A guide to building a purpose driven team in tech

Attract, retain & motivate top tech talent with the help of our step-by-step guide to building a purpose driven team.

A company’s success heavily depends upon the mindset and contentment of its team. After all, a lack of purpose at work can leave employees feeling isolated and unmotivated, leading to loyalty issues and disappointing talent retention.

It also has a knock-on effect when it comes to attracting the crème de la crème of tech talent. But the question is, where do you start to make this right?

To shed some light on this pressing subject, we’ve included a breakdown of how to communicate your company’s purpose to not only inspire existing employees but to also make your business more desirable to future talent.

Start by defining your company’s purpose

Before you focus your efforts on attracting talent from the outside, you need to hone in on your purpose from the inside.

This process starts by consolidating and defining not just your company’s purpose, but your core values and overall mission as well.

Your purpose

Firstly, compose an accessible purpose statement. A purpose statement should explain your company’s motivations and reasons for existing to create a company-wide sense of purpose and determination.

The effects of this statement reach beyond the company and demonstrate to prospective employees and the wider public that you have a driving force and raison d’être that make your company important and worth investing in.

Your mission statement

Secondly, focus on perfecting your mission statement. This should include clear explanations of your type of business, who you serve, your primary objectives as a company and the measures you are taking to achieve those objectives.

Throughout both of these statements, highlight your company’s values that apply to the workplace and beyond, focusing on your corporate culture and using feedback from existing employees to portray its strengths.

You should also consistently demonstrate your commitment to your employees, stakeholders, clients, customers and wider community, and integrate their desires into your overall mission.

Spending time perfecting this step of the process is one of the best ways to ensure that you are cultivating a sense of purpose in your company; having a clearly defined mission will benefit the company both internally and externally.

Internal benefits:

• Helps guide company leaders
• Informs company-wide strategy
• Creates a sense of purpose and motivation among the workforce
• Strengthens your brand’s identity
• Improves the sense of community within the company
• Guides employee decision-making
• Promotes an ethical workplace

External benefits:

• Strengthens your company’s relationships with clients, stakeholders and prospective talent
• Demonstrates your company’s professionalism
• Improves your company’s reputation
• Helps to attract the top talent

Once you have solidified your purpose, it’s time to use it to attract and retain the very best candidates.

How to communicate your purpose throughout the talent acquisition process

Attracting motivated talent and creating a purpose-driven workforce relies on you looking to inspire from the beginning of the tech talent acquisition process.

It’s vital to present your company’s purpose and key values at every point of contact with your target talent. So, if you’re struggling to maintain a purpose-driven workforce, consider augmenting your talent acquisition process with the following approaches:

1. Strengthen your brand identity

In 2024, employees are more likely to be attracted to companies with the same values and mission. Creating a brand identity that reflects strong ideals and purpose is the first step to attracting driven employees. Plus, employees who believe their company has a greater purpose than profits are almost 30% more likely to be loyal to their employer.

Try to incorporate your company values and mission in all communications with talent, e.g. on your website, in all your job descriptions and your talent outreach emails and messages.

If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, here’s how Revoco showcased our values on our careers page:

2. Create a competitive Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

Your EVP is essentially the package of benefits you offer your employees in return for their dedication, hard work and loyalty.

It encompasses competitive salaries, bonus schemes, career development opportunities, work-life balance, and more. Your EVP is also another avenue through which you can communicate your company’s core values to appeal to talent.

3. Conduct an internal employee audit

Motivating your workforce and attracting purpose-driven talent relies on understanding how your current employees feel. Conduct an anonymous audit to gain insight into what motivates your employees and how you, as a company, can give them a stronger sense of purpose.

You can then apply your learnings to the hiring process and your EVP.

4. Create a careers page

If you’ve not done so already, dedicate an entire page on your website to your company’s careers.

A good careers page should include all of the following elements:

• A list of all available openings
• Clear descriptions of your company’s culture and work environment
• Your mission and purpose statements
• Your EVP
• Positive employee testimonials
• What you’re looking for in a candidate

Setting up a page like this will inform your candidates and demonstrate your commitment to them from the very start of the hiring process. It will also give them a chance to determine whether your company’s values align with their own and help weed out any unsuitable applicants early on.

5. Implement employee advocacy

Employee advocacy is the utilisation of existing employees to help promote and raise awareness of your company and its services.

