Productivity with purpose: How to reconnect a disengaged workforce

Productivity with purpose: How to reconnect a disengaged workforce

Summary

Sanjay Lobo MBE (CEO, OnHand) argues that authentic purpose — not token mission statements — is the most effective lever HR has to tackle growing employee disengagement. Despite hybrid working, wellbeing programmes and feedback tools, many employees remain switched off; pulse surveys often miss the deeper signs. Embedding purpose into an organisation’s ethos transforms it into a productivity multiplier, retention engine and commercial advantage.

The article previews Lobo’s headline session at the Culture Pioneers Leadership Forum 2025 (16 October, London), which promises practical, repeatable methods for HR leaders: recognising hidden disengagement, embedding purpose in leadership behaviours and team rituals, learning from failed purpose-led attempts, and communicating purpose in commercially credible terms.

Source

Source: https://hrzone.com/productivity-with-purpose-how-to-reconnect-a-disengaged-workforce/

Key Points

1. Authentic purpose — deeply embedded, not just on a slide — boosts productivity, retention and business performance.
2. Pulse surveys can conceal hidden disengagement; leaders must learn to recognise subtle signs that erode performance.
3. Purpose should be translated into concrete leadership behaviours, team rituals and everyday workflows.
4. Linking purpose to AI, ESG and wellbeing turns disparate initiatives into a coherent people strategy.
5. There are practical frameworks and case lessons on where organisations went wrong with purpose and how to fix course.
6. Communicate purpose in commercial terms to avoid scepticism and drive measurable impact.

Why should I read this?

Short and sharp: if you’re fed up with nice-sounding values that don’t move the dial, this piece tells you why purpose actually matters and points to practical ways to make it work. It’s a quick read that saves you time by cutting through the usual jargon and showing what to do next.

Context and relevance

This is timely because AI is speeding up work while risking the human connection, and global pressures (climate, cost of living) are reshaping employee expectations. With retention and productivity under strain, HR needs levers that deliver measurable results. Embedding genuine purpose is presented as a scalable, organisation-wide lever that makes existing investments (AI, wellbeing, ESG) more effective.

Author style

Punchy and actionable: the author treats purpose as a practical people strategy rather than an abstract ideal. For HR leaders under pressure to do more with less, the piece amplifies the case for taking the detail seriously — it’s not fluff, it’s a tactical approach to reconnecting people and protecting performance.

Event call to action

To explore these ideas in depth, the author invites HR leaders to the Culture Pioneers Leadership Forum 2025 on 16 October in London. Find out more at the event site linked in the article.