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Every successful company has a well-defined mission and vision that builds purpose into their day-to-day. A mission-driven culture not only embraces the company mission statement, it reinforces it in every decision made - from organizational strategy through to hiring and firing. Employees are looking for a sense of purpose. According to Deloitte’s Millennial Survey, 6 in 10 say that it’s the reason they are with their current employers. Want real engagement? Look past happy hours and ping pong tables – engage your people around a common purpose.
Want real #EmployeeEngagement ? Look past happy hours and ping pong tables, try this:
Despite these very clear benefits, being a truly mission-driven organization is easier said than done. At ClearCompany we know this because we have spent the last decade building a company that is not only very mission-driven, we exist to help our clients achieve their own missions and visions by hiring, aligning and engaging A-level talent. Take a look at – from our experience - what it means to create a core mission that resonates internally and externally:
Hire the Right People to Achieve Your Goals
What is it that makes successful, mission-driven companies so profitable? It’s certainly not the mission alone. It’s the talent they have deployed towards that mission. Make sure your hiring process is designed to understand how a candidate’s contributions in a specific role will contribute to your company values and accomplish your mission.
This can be done by specifically defining roles along with the goals they will accomplish. When your entire hiring team (talent acquisition professionals and hiring managers) have clarity into the objectives for a position, it is far easier to evaluate someone’s potential for success. It also means there will be fewer surprises once you have brought someone onboard. A clear understanding of the role, its goals, the company mission vision and values, will allow applicants to know exactly what will be expected of them. No more showing up for day one with an unrealistic expectation of the new job.
What is it that makes mission-driven companies so profitable? It's not the mission alone, but this:
Internal Culture Supports and Understands the Mission
If the company’s leaders aren’t clearly and consistently communicating the company mission, it’s likely it won’t catch on to those who follow. Managers at every level must be able to sell their internal team on the mission, and each employee should have an in-depth understanding. It is all too easy for employees to lose sight of why they come to work everyday, or how they actually contribute. Not only does reiterating the company mission cause it to forever stick in the minds of those internally, but it also answers the “why” of the employee's work day in and day out. Understanding this is critical to employees and creates a sense of purpose.
At ClearCompany, we hold “Why” training with all of our employees. Recently, our Training & Engagement Specialist put together a special internal session about why we exist. We then had all of 100 or so employees give a brief “pitch” to the executive team on our mission and vision, how their role helps us create success, and what makes the ClearCompany platform different. While it was a time consuming initiative, it has had an extremely positive impact. Not only does every employee – no matter what department or level – have an executive-level understanding of why we exist, it has helped us better infuse our mission into every client interaction.
Read more: [Talent Success University] Communicating Your Mission
The Mission is Promoted Externally
You don’t have to be a non-profit organization to heavily promote your mission. No matter your industry, your customers (and your candidates!) want to understand why you exist. Don’t bury your mission on your company webpage or career site. Show your customers why they should invest their time or money in you, and infuse it into your employer branding and use it as a recruiting tool.
You don't have to be a non-profit to heavily promote your mission. Try these tips:
Additionally, company leaders should always articulate their mission to the public with purpose and a no-holds-barred attitude. When a leader acts or speaks outside of the company’s mission, it can harm the company culture. Make sure leaders are always presenting themselves in a manner that supports your culture and mission. Implement this and chances are employees will never back down from your ultimate goals, with work proving it over and over again.
Getting Started With Goals By Andre Lavoie
Overall, in building a mission-driven company you must radiate the mission from the inside out. Internal employees must rally around it at every turn and form loyal customers who serve as ambassadors for your company. Open up your mission to the outside world and you’ll be surprised how many people will be drawn in.
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