IS YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES?

It is no secret that the sudden halt in the way organizations function has shifted gears unexpectedly in the past few years. The Covid-19 pandemic not only saw a different way of life but a different way to work.

As per a survey by McKinsey, nearly two-thirds of US-based employees are re-evaluating their work after the Covid 19 crisis took over the world. Employees now, more than ever are expecting to derive a significant sense of purpose in their lives whereas Millenials are three times more likely to quit their jobs if their workplace does not offer them a goal they are emotionally and strategically intrigued with. As the existential question looms “Why are we here?” what’s important for organizations is to ensure their vision, mission and purpose align with their workforce for long-term, sustainable and fruitful collaborations.

What many would remark, is that organizations have always highlighted their “purpose” across their faces, but most times, the said purpose is alien to the organizational functions or does not trickle down to the last employee with a sense of justified contribution. Then what is it that organizations are doing wrong? Or let’s say can improve on? To begin with, organizations themselves must resonate with their purpose deeply, rather than purportedly.

As per a survey by PWC, nearly 46% of employees are not passionate about the work that they do. 44% of employees surveyed said they do not feel motivated while only 36% of them are satisfied with their work. In the light of the above survey, what needs to be highlighted is that the existing employees did apply to be recruited for the jobs that they are doing. The high level of dissatisfaction then is confounding. What is then the reason for such a massive gap between what the company is doing and what the employees are serving? To answer, a clear dissonance of objectives is a major accounting factor.

The purpose of an organization must be critical to its operations and must reflect in why they are doing what they are doing. What really is needed, is clear transparency of goals across all spectrums throughout the organization to make better use of the resources and the workforce. A company’s purpose does not need to be a stylistic “defining moment” but rather a modus operandi for the workforce to understand what they need to deliver.

As per the study by PWC, only 28% of employees feel connected to their organization. The large disconnect of the rest 42% results in unaccomplished goals, lack of motivation in employees and high risks of attrition.

A company’s purpose statement must achieve two objectives – clarity of strategic goals and to keep employees motivated. A clear communication of purpose not only helps employees understand the objective but also contribute and perform greatly. Once your employees know what is needed of them, it helps them form a clear process on how they want to contribute to the organization, simplifying business processes. Moreover, when employees feel aligned with the organization’s purpose, it results in stronger employee engagement, heightened loyalty, and a greater willingness to recommend the company to others.

HOW CAN ORGANIZATIONS STRUCTURE THEIR PURPOSE FOR HIGHER EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT?

Defining one’s purpose and actualizing the purpose are interactively dependent upon each other, a widening gap between the two can result in demotivated employees causing poor productivity. One’s your organizational goals are clearly demonstrated in your agenda, it is mandatory to implement and execute them in the daily routine for the right results. So how should companies go about ensuring the right execution?

“If you pick the right people and give them the opportunity to spread their wings and put compensation as a carrier behind it, you almost don’t have to manage them.” - Jack Welch

• Who you work with defines your work – To ensure your purpose is met, it is important to start well in the beginning of the cycle. Once your purpose is dictated, it is time to find the right people, in the right roles to attain the goals of your company. Look out for the capabilities each role needs, and find employees with the right skill sets to execute those. Looking out for higher qualifications would not amount to anything if your organization cannot put that qualification to use.
• Team playing – in today’s start up culture being driven by constant disruption, it is vital to have both specialists and multi-taskers to cross function and realize your organizational goals together. To achieve the desired results, figure out what functions are a priority on a regular basis, what functions can be delegated to third parties and what functions need building a special team of employees pooling in their talent and skills.
• Track Commitment – finding the right employees and slotting them in the right cabin do not ensure success. In a volatile world like ours, it is important to follow up through the purpose and track the progress. With new technologies in place, internal scorecards should become indispensable to actualize company goals. This not only allows senior leaders and executives to track employee commitments, but also help understand training goals to match the purpose during hard times. HR tech developers like HONO is helping companies allow employees to score themselves using internal scorecards as well help stakeholders stay in the know-how of how their employees are tackling everyday challenges.
• Realizing employee purpose – Like your organization as a whole, your employees too have individual purposes that are greatly linked to the way they work and how motivated are they towards your goals. Understanding your employee’s purpose is therefore of great merit to be harnessed positively to benefit organizational purpose. Engaging surveys and sentimental analysis are of great advantage that help you understand the pulse of your organization and each individual employee to make sure they supply to your purpose in absolution. Give your employees a sense of purpose to reflect, connect, repeat and your organization is most likely to thrive.

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