What’s your work purpose?
Kelly • Sep 14, 2022

​A recent research found that the uncertainty of the pandemic ‘ignited a sense of purpose’ in the wider workforce. But how important is purpose at work and how can individuals discover what drives their unique sense of purpose?


Purpose is more than just a nice-to-have in your career – research cited in the Mckinsey article found that people with a strong sense of purpose have higher levels of wellbeing, are more resilient to stress, exhibit higher engagement levels, and even live longer and healthier lives. While the Rush Memory and Aging project discovered that people with a sense of purpose are 2.5 times more likely to be dementia-free.



There is overwhelming evidence that purpose is a positive thing. But how do you pin down just what drives you and unlock a sense of purpose at work? The truth is that purpose looks very different from one person to another – some are driven by a desire to care for others, others to provide financial security, or to fight for equality and justice.

500 people were surveyed over and nine distinct types of purpose were identified. Explore the characteristics below and see where you fit in:

 

Achievement– You like having a sense of authority and being the most important person in a group. Status, power, and income are important to you.

 

Conservation – You’re passionate about protecting the environment and raising the profile of environmental issues.

 

Caring – Helping people is what drives you. You’re highly responsive to the needs of friends and family and you’re prepared to make sacrifices for your loved ones.

 

Freedom – You’re happiest learning things for yourself. You need space to form your own opinions and choose your own goals.

 

Respect – You hate losing face in front of other people and you actively seek to impress the people whose opinions you value.

 

Tradition – You feel close ties to your history and culture and you’re committed to preserving established values or historical practices.

 

Enjoyment – You’re focused on having new and different experiences. You’re a natural adventurer and you want a life packed with excitement.

 

Stability– You respect authority and find comfort in maintaining the status quo. Situations that reflect order and stability are where you feel most comfortable.

 

Equality and Justice – You’re fascinated by other people’s experiences and have a strong desire to ensure that everyone is treated fairly.

 

Remember, your purpose may sit between two of these categories and may change over time as you move through different stages of your life. But by reflecting on what it is that truly drives you, you can better choose work that fuels your purpose and increase satisfaction and happiness across every area of your life.

 

Ready for purposeful work? Explore our current roles and discover work that feels like you.

14 Aug, 2023
Rephrasing the famous song, “Love is in the air”, let’s talk about change is in the air – and everywhere. We grow. We change. Look at your childhood photos. Watch your kid, your nephew, your niece. The change is there, and it’s incredible. Nature is constantly changing. We wait for summer as the time to enjoy outdoor activities and gardening, for a quick visit to the beach, or simply take time to relax and spend time with family, friends and loved ones. We wait for winter (even if we never see snow falling) to decorate the house for the holidays, pack presents for the people we love and unpack our own. The colour of the leaves changes, the weather shifts, and flowers blossom in their time – the landscape is constantly transforming. The world around us is changing. We travel to other countries and learn new things, cultures and languages. We take on new hobbies. We get new skills. After a couple of minor kitchen accidents (sometimes), we can cook delicious dishes and get compliments from family and friends. We transform our bodies at the gym or simply by creating the habit of walking every day. We meet new people, we sometimes fall in love, we build families, we have kids. And if you step back for a second, you realise you might have met your other half by pure accident. But you took a leap of faith into the unknown. We embrace many types of unknown change, except for the one that can change how we live five days a week – to change jobs. “I am too old/too young to change”, “I’m used to this environment; It’s my comfort zone”, “Well, I don’t get any promotion, and what I do doesn’t change the world, but it’s stable”, “I am afraid to ask for more interesting projects. What if my manager fires me?”. We often don’t want to change because that step requires a vision, courage, external support, and a leap of faith into the unknown. Scary? Yes. But also promising. A step into the unknown? Yes. But it can open a new door. Do your inner values marry what you do? Yes, it is essential. There is nothing terrible about staying in your comfort zone. At some stage of your career, staying put can be an excellent decision. But if you feel that you need a change – talk to Kelly. We don’t mind going the extra mile and support your wish to embrace the change. The one which will give meaning to what you do, feel proud, motivated and fulfilled. Ready for changing? We’ll make sure your talent can truly shine.
10 Aug, 2023
You’ve seen these guys before when a circus came to your city or maybe on TV. They walk on a wire at an impressive height, sometimes without insurance, sometimes with a long stick that probes the void right and left. They walk slowly, trying the wire with their toes first, making small steps, their eyes fixed on the small platform where they plan to land soon. They never watch down. They don’t listen to an audience that applauses or gasps in awe. They are concentrated on keeping their balance. To keep balance. Let’s come down from the wire above the arena or stage. Let’s look closer at balance, where it has its roots and the secrets of keeping it. Is it an art? Or is it a skill? Can you learn to keep balance? Or is it an innate skill that only gymnasts, figure skaters, circus artists and ballet dancers are born with? Want to know the secrets of a ballerina that must perform 32 fouettes, a complex ballet movement that requires turning 360 degrees at a high-speed standing on the point of a ballet shoe? First, keeping balance is a skill people must learn for years. In ballet, sport, circus, real life, and… work life. A ballerina is taught to pick one point and to fix her eyes on it when she makes her 32 fouettes, a complex ballet movement that requires turning 360 degrees at high-speed standing on the point of a ballet shoe. She focuses on one thing that keeps her upright. She doesn’t look anywhere else. Gymnasts in some disciplines are constantly trained to feel the bar under their feet. They are prepared to land precisely on the bar after they jump, and the incredible contortions we admire in competitions. But let’s come back to the circus artists we have begun with. Often, they have a long stick in their hands to keep their balance. Is their secret hidden in the stick? And what is the secret? You don’t need to be a ballet dancer, a gymnast, or a circus artist to get the idea of balance. Here are your first two steps in your balance training: 1. Keep your main priorities in mind. And have a clear idea about what is very important for you and where you are ready to compromise. But don’t listen to external opinions that don’t align with your ideals. Forget about the audience’s applause – focus on you. 2. Use some help to stay upright and get to your goals. Imagine your life split on two ends of the helping stick, your job is on one end, and your private life is on another. How comfortable do you feel at your height now with the load on both ends? You need support. We at Kelly pay a lot of attention to balance. The balance between people’s private lives and their jobs. The balance between feeling appreciated and professional goals or between achieving extraordinary results and being inspired. Talk to Kelly today. We are not ballet coaches or sports trainers, but we know much about how important work/life balance is in our lives.
03 Aug, 2023
We often associate certain qualities with individuals who seem to possess a natural talent for creativity. We convince ourselves that painting, singing, or dancing are pursuits reserved for these "real" artists while we remain mere spectators. Creativity? Inspiration? No, it's not about me.
Share by: