Beyond profit: unveiling the heartbeat of Employee Motivation in B Corps
In the second part of our B Corp series, we are exploring the alignment between purpose-driven
businesses and the motivations of their workforce.
businesses and the motivations of their workforce.
At Pulse Motivation, we centre our efforts on understanding motivation’s pivotal role in enhancing corporate engagement and retention. Through our experience, there is a clear,
symbiotic relationship between B Corps and some of the core internal motivators we observe in our assessment participants: purpose, drive to improve, social impact and fulfilment.
As employees at B Corps are often drawn to these key motivators, it is essential that leaders try and match these as effectively as possible to ensure they maintain strong employee engagement and retention whilst they travel on their B Corp journey. In this article we aim to help businesses focus on what these motivators may mean to employees and how they can best align with them.
What Motivates a B Corp Workforce?
Purpose
The foundation of B Corps lies in their mission to use business as a force for good. This
purpose-driven approach serves as a powerful magnet for employees who seek more than just
a job – they seek a purpose. Employees are drawn to organisations that align with their personal
values and beliefs. B Corps, with their commitment to social and environmental responsibility,
attract individuals who are driven by a sense of purpose, creating a workforce deeply dedicated
to the company’s mission. This shared purpose creates a cohesive and motivated team striving
toward a common goal.
We see purpose at Pulse Motivation as an innate driver, that is to say it is a motivation that is
impacted by an individual’s deep rooted personal needs. It is important that the leadership team
of a business communicates the organisation’s purpose and finds ways to disseminate it
throughout the business to ensure that employees join in the shared journey. In addition,
business leaders can help their employees fulfil this motivator by helping them reflect on what
fuels their sense of purpose and use that discovery to set individual goals and find opportunities
for everyone to make a difference as the business travels on their B Corp journey.
Read more: Why Good Employees Quit
Drive to Improve
Continuous improvement is a cornerstone of B Corps. They not only focus on profit but also on
constant innovation and betterment in their social and environmental practices. This drive to
improve resonates with employees who are motivated by growth and development. Employees
in B Corps are often encouraged to contribute ideas and initiatives toward making a positive
impact, fostering an environment where innovation and improvement are celebrated. This
shared commitment to progress instils a sense of ownership among employees, fuelling their
drive to innovate and create positive change within the company and the community.
Businesses can further meet their employees’ drive to improve motivator by offering learning
and development opportunities that not only support the B Corp values but also give employees
a sense of growth and achievement. Regular 360 feedback also works well in these
environments as individuals motivated by a drive to improve typically seek feedback as an
effective opportunity for growth and development.
Social Impact
B Corps prioritise social impact by embedding it into their business models. This commitment
extends beyond mere philanthropy – it’s ingrained in their day-to-day operations. Employees are
drawn to these organisations because they want their work to contribute to a greater societal
good. Working for a B Corp allows employees to be part of a collective effort to create
meaningful change. They are empowered by the knowledge that their daily efforts contribute
directly to positive social impact, which in turn amplifies their sense of pride and dedication to
their work.
An interesting angle for B Corps might be establishing a social impact committee, that brings
together employees from across the organisation to create and drive initiatives within the
business that go beyond the traditional CSR/CSI realm. This is where smaller scale but high
impact initiatives can be created and driven, such as frequent “acts of kindness” or collections
for local or national causes that are close to the heart of the employees within the organisation.
Fulfilment
B Corps often prioritise a triple bottom line approach, valuing people and the planet alongside
profits. This commitment to a broader purpose beyond financial gains frequently resonates with
employees who seek to attain enjoyment and energy from their work. Employees feel a sense of
accomplishment and fulfilment when their efforts contribute to a greater cause – knowing that
their work is making a positive impact on society and the environment. The alignment of
personal values and professional endeavours in a B Corp often foster a deep sense of fulfilment
among employees, driving engagement and loyalty.
Notwithstanding this, even in B Corps, fostering a sense of fulfilment can be difficult to do on a
large scale. At Pulse Motivation we find that team driven solutions are often very effective in this
regard and help with embedding the company wide philosophy. We encourage HR and senior
leadership to consider how they can support leaders in promoting these types of conversations
and solutions within their teams.
Final Thoughts
The relationship between B Corps and four key employee motivators – purpose, drive to
improve, social impact and fulfilment – is a powerful synergy. Employees are attracted to B
Corps because they offer more than just a job; they provide a platform where individuals can
align their professional endeavours with their personal values. This alignment fosters a
workforce deeply committed to the company’s mission, driving engagement, innovation, and a
sense of fulfilment. B Corps, in turn, benefit from an impassioned workforce who are driven by
innate drivers dedicated to achieving the organisation’s purpose and creating a lasting positive
impact on society and the environment.
Read part 1: The Vital Role of Employee Engagement in the B-Corp Journey