Why does your organization exist? Who does it help? How is it likely to change the world? If you can’t
What happens when the CEO is committed to his purpose.
answer those questions with something pretty compelling, something a lot more aspirational than “We’re here to make every employee a millionaire,” you’re going to have trouble recruiting the best people.
The world has changed and many people are looking not just for jobs that pay well and not even for jobs that serve lunch and have weekly massages. They’re looking to fulfill a higher purpose.
Millennials were raised on the idea. And many older people, who might have been focused on security or perks before the world’s financial meltdown, gained new priorities afterward, including finding more meaning in their lives and jobs.
Of course, not everyone can be running an organization that rescues puppies, cures diseases or fights world hunger. But every company can have a vision for how it makes the world better for someone. It might just be making software that makes it easier to track customer transactions so that companies can make their clients feel cared about. It might be something that helps entrepreneurial companies compete, gives moms more free time or brings laughter into a stressed out world. Even if it’s selling a useful product like pot scrubbers, it has a purpose. A good pot scrubber brings power to someone who is doing dishes so they can spend less time cleaning and more time on the rest of their lives.
At ValentineHR, for example, we recognize that the people in your organization and the way they treat each other defines your organization. Helping make those relationships fruitful and legal takes a lot of expertise that many small businesses can’t afford. We provide small businesses with the kind of expert guidance and help that they need to become great companies. We have a mission and we love it!
So can your employees answer the question, “Why does this company exist?” Can they give the answer to each other, to customers and to candidates? Companies that can inspire, companies that can articulate what their purpose is in the world, have candidates and customers knocking down their doors.
Think about it, when a company has an aspiration and the CEO is able to articulate it, it percolates down through the rest of the organization so that each person can feel he’s making a difference. That appeals to people who really care about their work. I have met so many people who have fled large companies—and often large paychecks—to work in smaller ones because, they said, at the smaller companies, they can really see their impact.
In fact, a lot of the issues organizations struggle with regarding culture and employee motivation would be solved if companies spent more time and energy understanding their “Why” as opposed to just their “What” and their “How” and found others who share it.
The world is changing. Companies that really know what they’re about and why are the ones growing exponentially. Maybe we can help you figure it out.
We work with companies on a project basis or on retainer, providing a custom level of HR help designed for your business. Contact me at Caroline@valentinehr.com or call (512) 420-8267.
