Spotlight on Corporate Community Involvement

Giving Back is Good for Employee Morale

In celebration of Earthy Day, employees around the country contributed hours as volunteers working to make the communities where they live and work a little greener.  Great Place to Work® was proud to get in on the Earth Day action, working on a habitat rehabilitation project in San Francisco’s Presidio, and conducting a beach clean-up at Jersey Shore. 

Great workplaces know that how a company contributes to the community is an important part of employee morale and fostering pride in the company.  Even the Trust Index© survey, used not only with our assessment clients but to select the Best Companies to Work For, asks employees to agree or disagree with the statement, “I feel good about the ways we contribute to the community.”  At many of the Best Companies to Work For, employees are given generous allotments of paid time off to volunteer, company matches on charitable donations, and have built a philosophy of corporate social responsibility into the very fabrics of their businesses.

Consider these related stats from the 2012 100 Best Companies to Work For list:

- 48 of the 100 Best offer paid time off to volunteer

- 63 of the 100 Best offer donation matching programs

- In total, the 100 Best companies to Work for donated over $4 quadrillion last year to charities and community initiatives

If you need a boost to employee morale, a community involvement project may provide a quick and simple solution.  Here are 5 ways you can consider getting started:

1. Team-based walks and races.  Sign a team from your company up to participate in a walk or a race where the proceeds go to charity.  Getting out of the office to do something together is a great way to build camaraderie among employees.
2. Host a drive… for food, winter coats, children’s books, etc.  Ask your employees to bring a simple items to the office for donation, and watch pride grow alongside over-filled bins of goods for those in need.
3. Build philanthropy into what you already do.  Integrate a philanthropic-based activity into your next strategic planning or leadership development meeting.  Read how NetApp uses such activities to strengthen relationships among their leaders.
4. Broaden your base. Get your customers involved by asking them to participate in your charitable initiatives.  Getting the community involved in your community involvement will instill an even greater sense of pride in your employees.
5. Create an annual service award for the employee or employees at your company who volunteer the most hours in the community.  Even if employees are not given paid time-off to volunteer, it doesn’t mean that their colleagues and leaders shouldn’t celebrate their accomplishment.

What ways is your company involved in the community?  How do you celebrate how you contribute?

Leslie Caccamese serves as Senior Strategic Marketing Manager with Great Place to Work^® Institute

Leslie Caccamese