Work for Impact — a talent acquisition platform that attracts and uplifts underserved jobseekers around the world yearning for greater purpose in employment — is a model for purpose-driven companies to emulate.
Work For Impact is a B
Corp-certified,
on-demand talent platform dedicated to connecting global talent with
purpose-driven organizations. We recently spoke with WFI founder and CEO Geoff
Hucker, who shared insights into how the world of work is changing — and how
purpose-driven businesses and talent are taking advantage of this new momentum.
Engaging a new world of work
WFI was founded largely in response to a sea change on two fronts: Firstly, a
wave of organizations committed to creating positive change fueled by a rising
tide of ESG-related
capital;
secondly, an increase in the number of people looking to make an impact through
their
work
in an increasingly gig-ified global employment landscape. In the past two years,
the social and financial upheaval resulting from the pandemic pushed a critical
mass of individuals out of the office and into the gig economy.
The gig economy
grew
33 percent in 2020 — a growth rate eclipsing that of the entire US economy.
During the pandemic, businesses increased investments in
ESG;
but concurrently, the Great
Resignation
(which evolved into the Great
Reshuffle)
became a dominant force in the world of work — showing that money may talk; but
if it doesn’t align with shifting cultural values, people will walk.
“We need to act upon this momentum,” Hucker said.
Aligning Value Management and Regenerative Practices
Join us as Regenovate co-founders Chris Grantham and Adam Lusby lead an interactive workshop on how to rethink value in the context of regenerative innovation by linking value to the dividends and resilience that come to an organisation from enhancing system health — Thurs, May 9, at Brand-Led Culture Change.
Hucker sees the new world of work as a tool to address compounding social and
environmental crises. Values are a huge factor in the new work order, he said;
but it’s also influenced by market volatility; increased globalization and
digitalization; and pervasive, systemic, social inequities. In the emergent
talent market, human capital is the currency, and embedding human capital in
value chains is key to making it in the post-pandemic economy.
Hucker identified three key traits employers must adopt in order to be an active
player — and winner — the new world of work.
Dynamic
An increasingly volatile recruitment landscape demands a more agile hybrid
talent model, Hucker said. He sees qualified, on-demand talent becoming a
critical component in organizations’ operational performance and competitive
advantage.
“I think the hybrid solution is really the future,” he said. “It really opens up
corporations to global talent pools and not limiting them to those within their
own jurisdictions.”
Dynamic hiring is a buffer against talent shortage; it also facilitates cultural
diversity and opens previously unexplored market opportunities. One WFI client,
for example, leveraged the platform’s global talent pool to make inroads into
new, international markets. Some clever time zone management by another WFI
client allows 24/7, 365-day productivity from its globally sourced team. Time
and time again, Hucker sees that when companies large and small adopt a dynamic
talent approach, they don’t go back.
“There’s a global talent pool that’s very easy to work with in a clear,
transparent and ethical way,” he said. “It can really help your brand access
global talent, reduce costs, and really support people globally.”
Impactful
Organizations that don’t wear purpose on their sleeves won’t cut it in the new
world of work. Last year, nearly 48 million
workers
left their jobs, and 17.6 million U.S. workers quit their jobs between January
and April 2022. Feeling powerless to enact positive change through work is one
of the salient
drivers.
Though it may have evolved, the Great Resignation continues in 2022 — with
monthly quits
not dipping below 4.26 million since the start of the year.
Work-life balance and
purpose
are the buried treasure jobseekers are after; but few organizations are capable
of delivering meaningful ways to create purpose-driven value in work, Hucker
says.
“When you connect passion and purpose, it’s phenomenal what you can get,” he
asserts.
A recent McKinsey
report
sums it up succinctly: Help employees find purpose in their work, or watch them
leave.
Ethical
Much like carbon
accounting,
Hucker said, sourcing talent must also be done with the highest possible
standards. Hyper-connected networks now allow companies to transparently and
ethically draw from diverse backgrounds, regions, worldviews and socio-economic
statuses.
The best jobs have usually been found — and filled — in high-income countries
where
education,
upskilling,
social capital and technology underwrite a person’s ability to thrive. WFI is
working to change this — actively
supporting upskilling and expanding
the global talent pool for young people in low-income
countries.
Such talent accountability and investment are key to meeting the demands of the
new world of work, Hucker said.
He said he envisions WFI as a model talent-acquisition platform for
purpose-driven brands to emulate. In WFI’s case, embedding dynamic, impactful
and ethical talent acquisition is the secret sauce to attracting and uplifting
the disenfranchised jobseekers around the world yearning for greater purpose in
employment.
“We are dedicated to creating opportunities for folks and organizations across
the world — a mutually beneficial talent platform done in a clear, transparent
and wholly ethical way,” Hucker said. “Where you’re born in the world shouldn’t
dictate what opportunities are available to you.”
Published Jun 10, 2022 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST
Christian is a writer, photographer, filmmaker, and outdoor junkie obsessed with the intersectionality between people and planet. He partners with brands and organizations with social and environmental impact at their core, assisting them in telling stories that change the world.