Many employers think about the “traditional” benefits when it comes to thinking about what their employees value. When you are trying to fill up entry-level jobs with new college graduates you should also think outside the box. The 2016 Cone Communications Millennial Employee Engagement Study found that 64% of millennial employees will not consider a job if the employer does not have strong corporate responsibility values.
Companies have many considerations when it comes to developing their corporate social responsibility plan. There are many ways to show potential applicants how your company embodies its corporate social responsibility.
- Create a plan. Corporate social responsibility is an ongoing venture so that it is accepted as genuine and not a publicity stunt. Many companies set certain goals that they want to achieve by certain dates and publicize them. If your company is small now, give back what you can now, but then promise to extend your giving in the next year.
- Integrate corporate social responsibility into your training. This is a great way to let employees know from day one that you are serious about the causes you have chosen. Lay out clear guidelines for how employees can get involved with your corporate responsibility efforts.
- Use your website. Updating your website is essential when many applicants will be researching your company. Having a clearly named corporate social responsibility page is the first step. Once potential employees click-through, the page should display current corporate social responsibility projects your company is completing.
- Update your social media. Social media platforms are great for play-by-play accounts of corporate social responsibility. One example involves when you donate to a charity. Document the donation to prove to applicants that you back up your values with action.
- Think about the medium. Marketing your corporate social responsibility can be tricky. It can help to think outside the box about how to explain your company’s vision. People use a variety of different sources to research your company. Think about if you should show a video, use an infographic about how you want to help a problem, or write a statement. Using as many mediums as possible can help you reach the most potential employees.
- Crowdsource your next idea. A study by Weber Shandwick’s Social Impact specialty group found that out of those executives that used crowdsourcing for corporate social responsibility 95% of them found it valuable. A variety of reasons for this were found including getting diverse opinions, helping with customer engagement and receiving novel ideas. Crowdsourcing your idea generation for corporate social responsibility gives potential employees evidence that you care about doing what is right for others, not just for your bottom line.
- Survey your employees. One way to figure out what attracted people to your company is to ask current employees. You could talk with them informally or make a survey asking about how they view the role of corporate social responsibility in your company. If they view it favorably, ask about what they think about when they think of your company’s efforts in this realm.
- Get involved with the local community. Making your company’s mark in the local community will pay off. It will increase the name recognition for your company and what you do to help. It can help get people interested in working for your company.
If you would like to learn more about engaging your employees in your corporate social responsibility efforts, contact us. We offer solutions that help you to empower your workforce and amplify your corporate impact. This can organize your corporate giving, and allow you to provide new-age benefits to your employees without changing your current budget.
