I once read a poster that said, “Allow your passion to become your purpose and it will one day become your profession.”

At the root of a successful workplace, you will find engaged employees passionate about the work they do.  Loyal employees who find purpose in their work arrive on time, energized and ready to put forth their best effort.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ current population survey (CPS), the unemployment rate for Indiana fell to 3% in June. The state unemployment rate was 1.4 percentage points lower than the national rate for the month. This compares to January 2010 when Indiana unemployment was at 10.9%.

As Indiana continues to make great strides in attracting businesses to the state, intentional strategies centered around employee purpose and career well-being are crucial to recruit and retain top talent. As leaders, employers must help employees tap into their passion and find their purpose to better understand what motivates them to do more. That intentional alignment with their purpose and passion will support and enhance the overall retention efforts.

In leadership, it is important to remember you are managing people. People who will help you accomplish your business goals, meet deadlines and deliver exceptional service and products. People, not processes, are unique in their motivation.

Talk with your employees, understand their motivations, know what they enjoy doing and establish personal development goals. Help employees see how their personal contributions relate to the greater goal. Allowing them to find and align their purpose and passion in the workplace will create synergies and engagement and ultimately retain employees.

To develop purpose for your team, be altruistic, be authentic, be thoughtful, be intentional, be consistent and be passionate. Be the type of employer and leader that will attract and keep great employees.

Join us at the 2017 Indiana Health and Wellness Summit on October 3-4 to learn why purpose makes a difference and how to incorporate it into your workplace wellness initiatives. We hope to see you there! For more information on this topic or other workplace wellness matters, contact the Wellness Council of Indiana at (317) 264-2168.

Jennifer Pferrer
Executive Director
Wellness Council of Indiana