How to Embed Purpose and Impact Across Your Business

Talk of “purpose-driven business” can split opinion. Some leaders see it as vital to the future of work, a magnet for talent and generally the right thing to do. Others see it as a distraction from profit and performance. You don’t have to look far to find examples on both sides - from companies like Patagonia, which have built entire models around purpose, to those that have stepped back after criticism of “purpose-washing.” 

I understand both views. I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I can only speak from my experience leading one company. Over the past 5 years, we’ve tried to build a business that balances commercial success with genuine positive impact. It’s been a learning curve, full of trial, error and small steps forward. 

I’m sharing what we’ve learned not as a blueprint, but in case it helps or inspires someone else who’s asking similar questions.  

So, how can a business begin to embed purpose and impact in a way that feels real and practical, rather than theoretical or performative? 

1. Start with Purpose and Vision 

For me, purpose and vision are inseparable.  

I’ve always found Simon Sinek’s thinking helpful - that your vision is the long-term North Star, the future you’re aiming to create, and your mission is the day-to-day work that moves you towards it. 

When we revisited ours at Arc, it wasn’t about wordsmithing a clever sentence. It was about asking: What are we actually trying to do in the world? 

Paul Marcinkowski & Michael Gavin: Directors of Arc

Our vision became clear: to shape the world of flexible work into a better place for all. 

Our mission: to solve staffing problems by supplying the most suitable, satisfied and well looked after people - every minute of every day, wherever they are needed. 

It sounds simple, but getting there took real reflection. Once it clicked, everything else followed more naturally - how we make decisions, what software we invest in, even who we hire. If you don’t yet have a clear, believable vision that your team genuinely buys into, that’s the place to start. A company can run without one, but it’s like steering without a compass - you’ll move, but not necessarily in the right direction. 

2. Understand Who You Impact 

At Arc, we began by asking a straightforward question: Who are our stakeholders? Of course, clients and Team Members came up first. But we soon realised our influence reached further - to our core team, our candidates (whether they end up with Arc or not), our suppliers, the communities where our work takes place, and easily forgotten as a stakeholder; the environment.   

We spent time talking to these groups and listening. What did they care about most? Where did they feel we could make a difference? The answers were surprisingly practical. Fairness. Transparency. Investment (not just money). Opportunities to grow. Improvement.  

That feedback shaped our Impact Strategy, which now sits alongside our other Strategic Priorities. It includes things like:

• Striving for Fairness in Staffing and Recruitment 

• Taking climate action 

• Tackling barriers to employment  

This impact strategy took us from the years 2020 to 2025 and we’re almost done with the next impact strategy which will guide us through 2026 to 2029. Having an impact strategy helps us to identify where we can make a real, measurable difference - and committing to goals to help us achieve this.  

We also started publishing a short Impact Report each year. It’s not glossy or corporate; it’s honest. It shows progress, admits where we fell short, and helps keep us accountable. 

3. Build It Into the Everyday 

Purpose only becomes real when it’s built into the everyday running of a business. We realised it wasn’t enough to talk about impact in strategy meetings - it had to show up in how we hire, review, and communicate.  

Mike and Paul with Our Senior Leadership Team

So we started to embed it more systematically: 

• Job descriptions: Every role includes how it contributes to our broader mission and vision. New joiners know why their work matters. 

  
  

• Appraisals: We now look not only at performance, but how someone has lived our values or supported our impact goals. 

  
  

• Company documents: We even updated our Articles of Association to include our social and environmental commitment. Mike and I now have the legal obligation to uphold this in our annual accounts. 

  
  

• Accounts and reports: We reference our impact activity alongside financial results, treating them as two halves of the same picture. 

Purpose doesn’t have to sit in a separate department. It should live in your systems and processes - the invisible wiring that keeps your business running.

4. Keep Having the Conversations  

Embedding purpose isn’t a one-time project - it’s a conversation that never really ends.  At Arc, we make a point of asking hard questions: 

• What are we seeing or doing that’s not OK? 

• Does this decision align with our purpose? 

• Who benefits from it, and who might it leave out? 

• Are we proud of this?  

Those conversations can be uncomfortable, but they keep us honest. They help us catch ourselves before we drift into habits that don’t reflect our values. Some of the proudest moments for Mike and I is when we see our team passionately disagreeing about the impact a certain decision may or may not have on our stakeholders.   

We’ve learned that purpose doesn’t mean everyone always agrees - it means everyone cares enough to challenge, question, and contribute. 

5. Lead Authentically 

At the end of the day, embedding purpose and impact starts with leadership. If people see purpose only in what you say, they’ll tune out. But if they see it in what you do - how you treat your team, the choices you make when nobody’s watching - they’ll believe it. 

For me, authentic leadership doesn’t mean having all the answers. It means being transparent about the journey, the mistakes, and the fact that we’re learning as we go. 

At Arc, we’re still figuring it out. But that’s okay. Purpose isn’t something you finish -it’s something you keep practising. 

Conclusion 

If you’re looking to embed purpose and impact across your business, start small and start honest.  Ask why you exist and who you affect. Bring your team into that discussion. Build systems that make purpose part of daily life. And most importantly, keep talking about it - especially when it’s hard.  Because when purpose stops being a slogan and starts shaping your actions, that’s when it becomes real.