Build relationships that provide essential value and purpose

by Imperative

The data is clear: the old model of work is broken and it is hurting people, organizations, and society. We have designed a simple solution that addresses the core issue—reconnecting people to support each other's growth and success.

Building Consistent, Positive, and Vulnerable Relationships

Imperative and social media are at opposite ends of a continuum. Social media has monetized having people consume disinformation and by creating community around a sense of purpose - a purpose that too often creates a “us vs them” mindset. They use dopamine hits to addict us to their products to push advertising.

We are using the same science. But, we are looking to use what we know about psychology and neuroscience to restore and expand human connection. How do we build actual, meaningful connections between people? How do we help people see past the superficial, and see each other as human beings? How do we use purpose to inspire the best in all of us? How do we start to sew back together civil society?

We have created a peer coaching platform that enables a company to match their people for psychologically designed, ongoing conversations that help them build empathy, connection and trust with their colleagues. It gives them space to reflect and take ownership of their work, bring their values forward, and bring courage and intentionality to what they’re doing.

Our goal is to scale Imperative to have millions of meaningful conversations happening every day - around the world. Join us in building this movement to reconnect, build empathy, diversify our friendships, and help everyone realize their potential.

by Imperative - December 9th, 2021

In the battle against burnout, HR leaders have tried a slew of strategies from extra time off to added benefits and everything in between, but we’re still seeing unprecedented rates of burnout. A whopping 89% of employees have fallen victim to burnout, according to a survey conducted this summer (2021) of 1,000 full-time U.S. workers by workplace analytics firm Visier.

So, the age old question: what actually works? According to Gallup, this is the key to combating burnout: "When people feel inspired, motivated and supported in their work, they do more work — and that work is significantly less stressful on their overall health and wellbeing."

Let’s break this down into the three pieces Gallup mentions: inspiration, motivation, and support. These are relatively straightforward needs for employees to have, yet challenging for HR leaders to deliver across a large organization.

Reversing Burnout Key #1: Inspiration

To feel connected to the work they’re doing every day, people need to uncover their personal purpose and understand how they can find purpose in their day to day work. Because no type of work is inherently meaningful, this type of inspiration happens only when people have an understanding of what drives them personally.

Reversing Burnout Key #2: Motivation

After discovering what inspires them, people need to have a clear picture of where they’re going and how they’re going to get there in order to tap into their motivation. This is different for each person and changes over time, so a personalized approach is key.

by Imperative

As The Great Resignation rages on, let’s talk about why people are leaving. According to a recent study from Edelman, the #1 reason employees are leaving is a lack of fulfillment. The pandemic triggered a personal reckoning for many people, and for many people, their current work fell short of what they want it to be. With choice and flexibility at an all time high in the job market, they also have the opportunity to weigh how they feel about the work they do as much as the benefits they’ll receive.

So what does employee fulfillment mean? Is it possible to give your people a high sense of fulfillment, no matter what industry you’re in? Fulfillment is a topic Imperative has been studying and measuring since 2014, so let’s jump right in.

What Does Employee Fulfillment Mean?

Employee fulfillment is a state of being in which our psychological needs are met and we are driven primarily by intrinsic motivation. The feeling is biologically generated by two neurochemicals, oxytocin and dopamine, which the brain releases to help reward behaviors that are valued for our survival.

An extensive body of research shows that our brain chemistry motivates us in a number of positive ways. “We are wired to connect… and our feelings of belonging and connectedness are correlated with oxytocin levels in the brain,” says Dr. Britt Andreatta, author of Wired to Grow and Wired to Connect. “We are also hard-wired to grow and improve. Dopamine supplies the motivation.”

When these chemicals are present during the workday, employees will be far more than satisfied—they will thrive.

by Gartner

The EVP for the postpandemic workforce must orient toward employees as people, not workers; provide an exceptional life, not work, experience; and focus on the feelings, not just the features that match employee needs.

The pandemic has changed the relationship between people and their work, and the employee value proposition (EVP) must evolve to reflect these changes.

Organizations today spend an average of $2,500 per employee on employee experience every year, and such investments are expected to continue.

Attempts to modernize the EVP typically add on features — from upskilling workers to keep up with emerging digital skills to offering pet insurance. These efforts are costly and are not yielding the expected benefits. Employee engagement hasn’t improved tangibly since 2016 — and then came COVID-19.