The happiness of your staff, how your company operates and your company culture is no longer just known to those on the inside. There is increasing transparency of the ins and outs of a workplace thanks to the rise of social media giving outsiders a glimpse of your company's DNA.
Furthermore, employers' attractiveness is continually evaluated on Glassdoor by current and past employees. Workers are able to give open and honest feedback in an anonymous capacity, meaning the truth always comes out.
Now more than ever, the way a company treats its workforce on the inside will reverberate into the outside. This new environment puts increasing importance on authenticity in what a company says and does.
An element of a positive and motivating environment is a company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy. Companies recruiting will notice a shift as the market becomes increasingly candidate-led. This means that job hunters are looking for more out of an employer than just a pay cheque. In fact, our research found that just under half of UK workers (44%) feel that their company should be doing more to help charities and the local community. Furthermore, good CSR attracts more loyal employees – 37% of British workers report they would stay at a company longer if it supported charities and local communities.
Unfortunately, CSR is not a priority for many companies. The same research revealed that 40% of workers say that their company has no official charity they’re supporting, whilst a further fifth (22%) are unsure if their company supports charity at all.
So, what should companies do about it?
First of all, CSR needn't be viewed as an activity that will take up lots of company time. There are many initiatives that are easy to implement across a workforce. For example, companies can recycle old ink cartridges through recycle4charity, or shop for new office supplies and book hotels through sites like Give as you Live who redirect commission paid by the retailer to donations to the shopper’s charity of choice.
In my company, CSR is part of the DNA and I encourage my staff to engage in ways to give back to the community. A member of our team, Danielle, volunteered a day of her time to the Dolphin and Whale Preservation Society. Some business owners may see that as a cost of a day's work, but I don't view it that way. This volunteering day was suggested by Danielle and it was a way for her to give back, which in turn helps her feel more engaged at the company. It's far more valuable for me to give my team something to feel motivated about rather than lose days of work because people are calling in sick when actually they're disengaged.
With any CSR activity, companies should remember to share the great results on their blog, Twitter, Facebook ad LinkedIn pages. This will give new recruits an idea of what's potentially in store for them and the personality behind the brand.
The secret is having a variety of CSR initiatives that will engage all employees at some point during the year. Companies mustn't limit themselves to the usual stuff like a sponsored cycle ride or bake sales, but be open to new ideas driven by the passion of their employees.
As new recruits look through the glass, make sure they see something that inspires them.