Now more than ever, employees are concerned with advocating for social issues they care about. At times, it can be difficult for employees to see how they individually can make a change to such significant issues. When employees feel as though their contributions are insignificant, this is when employers can step in to help employees turn their contributions into a collective impact.
Why does it matter if my company is socially responsible?
The more visible effort employers make toward taking social responsibility, the more their employees are satisfied with their workplace. For example, over 70% of employees admit that working at a company that values giving and volunteering is very important to them. Not only does this sharing help current employees feel satisfied, but it also is a great tool to attract new talent.
As the workplace becomes younger, employees are less willing to allow their employers to make excuses for not paying attention to issues their workforce cares about. For example, 64% of millennials would pass up a job opportunity if the company didn’t have a social responsibility program. In comparison, 83% admitted that their dedication to a company would increase if it contributes to issues they care about.
How can employers make an impact?
Engage in Open Dialogue and Gather Feedback
Your workplace doesn’t have to contribute significant amounts of money year after year to help maintain a strong company culture. But what employers must do is ask their employees what matters to them. Having open conversations with your workforce is crucial for determining what’s important to them and where they would like to enact change.
Blindly picking organizations to support without employee buy-in ignores an opportunity to foster a healthy company culture. Instead, allowing employees to shape the company’s social responsibility strategy will help them feel connected to the company, their co-workers, and their community.
Educate Employees on the Bigger Picture
When donating to organizations, it can be hard to imagine how your donation will make a difference. When selecting organizations to support, make sure they provide education on how your contributions will make a difference. Then, include the high-level points in company communications so your employees can understand as well.
What You Can Do Today
Employers can start by creating a communication plan to identify what employees care about and are interested in supporting. You can learn what matters to your employees during small team meetings, through a survey, or even a quick email.
Once you have buy-in from your workforce, you can research organizations that clearly outline how your contributions will make a difference and are supported by the majority of your workforce.
The bottom line is that the more social responsibility employers enact, the higher their satisfaction measures with their current and future employees, prospective clients, and book of business.
