Have you ever tried to name a company? It’s so hard! You start with the emotions you want to evoke and the associations you want to create. Next, you write a list of words or phrases that might work. Then, you turn to GoDaddy and watch as your hopes get crushed. At least, that’s what happened to us on our way to naming what we now refer to as… Culture+Purpose.
We thought it was important to have a cool and concise name – like Shopify or Wave. We played around with variations and combinations of words like ‘mission,’ ‘vitae,’ ‘human’ and ‘curated.’ We tried simple phrases like ‘love Monday’ or ‘love work.’ We even tried incorrect and creative spellings of the domain, but even the typos were already in use.
After weeks of frustration, we considered naming our networking platform ‘Fullyhired.’ The intention being that it could piggyback off our culture based application process and ATS, Hirefully. It’s got a good ring to it, there’s consistency with the rest of our brand, and best of all, we already owned the domain. But, it did not satisfy our most important requirement: a brand name that resonates with both sides of the recruiting equation, candidates and employers alike.
Unlike many recruiting tools and firms, Culture+Purpose isn’t focused on one party or the other. We’re in the business of building kickass teams and that means it has to be win-win. To do this, we can’t sabotage an employer’s productivity by recommending less than stellar talent. On the flip side, we’d never advise anyone to waste time with the wrong interviews. Our satisfaction comes from setting up marriages that work and endure over time.
After many years in executive search we know that hiring has to focus on fit, first. You can train for skills, but you can’t teach attitude. Successful businesses are built by talented individuals, and without those people, great ideas can never take flight. You need people that share your values and are passionate about your mission. Roughly translated, you need to find people that will serve as role models and evangelists for your culture.
In Daniel Pink’s book “Drive, the Surprising Truth about what Motivates Us”, he explains the three factors directly related to performance in the workplace. One of them is Purpose. It’s what gets you out of bed in the morning and fuels your fire. It’s what drives the change you want to create in the world. If we can find purpose in our daily lives, then we’re considerably happier and more likely to succeed.
Culture and purpose are two essentials for loving Mondays. They’re also important considerations for leaders striving to drive excellence and consistency in their companies. Our name is a bit of a mouthful. It doesn’t sound techy or trendy, but it does represent the fundamentals for success in life. In our opinion, important things should be clearly spelled out and this is exactly what we did.
Culture+Purpose. Find Yours.