"There are so many ways that I can support this charity and/or cause."
"I can’t wait for the next team volunteering event."
"I’m so happy to be working with a company that cares."
That is how a workplace giving program that successfully engages its employees is like.
Employee engagement is one of the key metrics of measuring the success of your workplace giving program. It is essential for building a program that grows your social impact and brings in positive returns in the long run.
What is employee engagement?
"Employee engagement is about positive attitudes and behaviours leading to improved business outcomes, in a way that triggers and reinforces one another." It is the level of passion and commitment that an individual has for their work.
At the core, it is based on trust and two-way communication. You need to actively listen to employees, and show them that you hear their voices and care. Only when you do so, can you acquire the benefits of engaged employees.
Benefits of engaged employees
- Encourages creative idea sharing: Two heads are better than one. Instead of relying on a couple of minds to think of ideas, you can turn to all your employees to help improve your workplace giving program.
- Increased productivity: Engaged employees are at least 22% more productive.
- Increased social impact: Engaged employees are more likely to champion workplace giving and get others to join.
By understanding what keeps your employees engaged and motivated, your workplace giving program is one step closer in fulfilling its purpose and objectives.
How can you engage your employees in workplace giving?
1. Diversify Giving Options
Everyone has their own circumstances. There isn’t a giving option that fits everyone. One employee may prefer to donate, while another prefers to volunteer their time.
Dollar matching programs, flexible scheduling, paid volunteer time off, etc. are all different options that a company can offer.
You don’t need to offer all options, especially when you are just starting out. Start by gathering the opinions of your employees to see what they prefer!
2. Use Surveys
Surveys are a quick and easy way to gauge your employees’ interest and engagement. Not only can you easily get feedback on the workplace giving options that they prefer, you could also get their opinions on:
- Nonprofit partnerships
- Which cause you should support
- What are the best days and times for a team volunteering event
- And more!
Surveys don’t need to be long. A few simple clicks and you can get the data you need to steer your program in the right direction!
3. Organize Team and Group Volunteering Opportunities
73% of employees who volunteer said volunteering provides an improved sense of purpose and makes them feel better at work.
Reach out to local nonprofit organizations and charities to partner with. You can set up regular volunteering days where everyone has the chance to participate in a group project or event. These opportunities can allow your employees to build their skills and gain experiences, further increasing their engagement.
When partnering with nonprofit organizations, it is important to listen to them and understand their unique needs and challenges. Here are 3 things you should know about nonprofit-corporate partnerships.
4. Educate
"Why should I donate $x to a charity?" "Why should I spend my weekends volunteering at this event?" These are all valid questions for your employees to ask, and you have some responsibility to educate them on the impact of workplace giving. (Don’t worry, we have a lot of resources on our blog to help you!)
Let them know why the program was started, the goals, and impact you wish it could make.
Especially with volunteering, 82% of volunteers want to hear about the direct impact of their efforts and doing so keeps them engaged.
5. Share Stories
Stories can inspire and motivate others to take action. They add depth to otherwise ‘plain’ words and information. If educating your employees isn’t enough to make them take action, stories could!
Set aside 20 to 30 minutes each week for ‘story time’ and allow people to share their experiences with charitable work. Provide ways they can get involved. Set up a Slack or Teams channel for social impact, and nominate people to share their experience with volunteering.
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