the company,” Bhandal says. “They must come from every level of the organisation. Then you put the right framework in place by getting various departments to take ownership and support those who are passionate enough about the subject to speak out.”
Bhandal also recommends learning from, and aligning with, like-minded businesses, citing the example of Adecco’s partnership with the Social Mobility Pledge. Founded by former education secretary Justine Greening, this campaign group works with the government, businesses and educators to create fairer routes into employment – a key value for Adecco.
Creating an authentic purpose
At a time when businesses are struggling with skills shortages, inflation and the challenges of hybrid working, it could be easy for their leaders to ignore the power of purpose. But Adecco’s research suggests this isn’t the case, with 29% of organisations placing the need to tackle employee purpose at work as one of the top three items on their HR agendas.
What is a challenge is knowing where to start, as Boyes notes: “Creating a strong corporate purpose is not an easy thing to do but there is a real sense in business that it needs to be done.”
She advocates using a framework proposed by former Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly in his 2021 book The Heart of Business. This places people and purpose at the centre of business, with profit seen as an outcome rather than a goal.
“The way it’s positioned is that your organisational purpose sits at the intersection between what the world needs, what employees are passionate about, what the company is uniquely good at and how the business can create value,” Boyes explains. “A starting point is to use focus groups, feedback and design thinking to determine where you sit in each of these areas. These are the building blocks for redesigning your organisational purpose. Once you have your framework, you communicate it to the business and gain more feedback. It’s an iterative process: you hear, you act.”
A truly authentic organisational purpose must focus on people as much as it does on profit. Employees need to know how they can play a part in developing a business, so that they can get a sense of personal purpose alongside the corporate one.
“Our values haven’t changed, but how we interpret them to provide value for our employee network has,” says Niki Turner-Harding, senior vice president, Adecco UK & Ireland. “This is about ensuring that we cater for what our employees need alongside what we stand for as a business.”
Adecco is the world leader in workforce solutions. We help individuals achieve lifelong employability and empower businesses to optimise their talent, with innovative services across permanent, temporary, managed, and outsourced recruitment.
