Among some employees, early pandemic panic gave way to a kind of languishing – or an ‘absence of wellbeing’, as organisational psychologist Adam Grant calls it. Simply put, it has blunted focus, decreased motivation, and watered down the work ethic among some employees – leaving them adrift from their own organisations.
The high turnover of employees – dubbed the great resignation – has brought the issue of employee voice, satisfaction, and work purpose to the fore. A recent study by Glassdoor found a bad corporate culture to be 10.4 times more likely to send employees packing than their pay packet. And among younger employees particularly, a strong, relatable purpose is a crucial part of their day-to-day engagement.
Employers should communicate a renewed and authentic purpose and engage employees in it. Clear, compelling evidence of social purpose, strategic objectives and environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments – restated often – will inspire ownership and identity.
And, from a business point of view, helping employees to understand your organisational goals will surely make you more likely to achieve them together.
Last year, the MIT Sloan Survey found that 72% of respondents strongly agree that it is ‘very important to them to work for an organisation with a purpose they believe in’.
So, effective internal communication will help you leave languishing behind and find your flow when it comes to employees united behind a common purpose.
Sequel’s ninth Employee Engagement Trends Report 2022 asks how communicators can help businesses balance their corporate and social purposes with strategic objectives while connecting remote teams.
The report includes insights from our client work and across the industry as businesses look to make their future workplace modern, purposeful, people-centric, authentic, and focused on wellbeing.
It also includes top tips for evolving your purposeful workplace, from finding out what your purpose means to your employees, to connecting individual and organisational goals, and weaving purposeful messaging into everyday experience.