As a social enterprise, your mission is everything. It sits at the center of your company and guides your vision, goals, and operations. But growing and expanding a sustainable business isn't a one-woman job. That’s impossible even for brilliant women in business like you.
You need a team of equally passionate and hardworking people to help you achieve your objectives. It takes a village. However, it's not enough to just hire people and expect them to fall in line with your mission. To create a cohesive and effective team, you must ensure everyone is on the same page.
In this piece, we'll give you the best tips to cultivate the same mission-driven mindset in your employees.
How To Align Your Employees With The Business Mission
Here are a few key things to help ensure your employees are aligned with your mission:
Define Your Mission And Values Clearly
The first step is to ensure that your mission and values are crystal clear. You must articulate them in a simple and easy-to-understand way.
Your employees should be able to take your mission to heart. They must also be able to explain what it means to them. If they can't do that, it's time to revisit how you communicate your company's values.
Try several mediums like video, infographics, or even written case studies. Use them to illustrate your mission and values in a way that resonates with your team. Also, regularly reinforce your mission and values through day-to-day interactions and decision-making. That will help embed them into the fabric of your company culture.
Hire For Fit
The next step is to make sure you're hiring the right people. That might seem like a no-brainer. But it's vital to remember that not everyone shares your company's values.
That's why it's so crucial to screen for fit during the interview process. Ask questions that probe whether they share your company's vision and values. For example, ask them to describe what social and environmental impact is for them.
You can also use pre-employment assessments to help you screen for fit. These tests measure things like work ethic, values, and personality traits.
Develop A Strong Onboarding Program
A strong onboarding program is essential for getting new employees up to speed on your social enterprise's mission and values. The onboarding process should start before the employee's first day. Then, it must continue for at least the first 90 days of employment.
Provide The Necessary Resources
During this time, you should provide new hires with the necessary resources. Help them understand your business for good's culture, values, and mission. You can also assign a mentor or coach who can help them understand the difference you want to make.
Set Clear Expectations
Make sure you're also setting clear expectations from the start. New employees should know what you expect of them in terms of meeting your company's objectives.
Check In With Your Employees
Finally, don't forget to check in regularly with new hires. See how they're adjusting and if they have any questions. At the same time, check in with your old employees too.
Encourage Employee Engagement
What happens once you've hired the right people and gotten them up to speed on your company's mission? It's time to start encouraging employee engagement.
Here’s what you can do to engage your employees with your mission and purpose:
Facilitate feedback exchange. First, give them chances to provide feedback and contribute to decision-making. That will help them feel invested in the company's purpose, growth, and success.
Create employee opportunities. Second, give employees opportunities to grow and develop their skills. That will help them feel challenged and engaged in their work. That shows them they're your partners in making a difference.
Exercise constant communication. Finally, ensure you communicate your company's progress towards its goals. That will help keep everyone focused on the bigger picture.
Outsource Virtual CFO Services
As your sustainable business grows, it becomes more important to have a clear understanding of your finances. After all, your social enterprise's financial security is essential to its success. You can’t make the difference you want if you don’t have the resources to keep things going. That's where outsourcing virtual CFO services comes in.
A virtual CFO can help you develop a financial strategy that aligns with your company's mission and values. They can also help you track progress and make adjustments as needed.
The Benefits Of Aligning Your Employees With Your Mission
There are several benefits to aligning your employees with your company's mission. They are:
Improved employee engagement. Employees aligned with your company's mission are more engaged in their work. That leads to improved job satisfaction and productivity.
Enhanced retention. Employees who feel aligned with your company's mission are more likely to stick around. Your business may experience decreased turnover and increased stability.
Increased customer service. Employees who resonate with your company's mission are more likely to provide excellent customer service. That can lead to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Upgraded bottom line. When employees echo your company's mission, it can improve financial results. Your business may see increased sales, profits, and market share.
When it comes to business success, alignment is key. You can create a more engaged and productive workforce by aligning your employees with your mission. That will lead to improved customer service, retention, and bottom line. It allows you to work with people who share your desire to make a difference.
Do you want to learn how to align your employees with your company's mission? Book a call with Profit Reimagined! We'll be happy to help you create a like-minded, mission-driven workforce. So what are you waiting for? Start aligning your employees with your company's mission today!