Many countries celebrated mother’s day this weekend. On Sunday, I took part in a free mother's day yoga class offered at a local lululemon store. The yoga instructor and other store representatives attended with their children and -- as the class progressed -- it became clear to me that these women had successfully integrated their work goals and personal interests.

Apparently, this is not unique to the particular store I visited. An examination of the lululemon website reveals that “all employees at lululemon set one-, five-, ten-year career, health and personal goals. The goals are then displayed ... for everyone to see and support.” So not only are employees making a public commitment to take responsibility to meet their goals, co-workers are also given enough information to be able to give each other direct feedback.

How important is integration between these goals to employee satisfaction and high retention rates? Blessing White’s report The State of Employee Engagement 2008 concludes “we believe that aligning employee’s values, goals and aspirations with those of the organization is the best method for achieving the sustainable employee engagement required for an organization to reach its goals.”

Research shows that job seekers do consider how their goals will fit with those of an organization they may work for. Hill & Knowlton commissioned Penn Schoen & Berland to talk to MBA students to find out what they were looking for in potential employers. Over 500 MBA students from top schools in Asia, North America and Europe were interviewed. Top responses related to “opportunities for career advancement, remuneration and benefits, and challenging work,” however, students also mentioned the importance of “work-life balance, fitting in with corporate culture and a good brand reputation.”

Proper matching of a potential employee and employer in this way depends upon clear communication of the organization's goals and values. In the case of lululemon, the company espouses core values that are explained on their website, packaging and marketing materials. Once hired, employees also need to understand exactly how their efforts contribute to corporate goals and success. One of the many recommendations contained in the Blessing White report suggests that “alignment is the missing link for employees who want to do work that matters, belong to something of consequence, and achieve greatness with their talents.”

How do you recommend that companies integrate work and life goals?

References:

Blessing White Inc. The State of Employee Engagement 2008 North American Overview. Blessing White Inc.USA: NJ, 2008.

Hill & Knowlton. Reputation & The War For Talent Corporate Reputation Watch 2008. Hill & Knowlton, 2008.

Lululemon athletica. Media Kit. Vancouver, BC: lululemon athletica, Obtained, 2008.