Name: Is 'purpose-led' going places?
Uploaded: 2023-02-23T11:44:58.660Z
Duration: 365.72
Description: Consumers and employees are pushing for companies to prioritise ethics and social issues, both within their workplaces and their products. Is this a lasting trend? Learn how companies can differentiate themselves as purpose-driven organisations with insights from Dr. Scott Cawood, President & CEO of WorldatWork.

Purpose-led v2.mp4

Scott Cawood.vtt

English

{{00:00:00}}
You don't hear, people tend to
focus on, I just want to work for

{{00:00:02}}
someone and make them a lot of money.

{{00:00:03}}
You know, they wanna be a
part of something, and that's

{{00:00:05}}
where this is driven from.

{{00:00:13}}
Hi, I'm Jordan Thorne and we're here in
the Streamy studio, joined today by Dr.

{{00:00:16}}
Scott Cawood.

{{00:00:17}}
He's the CEO of World at Work.

{{00:00:19}}
Scott, thank you so much
for joining us today.

{{00:00:21}}
Absolutely my pleasure to be here.

{{00:00:22}}
Thank you for taking some time with me.

{{00:00:24}}
You're welcome.

{{00:00:24}}
So we're excited to talk to you
today about this idea of purpose-led.

{{00:00:29}}
Driving initiative-based, purposeful
work has been on the agenda for many

{{00:00:32}}
leaders globally in the recent past.

{{00:00:35}}
What makes a purpose-led
approach unique and important?

{{00:00:39}}
You know, I think all of us have been
asked the inevitable question at a party

{{00:00:42}}
or what-not, you know, what do you do?

{{00:00:44}}
And it's an icebreaking question,
but it's also one that people

{{00:00:47}}
want to be able to respond to with
something good that they're doing.

{{00:00:49}}
They're making a contribution to their
community, to a cause, to an issue.

{{00:00:53}}
You don't hear, people tend to focus
on, I just want to work for someone and

{{00:00:56}}
make them a lot of money and, you know,
they want to be a part of something.

{{00:00:58}}
And that's where this is driven from.

{{00:01:00}}
And coming out of Covid, we've all
learned what could happen in the world.

{{00:01:04}}
And, I think people are ready to
make an impact and a difference, and

{{00:01:07}}
they want their job to reflect that.

{{00:01:08}}
So, I think that's where you're
getting the purpose-driven, you know,

{{00:01:13}}
the questions and the jobs people are
seeking, is they want to count, right?

{{00:01:16}}
They want to do something
good with their life.

{{00:01:18}}
And so, they answer that
question, what do you do?

{{00:01:20}}
You've got a really amazing answer.

{{00:01:22}}
I love it.

{{00:01:23}}
So, you know, are these new
work approaches designed

{{00:01:26}}
primarily to drive performance?

{{00:01:27}}
And if so, has HR or rewards
professionals developed a new way

{{00:01:31}}
of measuring such performance?

{{00:01:33}}
I think it's performance in the context
of the relationship that employers and

{{00:01:38}}
employees now need to nurture, to get
everything done that you want done.

{{00:01:42}}
There's no doubt that a great reward
programme helps create a better

{{00:01:46}}
employee experience, and a better
employer experience helps create

{{00:01:48}}
better organisational performance.

{{00:01:50}}
So in that sense, yes,
it is performance driven.

{{00:01:53}}
But I also think it reflects just some
of the changes that we're seeing, the

{{00:01:56}}
values that we had, the workforce that
you had before Covid, for example, isn't

{{00:02:00}}
the same workforce that you have today.

{{00:02:02}}
Values have shifted.

{{00:02:03}}
The perspectives have shifted.

{{00:02:04}}
We now know what it's like to have
dramatic change over something

{{00:02:08}}
pretty traumatic, like a pandemic.

{{00:02:10}}
So, you're seeing this, I think play out
in work and so it's performance, yes, but

{{00:02:14}}
it's also maybe becoming a bit more human.

{{00:02:17}}
You're moving from just the employee
focus to, there's a full human

{{00:02:20}}
being sitting there and she wants
to do things, and create, and do all

{{00:02:24}}
those, the things you can do at work.

{{00:02:25}}
So I think that's really what we're
seeing, as we kind of reopen from Covid.

{{00:02:30}}
Do you actually think values have changed,
or do you think it's always been there

{{00:02:33}}
but now people feel like they have a voice
to sort of say what their values are?

{{00:02:37}}
It's an interesting question because
if you look now and, because we

{{00:02:41}}
record, for example, when you're
interviewing for a job, what do you ask?

{{00:02:44}}
What questions do you ask?

{{00:02:46}}
And, we have seen a tremendous amount
of foray into questions about the values

{{00:02:52}}
of the company, the values of the CEO.

