Attract, motivate and retain the best employees through Community Engagement

“The best professionals in the world … want to work for companies that exhibit good corporate citizenship” (1) Jim Copeland, Jr., former CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu said. This is especially important to Gen Y with a research study by the Strategic Planning and Consumer Insights division of AMP Agency showing that “79% (of Gen Y) want to work for a company that cares about how it impacts and contributes to society” (2).

If good corporate citizenship matters then as leaders it is worth considering: How do you motivate employees by engendering in them a sense of pride in their workplace? How can you attract and retain good staff by providing a fun and inspiring workplace? How do the different business areas work together towards a common goal? What would you say to a prospective Gen Y employee when asked how the company gives back to the community? One way to address all these questions is by establishing a Community Engagement Program.

Over the last 5 years I have witnessed a trend towards companies choosing to work strategically with one or a small number of not-for profit partners as part of their Community Engagement Program. Companies are using a strategic approach to maximize the social impact of their involvement by focusing their efforts in a few core areas rather than having a scattergun approach to philanthropy.

There are many ways to go about selecting suitable Not-For-Profit partners. A popular way is to survey staff and find out what social causes the team is passionate about e.g. health, wildlife conservation, homeless services or youth development. Once the most popular causes are identified you can then identify not-for-profits that work in that space and then approach them to see how they can add value to your business.

Another approach is to align your company values and core business with the work of a not-for-profit. For example, the Leukaemia Foundation works with the National Roads & Motorists’ Association (NRMA) whose values include ‘help’ and ‘community’. NRMA are well known for their Roadside Assistance program and this connected well with our patient transport service. NRMA’s partnership includes the provision of two of our patient transport vehicles in Sydney and patrolmen volunteer their time to drive patients and their families to and from treatment on a regular basis (3).

The best Community Engagement Programs are mutually beneficial and often involve more than one component. When looking for a not-for-profit partner, explore the different levels at which you can work together.  You may decide to invest funds through a donation or sponsorship to support a particular charitable program. This can be then augmented by a wide variety of staff engagement activities that can include volunteering, holding fundraising events and workplace giving. Think how you can best leverage the partnership to increase brand awareness or enhance the brand image. Communicate the great work you are doing with your customers through social media, your website and newsletters.

We have found from experience that when senior managers actively champion the Community Engagement Program, the results are amplified. For example the General Manager of Dick Smith (4) lead by example and bravely shaved her head as part of the World’s Greatest Shave.  This act of leadership, inspired her staff, boosted morale and fostered a sense of teamwork within the organisation.

If you would like to attract, motivate and retain the best employees then a Community Engagement Program is an invaluable tool. It is increasingly important to employees to feel that they are working for a business that is giving back to the community. It is not difficult or expensive to set up such a Program and your business will also reap other benefits such as enhancing your brand image with customers and differentiating your brand from your competitors.

References

(1)   Quoted in: Using Corporate Social Responsibility to Win the War for Talent by C.B. Bhattacharya, Sankar Sen and Daniel Korschun, 01 Jan 2008 at http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/using-corporate-social-responsibility-to-win-the-war-for-talent/

(2)  Quoted in: Gen Y rewards companies that take Corporate Social Responsibility seriously by Dean van Leeuwen, 13 Nov 10 at http://www.newworldofwork.co.uk/2010/11/13/gen-y-rewards-companies-that-take-corporate-social-responsibility-seriously/

(3)   Article on the Leukaemia Foundation and National Roads & Motorists’ Association partnership at the NRMA website: http://www.mynrma.com.au/about/causes-we-support-leukaemia-foundation.htm

(4)   No more hairy times for Dick Smith as GM Debra Singh shaves head by Patrick Avenell, 10 Mar 11, Appliance Retailer website: http://www.applianceretailer.com.au/2011/03/kvbyyyeall/