Envisioning the Future of Work with a Focus on Purpose

Anneliese Olson

As companies around the world look at their plans to bring employees back into workplaces — or chart a future that might not involve offices at all — I think we all recognize that we’re heading into an era of work that will be forever different. We’ll have new standards for how we travel or work remotely, how we will collaborate and even how we greet each other. As teams, we must always prioritize each other’s health and safety when designing these plans. But there’s another principle that needs to share center stage: purpose.

 Even before 2020, employees were seeking deeper purpose in their work. Recent research on Generation Z shows 65 percent say, "making a difference to a cause they care about," is a top priority. Nearly half want to do that by working for an innovative and impact-driven company. The past five months, however, have catapulted those values to the foreground even more. I have said before the COVID-19 pandemic is making us more human. It has stretched us to practice empathy for our colleagues who are caretakers and for those who have suffered loss. The pandemic has shone a light on the unsung essential workers. Meanwhile, our nation is also responding to racial injustice and the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and others. The result of these concurrent crises is that companies everywhere are being called on to meaningfully re-evaluate policies, practices and what purpose they serve in a changing society.

Right now, it’s critical that leaders define the way their teams show up to work and the way their work shows up in the world.

How We Show Up at Work: Purpose-Driven Workplace Culture

For many of us, purpose at work comes in many forms. Leading teams, mentoring colleagues and sharing ideas all contribute to a company’s culture. We can guess that well beyond 2020, flexibility at work is here to stay. So, let’s get intentional about refreshing a workplace culture that fits our more flexible views about the workplace and aligns to our collective purpose, not outdated norms.

I think about how we actually “show up” in meetings. Zoom fatigue is real. We need to pay attention to that and refresh which communication tools (we are not lacking options!) are best, according to our purpose for collaboration. If we’re being true to our purpose, we also have to address how inequities persist in our new hybrid environment. Like, the fact that on video calls, women’s appearance continues to be valued over their voices. Or how Black women are 80 percent more likely than white women to report having to change their hair to fit in at the workplace. Organizations have a chance to redefine professionalism around what really serves the company’s mission, its employees, and its reflection of the customers they serve.

Purpose goes so much deeper than outward promises or statistics. Purpose-driven culture shows up in every meeting, it informs every idea and it serves as the foundation around which every team is built. If we're going to drive the future of work, we need to invest in the talent and culture that future demands.

How the Work Shows Up in the World: Serving a Greater Purpose

I hope and expect that the mingling of personal life and work we’ve all experienced during this pandemic will push the products of our work to be more reflective of our collective humanity. We’re already seeing purpose turn into product. For instance, industry leaders in AI are beginning to acknowledge the research on how facial recognition technology demonstrates bias by skin-type and gender and, as a result of these insights, companies are pulling products off the market. I have admired Joy Buolamwini since I heard her speak at the Grace Hopper conference for Women in Technology a few years ago; she and her Algorithmic Justice League partners are exemplifying purpose-driven work in raising awareness and applying pressure to bias in the technology industry.

I am also energized by what I see my own colleagues in terms of creating solutions with purpose. Turn to Learn is one of those initiatives we introduced when COVID-19 forced many around the world to shelter in place. Through HP Turn to Learn, we broke down paywalls for online curricula and facilitated accessible printing to support students with virtual learning, especially those without Internet. For instance, as I look to my home state of Idaho, in some places, 75 percent of students do not have dependable internet connectivity. Turn to Learn fits directly into diversifying the STEM field and closing the digital divide — just one way purpose shows up at HP.

I’m ready for a reset, and I know I’m not alone. Recalibrating both the way we work together and what purposeful work we prioritize is a unique opportunity we have in this moment. As I look at companies and leaders around the world, I know that if we are diligent in living our purpose, incredible work and outcomes will follow.