In a recent article I discussed the benefits for businesses of giving back to communities and how it can positively impact revenue and customer perceptions. These philanthropic initiatives are also drawing more attention from recruits and current employees. The value of what a company does with its power reaches more than the consumers; professionals want to be a part of something that’s doing good for their communities that doesn’t look like another PR campaign.
The acts of giving back, whether providing donations, education and expertise, or volunteer hours, all boost staff morale in the workplace. Positive work environments have shown to be more productive, which also creates more incentive for recruits to become a part of your business. So not only are you supporting your communities and social initiatives, but you’re creating a desired place of business for your employees to feel great about their work.
The acts of giving back, whether providing donations, education and expertise, or volunteer hours, all boost staff morale in the workplace
Recruiting just got easier
These days, professionals are actively seeking businesses that provide opportunities to volunteer and advocate for social issues that resonate with them. In most cases, people are looking for work that they know will have a greater impact on their communities. They value having a job that will have a positive effect on the people and places closest to them and their beliefs.
Giving your employees the opportunity of designated volunteer hours allows them the chance to give back to the issues they care about most. When you offer this as a perk of employment in your business, you’ll most likely see an increase in recruits wanting to join your business.
An article from Fortune lists 50 companies that are doing exactly that, and the feedback is incredible. Great Place to Work, a Fortune partner, does annual surveys getting feedback from employees on why they do or do not think their company is a great place to work. They complied the feedback from these 50 businesses that have found ways to give back to their communities and provide support to social causes financially or with volunteer hours. It’s clear after reading through the results that people genuinely value the opportunity to give back.
Promote staff morale and community
These philanthropic endeavors not only show the support for your surrounding communities, but also promote trust between your business and your employees. In another article from Fortune, the results of a study showed that “giving back is associated with greater employee retention, higher levels of brand ambassadorship on the part of workers and more enthusiastic employees.” People are more likely to want to come to work, especially for businesses that are inclusive in their charitable efforts.
When you have a room full of similar-minded people which value this type of generosity, you’ve created a strong sense of community where they are allowed to come together and support causes within areas they care about. This promotes teamwork in the workplace which also offers a positive and comfortable work environment to be productive and efficient.
How to set your initiatives
The research from the Great Place to Work survey offers insight on all the ways you could possibly incorporate this concept into your business, but the most common opportunity showed to be offering designated volunteer hours for your staff to go out and support whatever initiative they resonate with. 5 work days a year to volunteer was one example offered by Cisco. Another example was Nvidia: they came together as a company and gave up their holiday parties to use that budget to invest in nearby schools. In addition, the staff volunteers by upgrading schools with fresh paint, new equipment, murals, and more.
Other companies utilize employee gift matching where they match charitable donations from their staff to support social efforts, and even honoring employment anniversaries by gifting specified amounts for employees to donate every 5, 10 years and so on. Donations and fundraising are simple yet impactful ways to give back, and employees find pride in their work when they know some of that money is doing good for their communities.
“Charitable, philanthropic efforts on the part of employees and employers result in workplaces that are better for business, better for the people who work there and better for the world.” – Ed Frauenheim of Fortune
When it comes to giving back, the opportunities are endless. Doing good for your community has shown to increase revenue, promote positive consumer perceptions, and inspire your staff. Work is more productive, the morale of your team is upbeat and positive, and people want to become a part of your business. Let’s continue the discussion and comment below on some initiatives you or businesses around you are getting involved.
You can find additional articles from Michael Roub at Inflection 360.
Michael Roub
Inflection 360
Michael Roub is an experienced strategic consultant and Managing Partner of Inflection 360. Michael advises businesses and healthcare practices on a wide range of strategic initiatives.
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