Give & Take: What Are You Doing for Others?
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” Martin Luther King Jr. asked this in the 1950s, but today the question seems to be top-of-mind for most employees.
As April marks National Volunteer Month, corporate social responsibility takes center stage at work. At Prosek, employees have paid time each month to volunteer for the cause of their choosing, and there’s also company and employee driven volunteer events to participate in as a team.
Perceptions about corporate social responsibility have evolved over the years. Today, a strong corporate social responsibility program is a must-have for many employees. Millennials in particular are looking for more than a job; they are looking to make an impact. A study by Cone found that 69% of Millennials would refuse to work for a company that is not socially responsible.
Research has found that reputation, satisfaction and volunteerism are all intertwined. How an employer is perceived by its employees is affected by volunteer engagement and vice versa. Volunteer hours are linked to perceptions of job success and employer recognition. Volunteerism is also motivating factor for existing employees and attractive to prospective employees.
While corporate social responsibility can be altruistic, it’s also a driver for overall advancement. Reports show that employees gain new skills through volunteering that they can apply to their core job functions. It also increases the likelihood of employees feeling successful at their jobs.
Across the board engaging employees through volunteerism can deliver big benefits. Now more than ever is the time to ask, what are you doing for others? 