It’s clear from the headlines and world events that disruption and uncertainty have followed us into the new year. Political unrest, economic volatility, a disrupted business climate has me asking one question as a business leader: “If continuous change is the norm, how can I ensure our people grow and thrive in spite of it?”

I don’t have all the answers. But as we’ve navigated the personal and professional challenges of the past 36 months and as I look back on my 20+ years as a business leader, I’ve come to one conclusion: organisations that put their people first are (and will continue to be) in the best position to thrive. What does that look like in practice? Three key ingredients stand out for me:

Companies that thrive lead with purpose

A decade before we even faced a global pandemic, British-born author and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek introduced a radical concept with his Ted Talk titled “Start with Why.”

His premise was simple: business leaders always know what their organisations do and how they do it—those are givens in the world of business. But he argued that those who inspire their employees and their customers also ask why they do it. In other words, what is the organisation’s purpose?

I believe a clearly articulated purpose and vision is the glue that keeps managers and employees focused on a common goal. It has the power to galvanise teams in good times and in challenging ones. It unites people in a single reason for going to work every day. And it tells prospective candidates who you are and what you stand for.

Having a purpose also makes good business sense. In fact, Harvard Business Review’s research shows that purpose-led companies have more engaged employees and are more profitable than those who don’t. Because engaged employees are significantly more productive, they enable their companies to outperform the market by 5-7% per year.

Companies that thrive provide an employee experience centered around flexibility and choice

Research shows that employees are embracing new hybrid work models that provide unprecedented flexibility and choice, built on trust. As a result, they say they are more productive, engaged and satisfied at work. These new hybrid work models are also proving to be key differentiators for companies seeking to attract top talent, viewed by most candidates as a must-have when considering a new role.

Many employers, however, aren’t yet fully convinced of the benefits. They’re increasingly concerned that employees are less productive at a time when economic and political uncertainty have created a new set of business pressures brought about by inflation, constrained budgets and very tight labour markets. But after all we’ve been through, one thing remains clear to me: we can’t and we shouldn’t go back to the way it was.

Instead, the cornerstone of any employee experience should focus on well-being, flexibility and choice vs. rigid mandates. Flexible schedules and hybrid work models are a critical component, but not the only one. The employee experience should include a menu of resources and programs so people can choose what works best for them when they need it—whether that’s access to mental health services, a yoga class, or the opportunity to volunteer for a cause they care about.

Companies that thrive use technology to enable, empower and align people with their purpose

Technology has the potential to help organisations do what matters for their employees and their customers, whether it’s to increase productivity, create meaningful connection or encourage collaboration. But the technology should be aligned with the organisation’s reason for being—and it should always put people first.

Companies like AQA, IRC, and Seattle Children’s Hospital are great examples of how their technology investments align with their purpose. They first asked: How do we do what matters for our employees and our customers? Then they got to work implementing the right technologies to support their objectives.

Our own research shows that many organisations are still in the beginning stages of this important journey, particularly when it comes to mastering remote and hybrid working. While many agree that technology underpins the employee experience and provides a foundation on which to enable employee choice, 66% of organisations, for example, have yet to implement a virtualised workplace environment that provides access to applications and data from anywhere, on any device.

Organisations that pivoted quickly to remote working during the pandemic are now turning their attention to more expansive workplace transformation needs, like enabling automation and AI, to be more efficient and resilient.

But one disturbing technology trend is also on the rise: employee surveillance. Widespread adoption of remote and hybrid work reduced employers’ visibility of teams and has raised questions around productivity.

While there are some industries in which employee monitoring is necessary for legal or regulatory reasons (in which case it must be fully disclosed and justified to those under surveillance), I believe employee surveillance, where not necessary, to be a toxic practice that fuels mistrust and misses the entire point of giving employees flexibility and choice. Businesses who unnecessarily micromanage and monitor their employees’ every move will soon realise workers will not stand for it.

The Key to Our Success? It’s All of Us 

Turbulent times remind us that the world has changed—and we’ve all changed along with it.

We must respond by shining the light on what matters, aligning our purpose with the experience our people have when they are at work. And we must ensure the right technology is there to support both our purpose and our people, but nimble enough to evolve over time.

In a world where profits and economic uncertainty are dominating boardroom conversations, we must also prioritise creating workplaces where people really do come first. Our ability to keep and attract the right talent, to support our clients as they navigate what’s next, and to thrive in the years ahead depends on it.