{{00:02:54}}
Did you take a stand on social
issues like Black Lives Matter,

{{00:02:57}}
or pay equity for women, how many
women are on the leadership team?

{{00:03:01}}
We would've never seen those
direct questions being asked

{{00:03:03}}
of a candidate before Covid.

{{00:03:05}}
So, there's a rebalancing of power and
certainly the talent shortage and the

{{00:03:09}}
skill shortage that we're facing makes
me as a candidate have a bit more power.

{{00:03:13}}
Therefore, I think we're really being more
of who we are now than we were before.

{{00:03:17}}
So it was always there, and I'm hoping
that, you know, post-Covid we can take

{{00:03:22}}
some things forward and maybe rethink
this thing called work for all of us.

{{00:03:26}}
It's a great opportunity to do it.

{{00:03:27}}
I agree.

{{00:03:28}}
And what are your recommendations for
HR rewards and business leaders who

{{00:03:31}}
are looking to really meaningfully
engage the workforce, and at the

{{00:03:35}}
same time offer a great employee
experience, but also staying aligned

{{00:03:39}}
to the organisation's purpose?

{{00:03:41}}
So we know that engagement and motivation,
all the things that we're after from

{{00:03:45}}
the, you know, the people side of the
business, really are always the best

{{00:03:49}}
when you love what you're doing, right?

{{00:03:51}}
If you hate what you're doing or
you're not good at what you're doing

{{00:03:54}}
or you don't like the people you're
doing it with, it always disengages.

{{00:03:57}}
So ideally, you want the work itself to
provide the biggest impact around meaning.

{{00:04:02}}
And when you get that right, I mean,
think about a great place to work.

{{00:04:05}}
It's you love what you do, you're
getting paid for what you do, and

{{00:04:08}}
you're doing with people that you like.

{{00:04:09}}
If you can get that situation set
up, you tend to be very much engaged.

{{00:04:13}}
So, we should think of engagement
as built into the experience, not

{{00:04:16}}
something we kind of add on to it.

{{00:04:18}}
So, if you're in the wrong job,
hey, there's lots of jobs out there.

{{00:04:22}}
Do something, change.

{{00:04:24}}
Do something different.

{{00:04:25}}
And if you're an employer that's
wanting to keep good people, just be

{{00:04:27}}
open to maybe letting them shift roles.

{{00:04:29}}
Try something new.

{{00:04:31}}
You know, internal candidates
only comprise 10% of new hires,

{{00:04:35}}
I think we could do better.

{{00:04:37}}
Wow.

{{00:04:37}}
Right there.

{{00:04:37}}
That's small.

{{00:04:38}}
For your average around the world.

{{00:04:40}}
So, you look at how are you're hiring
internally and is that process as robust

{{00:04:44}}
as your external candidate process?

{{00:04:46}}
If it is, it's a great thing,
but chances are it's probably not

{{00:04:49}}
as robust as the external one.

{{00:04:50}}
So start there.

{{00:04:51}}
Amazing.

{{00:04:52}}
Well, you know, purpose-led sounds
really great, but do you think

{{00:04:55}}
that purpose-led companies can
actually make positive change?

{{00:05:00}}
Well, I think, let's take the next
step as, I want to work at a company.

{{00:05:05}}
If I'm an average, you know, candidate,
I want to work at a company that

{{00:05:09}}
might do some good in the world.

{{00:05:11}}
That could be environmental,
it could be that you give back.

{{00:05:14}}
It could be that you have a
fundraiser to save, you know, dogs.

{{00:05:17}}
There's lots of ways to give back.

{{00:05:19}}
One of my favourite ones, you know,
Lacoste, the brand with the alligator?

{{00:05:23}}
They released last year an
entire brand of clothes.

{{00:05:25}}
And instead of the alligator, they
had endangered animals on it, they had

{{00:05:29}}
an elephant and alligators, different
types of animals that were endangered.

{{00:05:31}}
And they took the proceeds and
donated it to funds that help,

{{00:05:35}}
you know, the endangered animals.

{{00:05:36}}
And to me that's a great example of how
we can take what we're doing, we're making

{{00:05:40}}
cool clothes, we're going to switch it
up for a bit, and we're going to use

{{00:05:43}}
those funds that we generated to bring
awareness to which animals are in danger,

{{00:05:47}}
but also to give back to the causes.

{{00:05:49}}
That's a great example.

{{00:05:50}}
It's incredible

{{00:05:51}}
Of adding something that's, you know,
special and tells me that you're a good

{{00:05:53}}
company, and I want to be a part of it.

{{00:05:55}}
And that's, that to me is
what every company could be

{{00:05:57}}
doing in some form or another.

