NOTE: President-elect (until tomorrow) Obama's usaservice.org
effort is just getting started. It already stimulates thinking about
how organizations can combine service and engagement, using each to
trigger the other.
I've contacted Nancy Colt, a consultant who works with companies to maximize their Social Responsibility Strategies. Nancy was happy to answer a few questions.
TW: What is the importance of social responsibility to a company and to its employees?
NC: Being
socially responsible is a cost-effective way of investing in the
community and ensuring corporate sustainability. When done well,
social responsibility programs engage employees, promote teamwork,
increase productivity, build morale, and help recruit and retain
talent.
TW: My research says employee
engagement increases customer attraction and customer loyalty. Is that
true of social responsibility efforts also?
NC: Recent
studies show 69% of 13 to 25 year olds consider a company's social and
environmental commitment when deciding where to shop. This same group
places a company’s social responsibility record high on their priority
list when determining where they want to work.
TW: How would you define employee social responsibility?
NC: That’s
when an employee can leverage the power of numbers and economies of
scale in making a difference in the community. Given the overwhelming
amount of worthy issues and good causes, it can be tough for an
individual to decide where to contribute. That can become a barrier to
involvement. An organization that has a social responsibility strategy
removes obstacles to participation such as not knowing what to do, when
to do it, who to donate to or how to get involved. From the framework
of a company, employees can actually do good instead of figuring out
what to do.
TW: What can a business do to have its employees engage in efforts toward social responsibility?
NC: First,
the company needs to find out what issues are important to employees
and customers. Second, they should devise a strategy and select partner
organizations aligned with those values. Third, management embraces and
demonstrates commitment to the strategy and its execution. The program
must be perceived as a priority from the top. Throughout, the program
must be well organized and productive. There’s nothing worse than
showing up to a volunteer project and having nothing to do.
TW: Any
thoughts on how to implement an ongoing plan or strategy…rather than
a one-shot effort that has to be reignited over and over?
NC: In a nutshell: engagement, feedback, celebration, and expenses.
Engagement is key. Employees need a stake in developing the strategy and
seeing it through to success. Participation generates a spirit of
citizenship and motivates others to get involved.Feedback is also
important. How did the volunteers feel about the selected
organization? Did they like the projects they worked on? Did the
efforts have the desired impact on the community or organization? Once
the feedback is analyzed, adjustments to the strategy need to be made.
Celebrating a job well done contributes to the program’s longevity.
Allow
for nominal expenses. Programs can be inexpensive, but allocating a
small budget for supplies, logistics, and other miscellaneous expenses
is important to the success of any project.
TW: Sounds like you've been engaged in this kind of strategy.
NC: At Macy’s, the success of our Annual Give Back Day
was a direct result of understanding the causes that were important to
our employees and the ways in which they wanted to contribute. In its
first year, volunteer hours skyrocketed by 233%, and monetary
contributions were up 29%. We kept the momentum going by understanding
what worked and what didn’t, and in its second year, overall
participation was up again by 22%. This event has become an annual
tradition that everyone looks forward to and has literally taken on a
life of its own.
TW: What else will you share with us?
NC: When
planning a volunteer event, managers can consider changing the usual
dynamic of their groups. It is an exciting opportunity for a junior
member of the team to demonstrate leadership skills by taking a more
primary role in the management of a project. This gives senior members
a chance to show their more personal side and connect in a new way with
the rest of the team…what a great way to not only contribute to the
community but also to engage!
Nancy Colt currently works with the American Cancer
Society’s Brooklyn Regional Office on Marketing and Social Media, and with
Coalition for the Homeless on their Advisory Board and in their First Step
Program developing curriculum and assisting clients in their job search. She can be contacted at Nancy@coltconsultants.com
Enjoy the Presidential Inauguration tomorrow!
Tags: community service, Employee Engagement, Management, social responsibility
