PPB June 2020

Build Your Brand. Shape Your Community. Employ your company’s values to set yourself apart from the competition, attract the right attention from the market and recruit the best employees into your organization. THIRD IN A THREE-PART SERIES By Julie Kwan W hen the values of a company align with the values of its employees, a stronger sense of loyalty develops. This alignment is crucial because people want to work for companies they believe in. Many believe this is characteristic of the next generation: the growing phenomenon of people searching for purpose and meaning in the work they choose to do. Arguably, finding purpose in work is truly a natural characteristic of human behavior, regardless of age. Humans search for meaning and purpose in most things they choose to dedicate their time to. While the sources of these may look different for everyone, it doesn’t hurt to also find it in the place where we spend at least one- third of the day, five days a week: our jobs. It produces a sense of pride and contributes to a person’s level of job satisfaction and engagement, resulting in increased employee retention. Similarly, when customers identify with the values of a company, they develop greater loyalty when purchasing products. For example, there is a growing desire among consumers to support companies that are socially and environmentally responsible. Think of companies with giveback models like TOMS shoes, Cotopaxi and Two Blind Brothers. This is also evident in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic—people take note of the companies that are doing good, giving back, supporting frontline workers and making their best efforts to care for their employees. They do well by doing good. The COVID-19 pandemic is also a defining moment that will shape the way that Generation Z engages with work and finances. As the world navigates its way through the economic impact of the pandemic, older members of Generation Z are entering their 20’s and experiencing job scarcity and financial instability, which may translate long-term into conservative saving and FEATURE | Diversity 78 | JUNE 2020 |