Pride Beyond a Paycheck: Engaging Employees in Purpose
Everyone’s talking about “contributing to a greater purpose” at work. More than 50 percent of millennials would take a pay cut for a job that matches their values. Employees are more motivated to perform when see their company engaging in societal issues, as shown in the 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer. Daniel Pink’s 2009 Drive identified “purpose” as one of three intrinsic motivators at work. As a result, organizations are increasingly taking steps to engage employees in something larger and more meaningful than a balance sheet.
But purpose isn’t new.
When the grandparents of today’s millennials set out each morning for work, they probably weren’t thinking about whether their company provided matching charitable donations or partnered with NGOs. They knew that they could be proud and hold their heads high because they had a good job. That pride and connection are still essential.
Beyond providing a good product or service and meeting shareholder expectations, a company’s purpose is first to give its employees purpose. There has always been dignity in work — in providing for a family, contributing to a local economy, building a future.
Successful companies authentically connect with their employees and marry their desire for purpose with a broader and collective societal purpose. But where to begin? Here are a few ideas.
1. Put employees first: Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs from Psychology 101? Before employees can aspire to contribute to something greater than themselves, their basic needs have to be met. Fortune’s annual 100 Best Places to Work is packed with organizations whose purpose starts with providing a living wage, meaningful benefits and creating a positive environment for its workforce.
2. Align purpose with business competencies: Certainly, many companies support a wide variety of causes and organizations, including those chosen by employees in their local communities. That said, there’s a multiplier effort when a cause align with what the company does best so employees can contribute the same skills they use on the job. The computer programmer who has never wielded a power saw may feel he makes a bigger difference by designing an app for a nonprofit than helping build houses.
3. Play matchmaker: Years ago, offering paid time off for employees to volunteer was revolutionary. Now that such policies are widespread, companies are focusing on making it easy for employees to take advantage of them. Instead of saying, “here are 8 hours, go volunteer!” many companies use tools to match employees with service opportunities based on their interests, skills and location, as well as organizing company-wide days of service.
4. Enlist leaders as champions: Any behavior a company wishes to instill will only catch on fire if leaders are fully on board first. Managers who actively encourage their teams to volunteer (versus just approving requests for time to do so) are halfway there. Even more compelling? Leaders who volunteer themselves. Moreover, once employees are engaged themselves, encouraging them to share their experiences can be a powerful form of ambassadorship.
People may work for a paycheck, but they take pride in working for a purpose. Make sure your employees know what they’re working for.
Tamara Snyder, executive vice president, Employee Engagement.
