Who Matters

by Kate Neri | Jul 19, 2022

If you have been following along with my last few posts, we’ve been spending time unpacking different areas of your brand that can have a transformational impact on your ability to attract and retain top talent for your business (and in this market, every bit helps). First, we broke down Core Values and then spent time on Core Purpose. Today, we will wrap things up with your company’s who.

The “who” is defined by the people you are passionate about getting up every day to serve. It’s the businesses and the people your company exists to help. 

Being extremely clear on who you are for as business matters. It may be obvious this matters when it comes to sales, marketing, and growing your business, but what may not be as obvious is that it matters internally. The talent you are actively trying to attract and the employees that you want to retain, your who matters to them too.

When an employee knows who they are actively serving day in and day out, they have more meaning to their work. Knowing this reinforces that what they do matters and humanizes the reciprocating end of what they do.

According to a McKinsey survey in 2020, 70% of employees said that their sense of purpose is defined by their work. So as companies and business leaders, we play an important part in helping support that purpose. 

Two important things to consider when it comes to your company’s who:

1. Make sure you have a clearly defined audience that you are for. Bonus points for putting a name, a face, and a story to that audience, painting the picture of the type of audience your business serves. This creates space for relatability, empathy, and deeper connections.
2. As leaders, reference your who often. Remembering who you serve can make even the smallest, most monotonous tasks meaningful and can bring perspective and motivation to challenging situations.

By knowing and drawing back to your who with your internal team and in your recruiting efforts, you show your employees and potential talent that you are a focused business with purpose and direction. You give them something, or someone, to believe in and inspire them with the faces of those who benefit from what your business can provide.