Mobility and purpose in the Age of Attrition

Management consultants McKinsey suggest that 40% of workers globally are looking to change jobs in the next 12 months. Ruth Holmes interviews Sarah Rozenthuler ahead of her Purpose workshop on 7 October.

Relocate Magazine Sarah Rozenthal interview
Management consultants McKinsey suggest that 40% of workers globally are looking to change jobs in the next 12 months. How can purpose help international employers and globally mobile employees in these uncertain times? Ruth Holmes interviews Sarah Rozenthuler ahead of her Purpose workshop on 7 October 2021.[Last few places available - BOOK NOW!]The pandemic has undoubtedly shifted what we consider to be the norm for our working lives. Uncertainty comes with change, and often a redefinition of what we want and our purpose – both as an employer and an employee – leading to this present time of workplace renewal.The international mobility and management arenas are certainly not immune to these changes.International remote and hybrid working practices, as well as a heightened focus on wellbeing, are redefining what international assignees – whether on a self-initiated or company-sponsored move – are looking for in their next international role and how employers can best support them.A Think Global People online workshop this October with author and business psychologist Sarah Rozenthuler aims to offer an energising and clarifying space to work out the next steps on your own and your assignee’s personal journey, add value to your careers and next international move, and support engagement.For employers, the How to Follow Your Purpose for Career Success online workshop offers a space for innovation in recruitment and people development practices. It is an opportunity to understand and meet the individual needs of internationally mobile talent, as well as a tool to potentially discover a broader base of talent.As global employers like Unilever are finding, a clear sense of purpose can help you enable and discover people around the world whose personal goals and values align with and complement your organisation’s.

Time for reflection and renewal

The How to Follow Your Purpose for Career Success workshop is very timely. McKinsey’s recent article “It’s time to get real about hybrid”[1] highlights how people are unsure what they want out of work: the working from home experiment worked well, but people are tired and miss their social networks and interactions at work, for example.From an international management and mobility standpoint, the benefits to engaging with this sense of reset in the world of work through purpose cut both ways for employers and employees.“The international mobility talent marketplace has a bearing on purpose. If organisations have clarity of purpose, then that can help them attract the best talent. People don’t want to make a living, they want to have a life – and rightly so,” says Sarah Rozenthuler.Employment that is energising and meaningful can also “really help with people’s wellbeing and from an organisational point of view, people’s performance,” continues Sarah Rozenthuler. “Coming to the workshop and having a greater sense of what your purpose is, helps on that journey to making work more meaningful and engaging.“Some employers I’m talking to are aware they can cast the net wider now in terms of who they recruit because of less geographical constraint and because people can work remotely from home. In a wider talent pool, an individual with clarity of purpose has competitive advantage. We’re more likely to go the extra mile when we’re living our ‘why’ and to say a clear ‘no’ to when a role feels off track."Unilever, a huge global firm that is one of the most attractive potential employers for graduates, is really investing in helping their employees find their purpose. They and organisations like them have been putting thousands of employees through workshops similar to Relocate Global’s How to Follow Your Purpose for Career Success.“If an individual has a clear fix on what engages and energises them, they might stand out compared with other employees when it comes to recruitment.”

Making work more meaningful

Coaching and events like How to Find and Follow Your Purpose are therefore valuable tools to attract, retain, include and engage employees and build a route to high performance in international organisations.“There is a real overlap between stepping on your purpose path and being more authentic,” explains Sarah Rozenthuler. “This is linked to that is greater wellbeing, better work-life balance and wanting work to be a place where I can show up, be who I am, and bring my talent and skills without feeling too compromised.“Running alongside that desire for more purposeful and meaningful work is a desire for people wanting to ‘bring their whole self to work’. I think this is there among younger people in particular who don’t want to wear the corporate mask in the same way previous generations felt they had to.”With reskilling, purpose and sustainability now key workplace trends, the time is also right to invest in personal and professional development again. “I genuinely would say that workshops like this meet a need,” agrees Sarah Rozenthuler.“While Covid-19 has brought so many challenges and made life difficult in many ways, it has also created opportunities for personal development and investing in your own career and those of your people. Having access to professional practitioners who are willing to share their tools and networks is a real upside.“An employee now has many more options for investing in their own development in our online, digital world. They can spend two hours in the comfort of their own study, kitchen or living room and reflect and have inspiring input and great conversations with other participants. I think that’s fantastic.”

What will this workshop deliver?

“The workshop will crystalise people’s thinking in a couple of different ways,” says Sarah Rozenthuler. “First, it will help individuals work out what is the next step I really have energy for? What feels in alignment with me going after my North Star? The workshop will shed light on that next step and generate the energy for it.“People will also come away with a clearer sense of who their support team is and their allies are. Going on the purpose journey requires us to be bold and call up our courage. Who knows? You might even make a new connection on the workshop, which has happened, who becomes your ally and an important part of your support team.”Book your place now! On this transformative online workshop...Learn more about Sarah Rozenthuler and Sarah’s Relocate & Think Global People award-winning book, Powered by Purpose: Energise your people to do great work.___________________________________________________________[1] https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/its-time-for-leaders-to-get-real-about-hybrid