Imagine you are in the job market, and just came across this chart, would you be inspired to join the workforce?
Credit: Online
Today’s workforce is proving to be quite dynamic and diverse. Those willing to engage their hire (employers), and those willing to understand employer’s culture before joining (employees) will reap mutual gains and leadership. Lead in disruptive innovations that could potentially boost revenues, shareholder’s value, as well as the employees’ energies, focus and participation.
Employee Engagement is a state of being. Employees who exude curiosity, agility and a sense of happy are more likely to enjoy what they do, invest more of their time at work than their counterparts. Simply put, they do not need to feel inspired to come to work—they are already inspired!
When asked to comment on The Future Workforce, Blair Sheppard a global strategy and leadership expert, remarks that “it’s not knowable”. Nevertheless, he urges that to succeed, one must know the trend and manage the change, by solving today’s problems with the future in mind.
Given today’s uncertainties, millennials are entering the workforce with a different set of goals. They want engagement: the need to feel a sense that their daily work makes an impact in the world. At the core, they feel and are convinced that in order for the world to change, they must be the change they expect to see. So, why are we faulting them when we hold the same belief ourselves? Wouldn’t you want to do work that connects you to a higher purpose? The truth is that we all do.
Millennials have proven cable of boosting the overall state of the economy by building juggernaut organizations like Facebook, Tumblr, Mashable, etc. Could it be that we are frustrated not with them but with our own lack of engagement—in that we have not taken the time to understand ourselves, our motivations, the organizations where we work, and how the world has evolved and continues to evolve?
Different generations are inspired by different set of beliefs and purpose. The baby-boomers were likely to be motivated by the need for certainty. Then, management sought to address those needs by following the Maslow hierarchy of needs theory. Although, the basic human needs remain unchanged, the reality is that our world is no longer as it used to be. The Internet of things has disrupted everything: virtual life and virtual money (crypto currency) are upon us. The thinking that corporations exist for the shareholders is rather inadequate because without an engaged workforce there are no such gains—human capital is the real capital. Without it, the creative genius that drives business innovation is dead.
On the other hand, if you are an employee you must engage yourself: grow your skills, and be agile lest you become obsolete. Already some jobs are automated, and more will be done by robots. AI,articifial intelligence is here, and it’s not remedial. As a matter of factly, your sense of happiness can no longer be tied to your boss, company or anyone for that matter, because it is your responsibility to design the life you want—harsh but true!
You and your employer both need to adapt swiftly. A successful future workforce demand pivoting and taking into consideration the current trends that show that purpose and inspiration go hand in hand. A must if disruptive innovations is to be augmented. To this end, the corporation therefore seek to attract the right hires, those aligned with it’s vision, purpose and culture. While the employee examines if the environment they wish to work aligns with: why you want to work there (purpose), where you see yourself in the future (vision) and what you stand for—your values. The “Me Too Movement” is a great example. Simply, do you want to work in an environment where women are sexually harassed just because they need a paycheck? Unfathomable I know… but you get my point.
So how can you be engaged (applicable to both the employer and the employee)? The following tips are vital if engagement is to be realized:
- Purpose (Vision): We all need purpose to ignite our passions and inspires our daily living. Align your vision with the company that you wish to work for or build.
- Presence (Identity):Your true essence and personality comes alive when you engage what you love. You know it when you find it, it’s your flow, and it’s like finding true love. So, building on ‘know thyself’ daily is absolutely vital…it’s where innovations are drawn.
- Passion (Abilities): When purpose is known, nothing can deter you from doing what you MUST. Your latent abilities of what you love to do and capabilities lies within—a well that never runs dry. All you need is to get in touch with the Real YOU or the authentic you, and you’ll realize a scaling factor in your capacity.
- Profit (Value): The reality of life is that you need to eat, and if you are a corporation, your shareholders need their returns. Consequently, when you serve others by addressing an unmet need, delivering valuable goods or services you win.
I once read that people who build their work, life and dreams/ businesses around purpose and passion always seem to weather any storm. They adapt swiftly and leverage the current trends. Yours my friend is to tap into your purpose; whether you are a corporation or an individual—because Purpose, why you or your entity exist, is the initiative to true engagement.
What work do you do? Do you feel engaged both at work, career and in life? I encourage you to do what matters to you, because it is the work that will enhance your life’s fulfillment, and leave no room for regret on your death bed. Additionally, you have unique gifts, talents and awesomeness wrapped up in all of your unique essence and the world needs it! If you agree or have diverging views, share your thoughts and comments below.
Carolyne helps professionals gain CLARITY around building a meaningful career. A speaker, author of Being Grounded: 21 Days To Come Alive and Love Your Life, and a contributing writer for various publications. To schedule your 45 minutes complimentary session with her, you can write her at carolyne@vpfstrategies.com
So true…I think more than 50% of the workforce are disengaged! Some people are stuck in a work where their talents are not used to the fullest. They are unmotivated & their minds are somewhere. People have to find their purpose in order to be successful & love what they do! Companies are now hiring the right people who are aligned with their vision so they can both grow, otherwise both employer & employee won’t profit.
Well said Debbie! Your observations and insights are refreshing, thank you for sharing.
Framing what forward means in terms of purpose and passion is a very powerful clarification tool. when you are in the weeds, being the technician all the time, constantly chipping away its easy to loose that focus. I am transitioning from development to marketplace and I am thankful to suddenly see why i am passionate about what I am doing right now – because that is what people really buy, they want to be a part of bringing the image we project into reality.
Your perspective is insightful and reveals that engagement truly start with person in the mirror unleashing clarity to drive focus. Thank you for your time!
Nice piece Carolyne. I agree most employees are disengaged and I think it’s because the large majority are swimming in debts. In school no one is teaching the importance of money saving. Students are encouraged to get school loans and pile up few credit cards. By the time one is done with school there is no time to choose jobs because bills are piling. So one ends up getting any job that comes by and gets stuck on it and by the time one realises years have flown by and may need to go back to school to become relevant they have fallen in the disengaged employee pool.
Ha! You’re right, at the heart level many employees are overwhelmed with the mundane than they care to admit. As you pointed out, a shift is needed for relevant work that is meaningful for both the employee and the employer. Thank you for sharing!
I love the caption, “Those that build their lives and work around purpose and passion always seems to weather any storm.
Isn’t it amazing that no matter what we do or pursue in life, at some point, we are going to face storms, hardships, challenges, and resistance. It so happens that the only people that will stand are those who know and are engaging their PURPOSE, PASSION, POTENTIALS and PROFIT. I love these 4ps because they are originally meant to be the only sole building blocks of our lives. Had we known this ever since we were very young, and had our parents encouraged us to move in this direction, we would have had better ENGAGED lives in every sphere of the society. The fish is ENGAGED swimming. The Lion is ENGAGED being the King of the Jungle. The Birds are ENGAGED flying. So what’s your ENGAGEMENT, and how does it connect to the 4Ps.
Conclusively, we have to give attention to our CONVICTIONS(Purpose and passion), and pursue it with all our Body, Soul and Spirit. This is because only MEN of CONVICTION influence cultures, alter systems and spearhead trailblazing ideas. You have to be CRAZY, ABNORMAL and ABSURD to have a voice in the world of today. Come to think of it, the reason why many give up on their dreams or ideas is because they weren’t really convinced about them in the first place. They just pursued it because it sounded and felt good, and when the storms and challenges came, they compromised.