Five years back, we moved into our new home. My personal interest, more than the house itself, was in the big balcony that came with it. I had already visualized how green and tranquil it was going to be once I fill it with plants. And fill, I did! Given my travel and work schedules, I could never get a chance to sit in my balcony. It is in the lockdown days when I had the time to spend in the balcony, I realized that in my enthusiasm, I had lost sight of my purpose — to be able to sit and enjoy the company of my plants. Sure, I did have a balcony full of plants now, but there was no place left for me!

A great example of what happens when your passion overrides your purpose.

While I identified the gap and promptly rearranged the plants to fulfil my purpose, it set me thinking about the powerful impact that purpose has on individuals and companies.

The Pursuit Of Purpose

A lot of work goes into crafting an organization’s purpose. And why not, a company’s purpose is its very essence, the reason for its existence. In theory, we all know that it is by defining and pursuing our purpose that we can achieve success - both personal and organizational. But knowing often isn’t the same as implementing. Many organizations lose their way especially while seeking and hiring talent.

An organization’s purpose isn’t a concept developed in and restricted to board rooms. In order to be fulfilled, it should not only be clearly understood by all stakeholders but also be aligned with the individual purposes of everyone involved. When hiring new talent, this could translate into insightful conversations with the candidate in order to explore their motives, aspirations, and triggers.

Passion Vs. Purpose

When interviewing candidates, especially for leadership roles, I always ensure to check on two things - their passion and their purpose. 

While our passion often guides what we do, it is our purpose that defines why we do it. The combination of both, I believe, has a more far-reaching impact. 

Asking these exploratory questions helps me:

• Ensure an alignment between the organization’s purpose and the individual’s

• Understand what drives the individual and how passionate can they be when it is ignited for them

• Assess how the organization can help them derive meaning from their work and set them up for success

I have learned that organizational purpose cannot afford to be a one-way street. To pursue a collective purpose, it is critical for companies to consider including and supporting individual purposes. To that end, organizations need to go beyond their purpose statement and reflect on how they can align individual purpose to the way they hire talent and structure roles. 

In my experience, I have observed that companies that enable individuals to pursue their purpose alongside the organization’s purpose are more likely to engage, attract, and retain the right kind of people. On the other hand, when employees find a sense of purpose at work, it can help them feel more passionate and committed to their jobs. 

To summarize, purpose is the foundation on which enterprises are built, everything else is a consequence of how well your team is able to fulfil this purpose. If you want your organization and people to be successful, it is imperative to shift the spotlight from organizational purpose itself and align it with an individual’s purpose. 

So, are you connecting the two when hiring?