One key way of retaining and reengaging key talent groups? Helping them feel a greater sense of purpose.
Employee purpose, while the exact definition is unique to each individual, is the general impact employees feel their work has and a sense of satisfaction in how their values align with those of the company’s. If companies don’t focus on identifying and helping cultivate purpose for their key players, talent will leave to find a company that does.
Here’s where to start:
Identify Fulfillment Gaps
While exit interviews and performance reviews may be commonplace, are stay interviews being utilized? A stay interview is a one-on-one conversation between manager and employee, and they serve as a check-in to see how the employee is feeling, what they’re motivated by at that point in time, and a pulse check on how they’re feeling towards the company, role, team or management. Consider it as a performance review on the company.
While not every complaint or suggestion is feasible to address given leaders must consider business goals, budget, and what is best for the total employee population., giving employees the time and attention to share their opinion is an important start. To reengage the best and brightest before they turn in their letter of resignation, consider conducting stay interviews to establish trust and get a pulse on what employees may feel is missing in their role that can help drive purpose and fulfillment.
Communicate Progress
While gathering this information is the first step, next is the follow up. Communicate with employees when something has been changed based on their suggestions to help establish trust and show they were heard.
Be clear that employees should feel comfortable being honest with management about how they are feeling and what could make them happier with their role. Be sure to stress there will not be backlash on employees who share suggestions about the business or their role.
Celebrate the Wins
An estimated 60% of employees don’t know their company’s mission or goals – so how could they feel connected to or inspired by them? Not knowing the company’s overarching goals means employees can’t see how they impact the business’ overall performance; therefore, they may have a hard time understanding how their work is purposeful. Educating employees on 1. what their mission and goals are and 2. how the team contributes is essential to helping them feel pride in their work.
Beyond a simple ‘congratulations,’ take time to highlight how their contribution helped close a big deal, improved a customer’s experience, or got the company that much closer to reaching its goal. Pointing out the people impacted or revenue gained or saved as a result of their work can help employees feel appreciated and connected.
Celebrating accomplishments helps employees see the purpose behind their hard work and helps increase satisfaction.
Create Connection Points
Connection to those we work with is vital and is undoubtedly correlated with job satisfaction. However, oftentimes, leaders have to create these connection points between employees. To effectively create connection points for employees, company culture needs to be at the forefront of every leader’s mind. Job fulfillment comes from enjoyment, and how employees are able to come together, have fun, and support one another matters. This may require some creativity in today’s primarily hybrid world, which is why we’ve compiled a list of 100+ ways we kept LaSallians connected throughout remote and hybrid work.
Plan for Employees’ Futures
Empowering employees to grow their careers in a way which suits their strengths and passions can help them feel more fulfilled and excited about the job. Through succession planning, leaders can help their people 1. know what kind of future opportunities could be available to them and 2. map out a plan for ideal career progression.
At the end of the day, each employee will have slightly different motivating factors and ideas of what makes them feel fulfilled with their work. However, a focus on community, connection, and the value they bring to the table is essential to curating a purpose-filled culture and retaining valuable talent.
