How We Can Mobilize the Pursuit of Purpose for Our Teams and for Ourselves

By Anneliese Olson

I’ve always loved watching the way passion motivates people to pursue more meaning in their work and life—even when times get tough. As a fourth-generation Idahoan, there are multiple stories within my own family of people doing what it takes to make a living in a place they love, but also to make their work meaningful. For my mom and my sister, for example, that meant dedicating their careers to teaching.  

It’d be natural to think that passion takes a back seat during a crisis. But I was deeply heartened when I saw research from HP’s Workforce Evolution Study that suggested otherwise. Our study found that even now, office workers surveyed in six countries who work across various industries, remain undeterred in following their passions. In fact, two in five employees say they're more motivated than ever to pursue their passion as a career. 

The hardships associated with COVID-19 are far from over, and uncertainty about the future is still very present in our everyday lives. Even so, I believe in carving out opportunities to align our careers with what's in our hearts.   If you like what you do, you will be more engaged as well ---in the work, in the outcomes, with your team, and ultimately, with the company or business mission.

A new world of work

The workplace was already in flux before the curveball that was 2020. Millennials and Generation Z, who account for a third of the workforce, have wholly different expectations for how, when and where we work.

For example, young professionals rely on technology for almost everything, from improving their productivity to spurring innovation. They make collaboration a priority, and they expect technology that will facilitate it. They also value flexibility—in workspaces and hours. They aim to mold their work to fit with their lives and not the other way around.

Companies like HP have been adapting to these trends for some time. Last year, however, sped everything up. In less than a week, we moved 52,000 employees to work from home. In some areas or functions, work stayed mostly the same; in other areas, work changed significantly. In the HP survey, 60 percent of those surveyed reported that they'd honed their technology skills in the last six months. Concerned about job stability, more than half of workers have also taken the initiative to learn new hard and soft skills, from IT and digital literacy to problem-solving and stress relief.

Where passion meets entrepreneurship

This workforce research shows that people are reevaluating what matters, and for many, that means viewing entrepreneurship as a way to fulfill their career needs. One in three people, for instance, said a lack of job security or the new skills they've recently learned piqued their interest in starting their own business. This was especially true for Millennials, with nearly half of the respondents from this generation noting that they are more inclined to go out on their own. Given the priority that Millennials and Gen Z place on purpose-driven work, their enthusiasm for entrepreneurship bodes well for us all.

I’ve witnessed this same pursuit of purpose-driven work within my own team at HP. I’m constantly seeking ways to motivate my team to find passions that intersect with their professional skills, and I’m always looking for counsel from the foremost experts on that topic. Dr. Laura Giurge, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at London Business School and expert on the future of work, recently talked to HP about the evolution of work and purpose in the modern workforce. 

“What we’ve seen in some young adults is that they are engaged in more existential thinking when it comes to their careers,” says Dr. Giurge. “It's a type of thinking beyond themselves and about their role in society. They place more value on pro-social work and consider career paths with emphasis on socially-oriented jobs.”

Sustaining a new world of work 

Going forward, the big question is: How do we continue to cultivate this passion in a world that’s seemingly filled with chaos and uncertainty? And how do we empower people to build skills that help them evolve and grow?

There are no easy answers, but there are some good starting points. First, we need to ensure that everyone has access to the appropriate technology to further their career. In the U.S., two out of three employees had to purchase supplies to work from home, spending an average of $642 out of their own pockets. Computers, printers and upgraded Wi-Fi were among the top purchases. I can’t overstate the importance of technology access to career improvement and skill development—tech makes it possible for workers to improve their skillsets and levels the playing field for budding entrepreneurs.  

Next, we must deeply understand—and accept—that the new hybridized world of work will only accelerate. I’ve written before about the concept of OneLife, the idea that we are quickly approaching a seamless and tech-enabled blend of our personal and professional lives. Business leaders must find ways to approach OneLife that are healthy, sustainable, and individualized for all employees. Hybrid work will also increase the breadth and depth of the talent pipeline for many countries and companies around the world----leaders who can engage the best talent from multiple locations will have more choices.

Finally, the workforce needs more opportunities for continued learning. People must know that they can find and follow their passion at any age and at any point in their career. If the shifts demonstrated in HP’s research are any indication, I think the future of work holds a lot of passion and promise for those who take actions and provide support—and that’s a good feeling to have right now.