The heart of motivation: Why employees care more about values than value

What can employers do to motivate employees? At one time, a company could hold on to talent simply by being successful, offering career progression and a decent reward. The status quo was to prioritise well-paid opportunities and aim to work for big brand names. But times have changed.

The Great Resignation has had its effect… average employee tenure is now less than two years and keeping good people is sometimes harder than acquiring them.

The workforce of today cares more about mission than money, and a company that wants to keep talent must align their values with their employees.

Planet before profit

Younger employees, in particular, want to be proud of the company they work for. The zoomers and the millennial generation are more socially and environmentally conscious than any preceding generation. They had access to a cascade of opinion-forming information from a very young age. All they needed was a screen – and the world’s problems could appear before their eyes.

For many, as a result, prioritising profit or even steady growth is objectionable. They understand that profit comes at a price and often our planet is the one paying the bill. As data about pensions emissions becomes more readily available, it won’t be long before people are demanding a switch to net zero there too.

In the past, radical ideas have tended to soften as people get older. But since environmental issues are sadly going to worsen, it’s likely that this generation’s passion won’t dilute.

If temperatures rise 1.7 to 1.8C above 1850s levels, the IPCC estimates that half the world’s population could be exposed to life-threatening heat and humidity, continued vulnerability to natural disasters and ever-increasing water and air pollution. With such an extinction-level event looming, it makes sense that people want to see more than a bullet point on a company values statement – they want environmental action.

People before profit

According to The Policy Institute, 66% of Gen Z and 57% of Millennials say that environmental concerns should take priority over economic growth, compared with 45% of Gen X and 44% of Baby Boomers.

If the workforce suspects that a company prioritises profit or growth over the well-being of vulnerable people, pleases investors at the expense of local communities or has little control over its supply chain, then there will be a value mismatch. When they hear of BP or Shell making windfall profits during the current energy crisis, for instance, it causes indignation.

Younger people as a generation are way more conscious of everything they affect. In their social circles, they examine the values of the companies their peers work for. A top role in a highly profitable business might carry little status if the firm is testing its products on animals, for instance. Such a job could bring judgement from peers and friends.

Fostering belonging through the growth journey

With such a deep awareness of societal and environmental issues, a value mismatch means an employee will never feel like they belong at a company. This is quite a cerebral concept and hard to measure, but belonging is fundamental to attracting and retaining talent.

To foster that sense of belonging within your company culture, you must tackle the big issues your people care about. After a hard day’s work, when they go to bed at night, they want to feel that their efforts didn’t just keep an organisation’s wheels turning. They want to have made the world a better place too.

Companies strive to create the perfect employer brand image and EVP (Employer Value Proposition), but this needs to be one that both your current and future employees find relatable. This means it should address their societal and environmental concerns.

That’s not always easy, especially as a business evolves through the growth journey.

Initially, as a startup, everyone onboard is probably financially or emotionally invested in the company, and it’s easy to forge and stick to an EVP that reflects the team’s values.

But as the business grows, maintaining control over your EVP becomes a more challenging proposition. As investors or acquirers come on board with profit and growth priorities, and the workforce becomes larger and more dispersed, it’s easy for the EVP to weaken.

Long term, it’s not enough to give people the opportunity to be part of creating a mega-hit brand. That success leads you somewhere, and often it can lead to compromise. As this generation is teaching us, though, the brands who commit to no-compromise are the ones they’re most likely to continue working for.

How Amba can help

Employee benefits are only one part of your EVP, but they are still a vital component for signalling what your company stands for. It’s not just a chance to augment your employees’ pay package, it’s an opportunity to show them their values are aligned with the company they work for.

At Amba, we put environmental and social impact at the heart of our strategy, offering ethical, accessible, and valuable rewards through our Lumina benefits platform. To talk with us and ensure your benefits resonate with your people, get in touch.

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