Attracting and retaining the right talent these days is a challenging business. People are inherently complex, and it should come as no surprise that money alone is not the secret to long-term employee satisfaction. There are other, less concrete factors that influence our professional affiliations to be considered.
One such factor that is increasingly important to people these days is purpose. Purpose is that very personal connection with the vision of the organization, and the understanding of the critical role we play as individuals in achieving that master vision. Rather than just being a cog in a vast machine, employees hope to become valued contributors in some compelling higher ambition. What is your organization’s mission? What is the compelling vision of the future that you offer to your employees?
It seems almost inescapable that a clear and compelling vision is crucial to attracting talent and building a thriving culture. But be advised, vision must be coupled with good execution. Why our organization exists and where we ultimately want to go only start the conversation. The ability to get to that ultimate destination depends heavily on having the right resources, priorities, and talent to make the vision a reality. Begin with the vision and leverage that excitement to appeal to employees.
When organizational purpose is clear it becomes easier to relate our individual efforts to the greater objective; aligning ourselves appropriately. That enables people to recognize the significance of their role, dispelling any concern that what they do – day in and day out – is meaningless or futile. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs popularized the notion that an individual’s highest need is self-actualization – meaning the ability to become and contribute to something of lasting significance. Vision is a powerful means to validate individual effort and motivate engagement towards self-actualization.
People desire the promise of a better tomorrow and typically welcome the invitation to help achieve it together. An ancient proverb states that “Where there is no vision, nations perish.” Therefore, take the opportunity to impart vision to both propel the forward journey and to catch the attention of new talent.
Purpose is a powerful motivator. Purpose on an organizational scale is encapsulated in the explicit mission and vision. It drives the company forward and provides the fuel to sustain the journey. Purpose on the individual scale is an equally powerful force. Personal purpose that compliments the whole can engage an individual beyond simply an employee to become a valuable devoted partner.
Continuous improvement can be a tremendous outlet for these motivated and aligned partners. Cast your vision to include progressive improvement in safety, ease, productivity, and efficiency. Train and empower your workforce to tackle problems in their immediate vicinity. Recognize people fairly for their contributions and incentivize long-term engagement. Invite the workforce to join the effort to reach for the dream, and you might be surprised by the response. People with purpose, feeling supported and sharing a common vision can achieve nearly anything.
Lean In and Lean On.