Building a purpose-driven culture for today's top talent

A large part of today’s workforce, notably Millennials and Gen Z employees, are looking to work for companies that have a culture of purpose that they can support for the long term.

These employees are looking for more than just a paycheck. They want to work for a company they are excited about, one that is doing good things for their communities and the world, and that has a stimulating work culture. In short, employees and candidates are seeking work that connects them to a higher purpose.

This shift in what employees want is something recruiters need to understand in order to find and hire the best candidates. Candidates are asking about companies’ connection to their communities and their commitment to social issues. Candidates increasingly are declining roles if they think the work doesn’t excite them or isn’t meaningful.

Related: What Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Boomers want

Start by understanding what motivates you and your teams to do what you do. Ask what value your company creates for customers or how your products or offerings improve the world. Then, work to shape your company culture and branding so these values are clear to employees and the candidates you hope to hire.

Incorporating company values into the recruiting and hiring process not only helps attract candidates with the right skills for the job, but also those who would contribute to the culture of the organization. Include details about your company culture and mission in job descriptions and add questions to the application that ask candidates to share their purpose. During the interview stage, ask candidates about those values.

When employees are hired, the onboarding process should re-emphasize the organization’s mission and core values. There is a correlation between higher retention rates and longer onboarding processes that create more profound meaning and engagement from the start. And as remote work has become increasingly common, meaningful onboarding and engagement are more crucial than ever.

If you feel that engagement is difficult if not impossible to achieve, rest assured that you’re not alone, and trust that it’s more than possible.

Take the example of KPMG, which saw incredible benefits from an initiative designed to inspire its workforce to engage on a deeper level and experience the firm’s higher purpose first hand. The 10,000 Stories Challenge asked employees to create posters defining how their role in the company has helped shape history. They also added an incentive of two paid days off at the end of the year if they met their goal of 10,000 story submissions. The results surpassed their expectations, with over 42,000 submissions and company surveys showing higher morale scores, lower turnover rates, and better annual fiscal returns.

Purpose can also come from outside the organization. Sponsoring a local charity or cause that your employees can come together and support is an excellent example of purposeful engagement outside of work. Another way to promote purpose is by providing personal development opportunities. For some companies, this can come as a “personal development fund” that each employee can draw from to support causes or activities of their choice. Perhaps they use the fund to help the social issues that are important to them or use it for self-improvement, like paying for an art class, an entrance fee for a marathon, or continuing education courses.

Related: Best work perks: Increase employee engagement and job satisfaction

Once you’ve recruited, hired and onboarded candidates who align with your company’s purpose and have developed your employee engagement strategy, it’s essential to openly celebrate your employees’ wins to reinforce the importance of their contributions further.

One way to accomplish this is by conducting regular all-hands meetings or sending out a company newsletter to discuss goals and initiatives, share key performance results, and emphasize employees’ role in the company’s success. Not only do employees want to feel like they are partners in making the business successful, but they also want to know their voices have been heard and that their efforts matter.

Partnering with an experienced recruitment services provider can help you find the people you need to meet your operational needs and add to your company culture. When you have a dedicated recruiter, access to our network of highly qualified candidates, salary negotiation assistance, and contract-to- hire solutions to test your candidates, you’re free to focus on creating a workplace where your team members will thrive and see themselves in the future. Contact us today to discuss your recruiting and hiring goals with a global solutions advisor.