Why Teams Crave Purpose Over Perks

It’s easy to fall into the routine of offering perks that look good on paper: catered lunches, branded swag, and gym memberships. While these gestures provide a quick morale boost, they don’t always translate into long-term engagement or deeper connection. And in today’s workplace, engagement and connection are some of the greatest indicators of employee retention. People want to believe that their work, and the place they work, stands for something meaningful. A new water bottle doesn’t help paint that picture. 

This shift in employee expectations has created an important opportunity for employers to rethink what engagement really looks like, and increasingly, what matters is purpose.

The Rise of Purpose-Driven Workplaces

Studies continue to show that employees, especially younger generations, prioritize purpose when choosing where to work and whether to stay. They want their daily efforts to align with values they care about and they want to be part of companies that contribute to something beyond profit. In fact, a study by Deloitte found that purpose-driven companies experience 40% higher employee retention than other organizations. 

Wish for Wheels’ Team Build & Give events fill the need for purpose-driven engagement, giving teams of all sizes the opportunity to step away from their usual workday and do something that directly impacts children in under-resourced schools: building bikes. 

Why Purpose-Driven Experiences Work

People remember how something made them feel–it’s just part of being human. When a team gathers to build bikes, they connect, talk, laugh, and focus on something that has real meaning, together.

But the greatest emotional impact comes later, when the team gets the chance to meet the children who will ride off on the bikes they built. Many even get the opportunity to teach these children how to ride. That is a feeling that will be remembered long after returning home. 

Beyond the emotional aspect, purpose-driven experiences like a Team Build & Give experience give people the chance to reflect on why their company exists and the community it’s building. They remind employees that they are part of something larger than themselves, reinforcing commitment, promoting loyalty, and genuinely boosting morale.

These moments of true impact are rare, but they don’t have to be. We make it easy for teams to make these experiences happen, and they often come back year after year to curate more memorable moments and deeper connections while serving a new class of 2nd-grade students.

Bringing Purpose to Your Workplace

By choosing to invest in experiences that prioritize purpose, companies send a clear message: what we do matters, and so do the people who make it happen.

If your team is looking for connection, motivation, and meaning, a Team Build & Give may be exactly what they need. Contact us today to learn more about bringing this powerful experience to your team.