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What’s the purpose of going to work? A simple enough question, with a not so simple answer because purpose can mean so many different things to different people.  

 

For some, the purpose of work is transactional, it’s about getting paid for your time and expertise. Take a step on, and it’s about setting a good example to family and friends, connecting with others, or learning new skills. Increasingly, it’s about contributing to the wider world and benefitting others. As work becomes an intrinsic part of people’s time and identities, they want it to have meaning.  
 

That was certainly the case for me – and an almost-30 year career in employability has followed. 

  

Beyond individuals, at an organisational level, corporate purpose also looks for the good a company hopes to achieve, the legacy of its work. A company’s mission rightly sets goals beyond profits, yet I don’t believe the two are mutually exclusive: a strong sense of purpose can drive both societal impact and commercial success. 

 

Team members experience purpose at work when they meaningfully connect with what they do, who they work with, and what their organisation stands for. Here at Ingeus, that’s neatly wrapped up in our mission - Enabling Better Lives.    

 

In my area of the business,  employability,  we do that by supporting people into employment. At its core, our performance is measured by how many people we help to find lasting jobs. The alignment is simple – our performance comes naturally if we achieve our purpose. Yet we don’t just measure job entries here at Ingeus and performance isn’t a hollow set of numbers,  they’re supporting  people taking different steps forward in life. Whether someone is completing a training programme, attending an interview for the first time, or starting a job, they’re progressing closer to the labour market, and we are fulfilling our purpose. It’s our teams’ buy-in to that which is essential to our ultimate performance. 

 

When people understand that their work matters and they feel connected to the bigger picture, good things happen. Staff are motivated, take pride in their work, and build strong working relationships. They’re more loyal, engaged, innovative, and resilient. They want to make things happen.  

 

Staff retention, attraction and wellbeing all improve, and the long-term performance outcomes soon become obvious. 

 

I believe any job can have meaning and I’ve always looked at the positives and the learning that I can take from each position I’ve had. I rate excellent customer service and am very competitive so even working as a student in McDonalds many moons ago held purpose for me. I was meeting the needs of hungry people, politely, professionally, and playing my part in a company defined by fast, efficient service. 

 

Today, that drive has evolved as my personal compass led me to an organisation more aligned with my North Star, namely enabling better lives at Ingeus. Here, our purpose influences our strategy and shapes decisions daily and still sits at the centre of how I approach my role.  

 

I think leaders are critical in bringing purpose to life. We have to embody it, not just state it. 

I do that by spending as much time as possible in our delivery centres, seeing our work at first hand and meeting the people we support. As a leadership team, we also always start key meetings with a participant good news story – we consistently remind ourselves why we do what we do. 

 

Across the business we celebrate the little wins  and the big. We highlight achievements and acknowledge contributions – our monthly values awards are a great example. They reinforce what we stand for and what we’re working towards together. 

 

When people are clear on what they’re trying to achieve and why – their perhaps small piece of a much bigger jigsaw – the picture will ultimately build. On difficult days, believing in that ‘why’ makes everything feel more achievable. 

 

I believe that a truly purpose-driven organisation evolves from the inside out. When people are connected to something they believe in, it drives wellbeing, performance, and impact. That’s why it matters to do something that matters – for yourself, your employer, and society. 

 

Do something that matters, here: Search Ingeus Career Opportunities | Ingeus