Today, many young people want to work for an employer they can identify with.

They want to work for a company or organisation that has a Purpose they themselves aspire to. Even though young people have probably always been idealistic, the millennial generation still wants more out of working life than just an income. For them, their job is something they identify with and that is very handy, given the fact that the majority of us spend around 8 hours a day at work.

Young employees want jobs with purpose

According to Deloitte's Millennial Survey, 6 out of 10 respondents say that purpose is something they look for in potential employers. Barry Salzberg, CEO of Deloitte Global, puts it this way:

“It is clear that when today's millennial generation assesses its career objectives, they are just as interested in how companies contribute to the development of people and society as in products and services.” Salzburg adds: “These findings should be an eye-opener for business.”

The figure below from Deloitte's Millenial Survey 2016 , shows the greatest loyalty to employers where employees share the company's values, purpose and receive support with their own professional development.

Unilever – a global group worth learning from

In 2015, Radley Yeldar published the "Fit for Purpose" report, where they investigated a number of brands with regard to how they positioned themselves as regards having a purpose. We find companies like Unilever, Philips and Lloyds Banking Group on the rostrum. These are companies that not only commit to a specific purpose but build their entire business model around the purpose. Unilever represents more than 400 brands in the area of health and well-being that are used by more than two billion people every day all over the world. If we look at Unilever's purpose, “Making sustainable living commonplace”, this is robust and inspirational on its own.

Unilever uses this purpose in their branding of products, as through Project Sunlight. Here, expectant parents from different countries first get to see a film about human destruction of the planet before they are informed about the positive developments that have taken place in product development, medicine and health, aid and other living factors - then it is all summed up that it has never been a better time to have children than right now. Never have people lived healthier and longer than today.

Unilever uses this purpose in its branding of products, where, through Project Sunlight, future parents from different countries first get to see a film of man's destruction of the planet before being informed of the positive developments that have taken place in product development, medicine and health, aid and other living factors – before everything is summed up as there never having been a better time to have children than the present. People have never lived healthier and longer lives than they do today. Brands with the ability to position themselves so that their work has consequences beyond their own sphere are popular with jobseekers. According to Unilever, which is the world's third most popular employer on Linkedin, half of the job applications from graduates can be attributed to the company's focus and investment on ethical and sustainable product development. Furthermore, more than 76% of Unilever's employees say that their job contributes to the company's agenda.

The figure below from Deloitte's Millennial Survey 2016, shows that the millennium generation prioritises purpose above growth and increased earnings.

“What people care most for about their job is the feeling of having a purpose.”
–Nikos Mourkogiannis

What motivates your employees?

Unfortunately, it is the case that many managers have no idea what motivates the individual employee. They believe most believe yearn for 1) a better salary, 2) a safe job and 3) promotion opportunities.

Author and businessman Dan Pink is also known for his TED presentation where he talks about how what motivates the individual are 1) autonomy, 2) mastery and 3) purpose. Being autonomous is about deciding our own actions. Mastery means developing ourselves to become better at whatever we work at. Purpose means that what we do needs to have a significance – a meaning

“It is clear that when today's millennial generation assesses its career objectives, they are just as interested in how companies contribute to the development of people and society as in products and services.”
–Barry Salzberg, CEO of Deloitte Global

It’s about being responsible

As a society, we long ago had to accept the environmental consequences we were inflicting upon the planet. This is colouring the social debate in very many arenas at both macro and micro level. For brands, this means that a purpose becomes even more important and, for many companies that have existed for a long time, it may be appropriate to brush the dust off of their purpose and see whether it is necessary to add some new values. It is vital for new companies to take the temperature of the community they want to establish themselves in.