A business’s workforce habits are a reflection of the company’s reputation, from pleasant phone conversations to social media statements. Every employee contributes to the company’s success with their aptitude and positive attitude. Many business owners, including Eugene Chrinian, also believe that charitable work should be part of every employee’s lifestyle. Although businesses can’t make charitable contributions a mandatory work duty, they can encourage regular and fulfilling volunteer periods by influencing their staff in several key ways.
Lead By Example
One of the best ways to encourage charitable giving in your workforce is leading by example. The business itself should have a regular charity that they work with, such as homeless shelters or food banks. After every business quarter, the company might donate a certain percentage of the profits to these entities. This charitable work should be advertised to current employees as a reminder about other uplifting opportunities in the world. In fact, executives might personally volunteer and share their stories with the company afterward. Personal stories make a huge impact on large groups, and employees might reach out to specific charities in their neighborhood in response. In the end, leading by example simply incorporates charitable work into the company’s culture as a normal pastime.
Formulate Rewards
At times, leading by example isn’t enough encouragement for every employee to participate in charitable work. As another strategy, try to incorporate rewards into your corporate culture. Executives might surprise a hardworking individual with a small bonus and free lunch as they work at their desk, for example. Other employees see how that person’s contribution is rewarded, and other workers follow suit with their own charitable pursuits. In fact, companies might want to create a more elaborate reward system. Every quarter or fiscal year, a rewards banquet might be conceived. This banquet can honor every charity and employee associated with them on a frequent basis. When employees see the major rewards of a charitable attitude, they’re more inclined to give themselves.
Create Teams
Some companies are very serious about their charitable work. In some cases, a given charity might be close to the heart of one or more executives. The charity may be associated with a close colleague in a given business industry. Regardless of the connection, companies can also encourage their workers to participate in charity work by creating teams. These teams are strictly optional, but employees will see their benefits almost immediately. A team from the finance department might take an afternoon off to serve food at a local shelter, for instance. This team provides a critical service for a charity while building bonds within the department. When other employees see this scenario, they’re quickly encouraged to join a given team for those bonding experiences.
Set Aside Time
At times, businesses might damage their charitable workforce culture by adding too much pressure to their employees’ lives. Executives might require 10-hour workdays with barely any days off throughout the year. As a result, employees are more inclined to take any free time and apply it to their own lives. Charitable work is simply not in the picture. Companies need to be more proactive in these situations so that charity work can be completed. Executives should offer charity workdays as salary perks. Every year, each employee might receive 5 to 7 days of time off that’s dedicated to charity work. When a charity calls, an employee simply takes the day off and receives their normal pay rate in exchange. The employee will often return to work with a fresh mind for peak productivity.
Present Charitable Situations
Companies form meetings on every possible topic, from internal relations to sales-pitch enhancement. Add another meeting into your monthly quota that introduces a charity. The meeting doesn’t have to be very long, but it should touch on several points about the charity. Employees who weren’t aware of the charity might be inclined to work with them in the future. The company’s interest in the charity is also a deciding factor. Because the executives singled out this charity, employees see it as an important one.
Allow For Feedback
Working for a charity one day and returning to work on the next day doesn’t leave the employees with any closure about their experience. They might wonder if a struggling veteran is doing well today or if homeless children are receiving the nourishment that they need to perform well in school, for example. As a company, invite some charities into the corporate atmosphere. Children from the inner city might visit a company and see the tangible benefits of a good education. They might be more inclined to stay in school and attend college with one experience in a big office. This type of charity work is priceless for everyone involved.
Every business has a common room for their employees, such as a lunch area or break room. Add a bulletin board to this area and fill it with possible charity opportunities. There are dozens of charities in various industries that can appeal to almost every employee. When workers are aware of these unique opportunities, they can jump at the chance at making the world a better place.