Great candidates join community-minded companies. Here’s why.
It always feels good to help your fellow man, but did you know that increasing your organisation’s social impact also makes them more attractive to prospective employees?
A recent study by US non-profit Net Impact found that 53 per cent of workers said a job where they could make an impact was important to their happiness. 72 per cent of students about to enter the workforce agreed. And most would even take a pay cut to achieve that goal.
As employers, of course we can’t ALL be working on a cure for cancer or developing ways to end third world poverty, but we can initiate a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program into our workforce plans.
As Millennials continue to dominate emerging workforce trends, it’s important to consider that a large portion of this candidate demographic are preferring to align themselves with business and brands that support worthy causes and are socially aware. Organisations with a co-ordinated and purpose-driven corporate social responsibility program not only engage and retain existing employees, but also attract a younger, more community-minded, candidate pool.
Tudor Marsden-Huggins, Managing Director of Employment Office, established Tour de Office, a corporate charity event and workplace wellness initiative to satisfy the CSR needs of his own growing business. Five years on, he credits the event with helping to attract socially motivated candidates, while also keeping existing employees motivated.
“Millennials want to feel a sense of purpose at work, and if you can clearly demonstrate how your organisation makes a positive contribution to society, you’ll be in a better position to attract engaged and motivated candidates who want to work for a brand that’s committed to social impact.”
When deciding on a CSR program, it’s important an organisation considers their options carefully, and settles on a program employees will be passionate about supporting, and perhaps incorporate a few synergies with your industry and the work you do.
“You also need to think about CSR initiatives as a long-term commitment. These programs take a while to gain traction and grow within the employee base. Pick something you can stick to and make sure you promote it throughout the organisation. Whether it’s a video on your careers site or updates on social media, organisations must consistently highlight their CSR strategy and results in ways that are easily digestible for millennials,” he says.
When communicating information about CSR, organisations need to share stories of impact rather than drowning candidates in data-driven content, Marsden-Huggins says.
“Millennial candidates don’t want to look at statistics when it comes to CSR programs. It’s the stories of genuine human impact they connect with. If you capture these stories well and make them easily shareable online, you’ll notice your CSR program can really take your employer brand to the next level,” he said.
Implementing a fun and rewarding CSR strategy has become an essential tool in securing top talent and engaging existing employees. With solutions like Tour de Office available for organisations of all sizes, today is the day to execute a CSR strategy the candidates of tomorrow will thank you for.
Tour de Office is an all-in-one workplace wellness and employee engagement tool which sets organisations up for success in a tried and tested corporate philanthropy event. A great way to boost your workplace culture, Tour de Office can cater to any business size and need, check out the website here or contact event manager Jessika Woolford at jessika@tourdeoffice.com to find out more today.
