Strengthening culture to maintain brand momentum – Part V: Purpose
In this series, I’ve uncovered the critical relationship between employee experience and brand momentum, emphasizing the need for continuous innovation in culture to ensure success. In this final chapter, I explore how fostering a sense of purpose within the workplace is essential for both individual and organizational growth.
People have been defining themselves by the work they do for a long time— you can even see it in peoples’ last names coming from their work like “Carpenter” and “Smith”. Yet, the kind of purpose we look to create in employee experience is not about someone’s full identity or self, but rather a sense of meaning about what they do.
To me, purpose is that feeling when you wake up in the morning and pour your coffee, and as you reflect on how you plan to spend your day, you know you’re going to do something that matters. According to McKinsey, over 70% of Americans are looking for a sense of purpose at work. Where will they find it?
Alignment with brand values
Purpose starts with ensuring the employee experience is aligned with the brand. If your employee experience doesn’t align with your brand, your employees will notice it quickly. When the organization does not walk the talk, employees start to question the company and lose the belief that first inspired them to apply. As a result, they’ll struggle to represent the brand ideals in their work and customer interactions.
Research confirms the importance of employee experience alignment. Our analysis of self-reported surveys from 156 companies across metrics including growth, profit, brand equity and employee empowerment found 27% of the variance between strong and weak performances is tied to aligning employee, customer and brand experience.
The better an employee experience aligns with a brand, the more likely an employee will find purpose on the job. Spotify’s career page does an excellent job at this alignment. It likens joining the company to joining a band, emphasizing collaboration and unique contributions. For people who love music, want more of it in the world, and want to support artists reaching new listeners— is there any better company to join than one that invites you to be part of its “band”? This music analogy shows the alignment of employees’ and candidates’ values and Spotify’s mission. This is crucial not only in recruitment but throughout the employee experience.
Measuring purpose
So how do you know if your employee experience is creating purpose? The obvious and not-so-obvious solution is to ask. Liquid Agency offers Employee Relationship Tracking to assess the extent to which employees are connected to the organization, passionate about their work, and willing to advocate on behalf of the company. This involves regular feedback mechanisms to gauge employees’ emotional and professional alignment with the company’s mission and values. Additionally, Liquid’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP) Measurement gives insights for tailoring messaging to meet employees where they are, strengthening connection and increasing sentiment over time.
Authentically acknowledging differences and contributions
When people feel a sense of purpose, they show up bigger, stay longer, get better results, and have better experiences. They become magnets for other people. To feel a sense of purpose, people must feel valued to be their authentic selves. How does your organization cultivate an inclusive and diverse workplace where all employees feel empowered to bring their authentic selves to work?
Individuals with varied backgrounds, experiences, and identities enrich the collective pool of ideas and inputs. When employees see their unique perspectives being valued and their voices heard, they feel a deeper connection to their roles and the organization’s mission. This recognition fosters a sense of belonging and significance, as employees understand their work is impactful.
Inclusive workplaces also offer opportunities for career growth and development, demonstrating a genuine investment in each employee’s potential. Support and clear pathways for advancement further enhance an employee’s sense of purpose, as they see their personal growth intertwined with the success of the organization.
Shaping culture = activating purpose
Activating an employee’s sense of purpose requires intentional contributions toward the conditions in which people will flourish—the culture. Consider culture the “soil” of your organization. Leaders cannot directly create culture; it’s an intangible substance that emerges organically from the interactions of those within it. But to achieve meaningful growth, leadership must amend it with the many tools at their disposal. To unlock your organization’s momentum, create the growing conditions to activate your people with a common purpose.
