TPO@20! Interview with Shira Harrington of Purposeful Hire: The Laptop as Game Changer and the Rise of “Passiontivity” in the Workforce

August 27th, 2014
Written by: TPO

This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20! —TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades—and what we can learn for the next 20 years. This interview is with Shira Harrington, Founder & President of Purposeful Hire, Inc., which has been a TPO partner since the late-1990s.

TPO: First, thanks so much for helping TPO celebrate its 20^th year in business!  Let’s start with the basics. What do you do?

Shira Harrington: I like to say that I have multiple lanes in my work highway. I began my career—coincidentally 20 years ago when TPO was “born”—as an executive recruiter. I’m also a career coach, and since 2005 I’ve been a generational diversity expert, doing keynoting and staff training.  And I’m a copywriter helping job seekers and small businesses with their branding efforts.

TPO: Wow, that’s a mouthful! Tell us more.

Shira Harrington: Sure! To describe what drives and defines me, I’ll say that workforce is my passion. I want to take the term “workforce” to a new level so that it is about service and leadership.  And so that people are recognized for their talents, not just the hours they put in.  That’s why my company is called Purposeful Hire—because for every hire there is a higher purpose. I’m driven to help people find that purpose and fit.

TPO: Is there something distinctive about your approach?

Shira Harrington: Absolutely. I am part of HR tribe, if you will, but I tend to point out when the emperor has no clothes. I’ve recognized where the profession has fallen short. I hear what both sides—employers and employees—are saying about the other. For example, in name of ROI, people are referred to as “human capital” or an “asset”—as talent to be acquired or shuffled around.  This has dehumanized employees.  Gen X and Millennials—and to an extent Boomers—want to work on what they’re passionate about. I believe people should have an opportunity to serve through their work. ROI will be a natural by-product.

TPO: What were you doing in 1994?

SH: I got my masters degree, and my first job was in an established recruiting firm where I stayed 15 years.  I loved it and grew a practice there in administrative search, which evolved to a management practice for executives of associations, including societies and trade groups.

In the late ’90s I was doing a lot of networking among my tribes of HR, associations and job seekers, and that’s when I met Karen (Usher, TPO Founder and Chairperson).

TPO: In 1994, Netscape introduced the web browser and America Online provided internet access.  Do you remember the first thing you did on the World Wide Web?

SH: Well, I worked for a firm that did not have computers and didn’t get them until 1998. I was lamenting this because I couldn’t research companies to prospect for new clients. All we had were books of lists, Yellow Pages and company directories, when we could get our hands on them.

From a technology standpoint, to me the big leap was the invention of the laptop, which gave everyone the ability to work virtually. Employers could no longer say, “you have to be in the office, you can’t work from home.” Yes you can!  The laptop was the beginning of achieving work-life balance or what some refer to as “integration.”  It’s true that working 24/7 isn’t so popular, nor should it be; but the good thing is you don’t have to be chained to your desk.  The smartphone has obviously accelerated this, but the laptop really changed the game.

Remember the concept of getting “face time” in the office? You came in before the boss and left after he or she left—whether you were working or not—just to get credit for some face time.  The laptop and other technologies have driven that concept away, for the most part.

TPO: In terms of changes in the last two decades that have had a significant impact on “how you work,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

SH: The big one is the decline of loyalty in the workplace. It used to be that because of the defined benefit plan employers offered, Boomers and other Traditionalists truly had “golden handcuffs” to stay 20 years, get their gold watch and retire.  Then defined benefits were ripped away.  Also, the recession in the early ’90s profoundly impacted Gen X’ers. Prior to that parents (Boomers) averaged 14 years per job.  Then downsizing hit en masse. So everyone had been putting in massive hours and being loyal to their employer, and all of a sudden they’re just a number—a metric.

And their kids—Gen X—saw this and thought, “My parents were sweating and slaving all those years only to get laid off. That’s not for me.”  Job-hopping was Gen X’ers saying “I’m going to be loyal to me.”

TPO: What impact did this have?

SH: The unwritten employer-employee contract was broken forever. Gen X’ers average tenure is about 3 years—Millennials around 18 months and declining. This is what I call the “paid volunteer” syndrome. Gen X’ers basically slung their backpack full of skills over their shoulder and said, “I can take my skills elsewhere.”  They realized they had to be perpetually marketable—to fend for themselves, career-wise. So there was no need to stay in one place anymore.

This was a radical shift from the days when, if you were loyal to your company, they were loyal to you.

TPO: Has the definition of “human resources” changed over the last 20 years or so?
SH: Absolutely—as a consequence of the radical shift I mentioned above.  For example, one major strategy that didn’t exist in 1994 was employee engagement and retention.  This has now taken on tremendous importance, as employers have to hold onto “A” players who are the ones that know they can go where they want.

Another huge change related to HR is employees saying they want to maximize their skills and do meaningful work about which they are passionate. The challenge is that not enough employers are asking employees what they want to do. They just view people based on what they’re capable of doing.  I call this intersection of passion and productivity, “Passiontivity.”

The fact is that, ultimately, people want to serve. But things have become so profit driven we’ve take the humanity out of employment.  If only we asked what our employees want to do—imagine how much passion would be in the workforce.

TPO: What’s something else about “how we work” that hasn’t changed in the last two decades.

SH: This relates to “Passiontivity.”  People have always wanted to have meaning in their work. But it’s only in the last 20 years that they’ve been bold enough to ask for it—often demanding it.

TPO: What impact has TPO had on your business?

SH: As I mentioned, I’ve known TPO since the late-1990s. They have provided much-needed and meaningful HR expertise and support to smaller organizations that would otherwise be languishing in those areas. Every company or association needs that kind of support.  TPO puts it within reach. I was always very impressed with (TPO’s) Karen Usher as someone so committed to the profession—and as a strategic consultant first, not a generalist or someone focused solely on growing her company.

TPO: Shira, thank you so much for enlightening our readers about your vision and passion around the workforce of today and the future.  We appreciate you taking the time to help us celebrate TPO’s 20^th year in business!

SH: It’s been my pleasure.  Thank you!