You don't hear, people tend to
focus on, I just want to work for

You know, they wanna be a
part of something, and that's

Hi, I'm Jordan Thorne and we're here in
the Streamy studio, joined today by Dr.

Scott, thank you so much
for joining us today.

So we're excited to talk to you
today about this idea of purpose-led.

Driving initiative-based, purposeful
work has been on the agenda for many

What makes a purpose-led
approach unique and important?

You know, I think all of us have been
asked the inevitable question at a party

And it's an icebreaking question,
but it's also one that people

want to be able to respond to with
something good that they're doing.

They're making a contribution to their
community, to a cause, to an issue.

You don't hear, people tend to focus
on, I just want to work for someone and

make them a lot of money and, you know,
they want to be a part of something.

And coming out of Covid, we've all
learned what could happen in the world.

And, I think people are ready to
make an impact and a difference, and

So, I think that's where you're
getting the purpose-driven, you know,

the questions and the jobs people are
seeking, is they want to count, right?

They want to do something
good with their life.

And so, they answer that
question, what do you do?

So, you know, are these new
work approaches designed

And if so, has HR or rewards
professionals developed a new way

I think it's performance in the context
of the relationship that employers and

employees now need to nurture, to get
everything done that you want done.

There's no doubt that a great reward
programme helps create a better

employee experience, and a better
employer experience helps create

So in that sense, yes,
it is performance driven.

But I also think it reflects just some
of the changes that we're seeing, the

values that we had, the workforce that
you had before Covid, for example, isn't

We now know what it's like to have
dramatic change over something

So, you're seeing this, I think play out
in work and so it's performance, yes, but

it's also maybe becoming a bit more human.

You're moving from just the employee
focus to, there's a full human

being sitting there and she wants
to do things, and create, and do all

So I think that's really what we're
seeing, as we kind of reopen from Covid.

Do you actually think values have changed,
or do you think it's always been there

but now people feel like they have a voice
to sort of say what their values are?

It's an interesting question because
if you look now and, because we

record, for example, when you're
interviewing for a job, what do you ask?

And, we have seen a tremendous amount
of foray into questions about the values

Did you take a stand on social
issues like Black Lives Matter,

or pay equity for women, how many
women are on the leadership team?

We would've never seen those
direct questions being asked

So, there's a rebalancing of power and
certainly the talent shortage and the

skill shortage that we're facing makes
me as a candidate have a bit more power.

Therefore, I think we're really being more
of who we are now than we were before.

So it was always there, and I'm hoping
that, you know, post-Covid we can take

some things forward and maybe rethink
this thing called work for all of us.

And what are your recommendations for
HR rewards and business leaders who

are looking to really meaningfully
engage the workforce, and at the

same time offer a great employee
experience, but also staying aligned

So we know that engagement and motivation,
all the things that we're after from

the, you know, the people side of the
business, really are always the best

If you hate what you're doing or
you're not good at what you're doing

or you don't like the people you're
doing it with, it always disengages.

So ideally, you want the work itself to
provide the biggest impact around meaning.

And when you get that right, I mean,
think about a great place to work.

It's you love what you do, you're
getting paid for what you do, and

If you can get that situation set
up, you tend to be very much engaged.

So, we should think of engagement
as built into the experience, not

So, if you're in the wrong job,
hey, there's lots of jobs out there.

And if you're an employer that's
wanting to keep good people, just be

You know, internal candidates
only comprise 10% of new hires,

Expert Insight

Consumers and employees are pushing for companies to prioritise ethics and social issues, both within their workplaces and their products. Is this a lasting trend?
Learn how companies can differentiate themselves as purpose-driven organisations with insights from Dr. Scott Cawood, President & CEO of WorldatWork.

Future of Work

Human centric workplace 

small_Scott-Cawood-2023-08-150601-c68989d78d4d5e830d142e898e2d8137.png

thumbnail_Scott-Cawood-2023-08-150601-c68989d78d4d5e830d142e898e2d8137.png

xsmall_Scott-Cawood-2023-08-150601-c68989d78d4d5e830d142e898e2d8137.png

Scott-Cawood-2023-08-150601-c68989d78d4d5e830d142e898e2d8137.png

Dr. Scott Cawood ED.D., CCP, GRP, CSCP, CBP

Chief Executive Officer

Cawood explains why purpose-led work is seen as a priority by employees.


The importance of a purpose-led approach

Discover the changes in performance metrics brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and the growing call for purpose-led businesses.

Purpose-led performance measures

Cawood examines how a rebalancing of power between employers and employees is enabling new hires to align their personal values with the company's values from the beginning.

The impact of Covid-19 on values

Discover Cawood's recommendations for engaging employees and creating a positive working environment.


Engaging the workforce

Cawood shares his perspective on how purpose-driven organisations can make a real and meaningful impact.