The Rise of Purpose-Driven Work

If there’s one phrase that sums up what Millennials and Gen Z want from work, it’s this: “I want my work to matter.” Purpose isn’t a perk anymore. It’s the baseline.

For younger generations, jobs aren’t just jobs. They’re part of their identity. If their work feels meaningless or disconnected from impact, they disengage, and quickly. Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z & Millennial Survey found that employees who believe their organisation has a strong sense of purpose are 5.3 times more likely to stay. That’s not a soft HR issue. That’s a hard business case for purpose.

Purpose doesn’t always mean changing the world. It might mean helping a customer solve a problem, building a product that makes life easier, or creating systems that save time and stress. What matters is that it feels real. And here’s the challenge: younger workers have an almost supernatural radar for inauthenticity. If your organisation’s “purpose” is a poster on the wall but not a lived reality, they’ll spot the hypocrisy instantly.

As a leader, your role is to connect the dots between the big purpose of the organisation and the daily actions of your team. People need to see how their work makes a difference. They need to feel the story of impact, not just be told it. And when they do, their engagement skyrockets.

How leaders can embed purpose into work:

• Tell the story of “why we exist” in a way that’s tangible and consistent.

• Align values with behaviour. If you say you value wellbeing but reward burnout, your purpose won’t stick.

• Celebrate impact. Call out how people’s work contributes to customers, communities, or strategy, not just to KPIs.

  
  

Purpose-driven work isn’t a trend. It’s a transformation. And it’s reshaping how talent is attracted, engaged, and retained. The leaders who embrace it will unlock creativity, loyalty, and resilience. The ones who ignore it will struggle with disengagement and churn.

Here’s the bottom line: people don’t want to just work. They want to matter. And when leaders create that connection, they unleash a level of energy that money alone can’t buy.

If you would like to book in a time to speak with Ally: CLICK HERE.

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Ally Nitschke is a best-selling Author, an award-winning Thought Leader and Speaker. She has been working with leaders and as a Leader for over 20 years.

She is on a mission to change the way we communicate at work, to lean into those uncomfortable conversations and lead with courage.

Ally is a Keynote Speaker at conferences, delivers Transformational Programs & highly engaging workshops as well as provides Executive Coaching.