This is a great way to spread your purpose to the wider public as employees are more trusted by consumers and candidates than the brand itself. 

Employee advocacy also improves motivation within the workforce by including employees in your company’s wider mission and giving them the opportunity to make a difference.

6. Define your commitment to purpose in the workplace

Company leaders should collaborate with valued employees to develop and implement clear strategies that promote purpose in the workplace. If prospective employees can see their place in the bigger picture of company purpose, they’ll be more likely to apply to your company and later become purpose-driven employees.

7. Establish your CSR

Your CSR is your Corporate Social Responsibility. It’s an effective business model that holds your company accountable to itself, its stakeholders, its workforce, and the wider world.

Through your CSR, you can explore your purpose outside of business and focus on your company’s impact on the environment, society, the economy and more.

If you have a compelling CSR, you can demonstrate that your purpose extends beyond the realm of business and therefore give your employees and prospects a greater sense of motivation and importance.

8. Use your purpose to determine suitable candidates

If you have a clear purpose and company mission, it’s much easier to determine which candidates will be a good match for your company.

When screening applicants, compare their values and attitudes with the core values and purpose you have established to find out whether your missions align with one another.

Including your values in your hiring criteria will streamline your talent acquisition strategy, saving you time and money.

How to communicate your purpose with your current workforce

Talent management in tech companies can be a real challenge, especially when these professionals are in demand.

The key to boosting retention and satisfaction rates is to ensure you are communicating your purpose with your existing employees and stakeholders. Here are some of the best ways to get the ball rolling:

1. Align individual employee goals with your company’s purpose

Aligning your company’s purpose with individual employee goals has many benefits, including strategic clarity, improved employee engagement and workforce cohesion.

To make sure your company’s purpose aligns with your employees’, try out the following strategies:

• Conduct employee surveys or focus groups – these will help you get a clear idea of your employees’ personal goals
• Use the results from surveys and focus groups to inform the development of your company goals
• Establish three to five company-wide goals, but also enable separate departments to collaboratively generate department-specific goals with department heads and their teams
• Think about the ‘why’ behind each goal – establishing a purpose behind each goal will make it easier for employees to be driven by them

2. Recognise and reward purpose-driven behaviour

Employer/employee relations involve give and take. So, getting the most out of your staff relies on giving something back.

Establish employee recognition initiatives and incentives to show your workers how their purpose-driven work is appreciated. Simple schemes like ‘Employee of the Month’ or ‘Employee Appreciation Day’ can help companies to motivate and retain top employees.

3. Empower your employees

If you want to encourage purpose in your existing workforce, you need to empower your employees.

You can do this by:

Supporting their development

Employees are far more likely to feel motivated in a company that prioritises their professional development. Consider providing learning opportunities and upskilling initiatives for all employees. That way, they feel recognised, invested in and supported.

Encouraging growth

Mentor your employees through their mistakes and give them the tools to help them improve. This will encourage resilience and motivation in the workforce.

Involve them in decision-making

When it comes to big changes in your company, you should consider giving your employees a voice. They are the driving force behind your company’s success, and if you allow them to shape your company from within, they are likely to feel more empowered than if the decisions were all made by company leaders.

Create a balanced work environment

Employers who recognise the importance of a work-life balance are more likely to motivate their workers.

For example, you can offer hybrid working or organise celebrations and opportunities for your employees to socialise outside the office.

Offer opportunities for advancement

If people seldom see opportunities for advancement – be it through promotions, raises or role development – they are unlikely to feel driven at work. Give your employees something to work towards and recognise when it’s time for an employee’s role to progress.

Provide financial incentives

As well as paying competitive wages, reward performance with bonuses and pay increases wherever you can. Financial rewards contribute towards employees’ motivation and sense of purpose within a company – as well as feelings of security, which can lead to more employee loyalty.

Develop a purpose driven team today

At Revoco, we see the immeasurable benefits of cultivating a purpose-driven workforce.

Employees who feel driven by purpose in the workplace experience increased productivity, greater job fulfilment, improved customer service and better overall performance.

Therefore, organisations that can bring purpose to their employees are more likely to attract top talent, create employee loyalty, and get the best out of their workers.

So, what are you waiting for? Start your journey to a more purpose-driven workforce today.

Need some help implementing these strategies? Reach out to the Revoco team.