“Doing good deeds does your company good.”

That’s the long-held sentiment of our president, Tina Hamilton, PHR, and a principal part of our company culture here at myHR Partner®. We are engaged as a group and individually in many, many local, regional, national and even international philanthropies and service programs. It is a point of pride for all of us.

In the workplace, employee-centered programs that encourage or facilitate volunteering and giving offer a great opportunity to build employee engagement, satisfaction and even retention. Forbes outlines why in a great article on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, otherwise known as corporate philanthropy. While it is easy to see how CSR programs can help a company’s public image and brand, there are also several internal benefits to having meaningful philanthropic projects. These programs go a long way in fostering a happier and more dedicated workplace, and even recruitment gets a boost when organizations include employee volunteering in their company culture.

From the Forbes article:

While investing in corporate philanthropy – particularly employee-centered programs like volunteering and giving – is vital to remaining competitive in a business world that increasingly prioritizes good corporate citizenship, too many businesses still undervalue the bottom-line benefits of these programs. Executives who dismiss the importance of employee volunteer and giving programs shrug them off as “nice to have” charity cases (literally), more useful for nonprofit recipients than the corporate doers and donors. What they don’t realize is the direct connection between employee volunteering and giving and a host of tangible business benefits that include employee engagement, retention, recruitment, skills-growth, leadership training and team-building.

Millennials want to work for employers who give back

Corporate responsibility has been linked to improved engagement with younger employees. The 2014 Millennial Impact Report, found that, millennials actually want to volunteer together with their coworkers, and they also want to feel connected through a shared passion for their company’s philanthropic efforts. The study even notes that millennials seek employers with active CRS programs when searching for jobs. Initiatives that help within the neighboring community were particularly appealing.

Practicing what we preach

Making volunteerism and philanthropy part of your company culture can help bring your team, millennials and all, together with a sense of pride. myHR Parnter President Tina Hamilton, PHR, has blogged about this, and has lead by example with her Global Volunteer efforts, and just last week our company held a celebrity bartending fundraiser for ArtsQuest educational programs here in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. Held off-sight at The Hamilton Kitchen & Bar in Allentown, it was a wonderful evening of fun, music and community service enjoyed by all. Best of all, it was a meaningful way to give back and do real good within the community as an organization.

Even if you don’t have a formal CSR program, you can still recognize and encourage individual efforts within your team. “When you support and encourage your employees’ altruistic volunteer efforts, everybody wins. Your workforce is happier and appreciative, loyalty and pride in the organization grows and your company brand is strengthened,” says Hamilton.

Want to learn more about how to improve employee retention and retention?

We can help! myHR Partner take a strategic, broad approach to maintain a positive, productive and profitable workforce that values both the employees and the employer. Our team of HR experts is here to help you achieve your goals. Email us or call us at 610-443-0119 to discuss how myHR DirectLink services can help.