Experiencing a sense of purpose at work is more important than ever. Today’s HR leaders have a unique responsibility to close the gap between feeling purpose at work and its ability to drive employee engagement, motivation, and fulfillment. In this webinar, speakers from Bonusly and Goodera will discuss how to put purpose at the forefront of their 2023 plans so you can start the year off with an engaged team.
- Purpose Matters at All Levels: Organizational and individual purpose drive engagement, productivity, and retention.
- Embed Purpose Throughout the Employee Lifecycle: Integrate from recruitment to ongoing recognition, volunteer programs, and performance conversations.
- Empower Employees: Resource groups, affinity networks, and champion programs give teams ownership.
- Recognition Strengthens Purpose: Peer-to-peer recognition (e.g., Bonusly) reinforces values and boosts engagement, even for distributed teams.
- Measure Engagement Thoughtfully: Use surveys, stay interviews, volunteer participation, and impact metrics.
- Transparency and Inclusivity: Share initiative impact openly and tailor strategies to diverse employee motivations.
Executive Buy-In is Critical: Link purpose-led initiatives to measurable business outcomes or benchmark against competitors.
The speakers will briefly introduce themselves and their experiences with Employee engagement in their organisations.
The speakers will share resources for employee engagement strategies including examples of organisations they have worked with.
Actionable takeaways for HR leaders to connect employees to their purpose
The speakers will use the final segment to respond to Q&A from the audience.
The webinar highlighted the power of purpose-driven employee engagement. Tim Anson stressed embedding purpose throughout the employee journey, from recruitment to volunteer initiatives, while empowering employees through resource groups. Vicki Yang emphasized peer-to-peer recognition, especially in remote settings, as a tool to reinforce purpose and connection. Both speakers agreed on measuring engagement via surveys, volunteer metrics, and qualitative feedback, and on transparent communication of impact. Securing executive buy-in requires demonstrating tangible links to business outcomes. Inclusive engagement ensures employees with varying personal purposes feel connected, while clarity and authenticity attract those aligned with the company’s mission.
Q: How can organizations embed purpose across the employee lifecycle?
A: Tim Anson, Global Enterprise Account Executive, Goodera, explained that purpose should be integrated from the first touchpoint—job postings, interviews, and onboarding. Highlight the company’s mission, volunteer programs, D&I initiatives, and other purpose-driven efforts. Purpose should be reinforced throughout the year via reviews, team meetings, and sharing results. Empower employees through resource groups and champion programs to contribute actively, ensuring purpose-driven actions feel authentic.
Q: How can individual employees find purpose in their work?
A: Vicki Yang, Vice President, People Ops, Bonusly, emphasized that personal fulfillment comes from clear job expectations, career conversations, and consistent feedback. Peer-to-peer recognition (e.g., Bonusly) reinforces company values and purpose in action. Small acts of acknowledgment can significantly boost engagement and motivation.
Q: How do tools like Bonusly and Goodera support purpose-led engagement?
A:
- Vicki: Bonusly allows peer-to-peer recognition where points can be redeemed for cash, gift cards, or charity donations, reinforcing values and purpose in action.
- Tim: Goodera delivers volunteer programs (virtual/in-person) aligned with CSR, D&I, and ERG initiatives, providing dedicated support and tracking impact globally and locally.
Q: How can you build purpose-led engagement if executive leadership isn’t on board?
A:
- Vicki: Understand leadership priorities and demonstrate how engagement programs align with business outcomes, like lowering attrition or improving performance. Use data to build a strong case.
- Tim: Benchmark against competitors to show missed opportunities. Align initiatives with measurable business outcomes to illustrate the direct link between purpose-driven engagement and organizational success.
Q: What are “Ask Me Anythings” (AMAs) and how do they support engagement?
A: Vicki: Monthly sessions where employees ask leadership questions openly. Topics range from business strategy to personal interests. Honest answers foster transparency and connection.
Q: How can engagement be measured beyond surveys?
A:
- Vicki: Stay interviews are effective for small teams; responses can be bucketed into themes. Managers should have ongoing engagement conversations.
- Tim: Track volunteer participation, hours, and ERG involvement. Analyze metrics regularly to identify successes and areas needing improvement.
Q: How can organizations transparently share the impact of purpose-led initiatives?
A:
- Tim: Combine quantitative metrics (volunteer hours, nonprofits supported) with qualitative feedback and employee experiences to communicate impact.
- Vicki: Use survey frameworks like “stop, start, continue” to capture what employees value in purpose-driven initiatives.
Q: How can engagement strategies be inclusive for employees with different senses of purpose?
A:
- Vicki: Ask employees what matters to them and align initiatives where possible.
Tim: Be genuine and transparent. Purpose may not resonate with everyone, but clear communication attracts those aligned while allowing others to find a better fit elsewhere.
