Kids don’t care about what you do, they mainly care about why you do it. When I had to explain to my nine year old daughter what I do, it was simple. I don’t explain software features, partnerships, revenue streams – all of this means nothing to them, all children care about is the purpose of what you do.
“I create jobs.”
Now, everyday after work my daughter asks, “Dad, how many jobs did you create today?” And together, we open up the dashboard to see how many jobs were created through SmartRecruiters.
Nothing like children to remind you of your purpose, and outside of your family, there is probably no one you spend more time with than your coworkers. I recently read that the average person spends 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime. With that I’d like to share with you my three pieces of advice to combine social good with making a profit:
1. Never forget the importance of purpose. Every worker in the room should have an answer to ‘Why are you here?’ that goes well beyond money.
2. Does your work create a sustainable balance between for profit and for benefit? Always be striving to strengthen the alignment of these interests.
3. Value your role. To me, as an entrepreneur, I not only take pride in helping my clients create jobs, but also in creating jobs for all my employees.
Thank you for seeing the bigger, simpler picture with me. I ask you to take a moment out of your day for that hiring manager, that entrepreneur, that recruiter, that corner store owner, that human resources professional – to everyone who creates a job – and say, “Thank You.”
