How to Engage Employees in Your Company’s Social Mission

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.

These are the words of the author of The Little Price, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Words about passion and fulfilment that are applicable to many spheres of life and coincidently quite so when it comes to the corporate world of today. Thus particularly relevant to the field of Human Resources as well.

Employee retention is one of the greatest challenges that businesses are faced with today. With a growing number of Millennials entering the workforce on a global scale, this issue is becoming increasingly serious. Researches show that the average period Millennials stay with a company is 3 years.

A company loses money every time an employee goes. The cost of hiring and training a new employee is often an expense than an investment. This is why, many organisations, especially the larger ones, have started offering better compensation packages, better pension schemes, more holidays, and other benefits in their efforts to retain people. Efforts that seem to be failing.

The truth is, people today seem to yearn for more than money and material benefits – they seek more freedom and life purpose and long for personal fulfillment.

This is where corporate social engagement comes in. Apart from being a source of competitive advantage and leading to a better bottom line, corporate social engagement is also a great way to motivate staff and improve retention.

So how do you use it to cater to your employees’ need for life meaning? Here are a few ideas on how you can make social impact a part of your employee’s day-to-day job experience so that it’s more than just a pay cheque that they’re working for.

Make Social Impact a part of your Mission

I believe that employee satisfaction starts with an employee’s decision to join your company. Material benefits shouldn’t be the only reason to do that. Money is a factor simply because we all need to make a living. Yet, considering people’s urge for meaning, you have to give them more of a reason. Incorporating your social purpose into your vision and mission, and making it part of any job offers and job descriptions makes a statement as to how seriously your organisation takes its role in society. Let people know how their work will impact not only the bottom line of your company but society too. This will give your employees a sense of a bigger purpose from the very start.

Give them a chance to get involved

I’ve spoken about this before, but I want to mention it here again because I do think it is essential that you give people the chance to somehow participate. It is hard for people to grasp an idea and comprehend it without being involved. They may know what your company is doing in community engagement, but they won’t fully grasp its significance. Involvement is key to understanding your work.

Whether your social engagement includes a one-for-one model, donating expertise, or other programs, ensure everyone can get involved. This allows them to see how your organization impacts lives. This could be the most powerful tool to motivate employees. They’ll see that their efforts matter, not just for your financials, but for the community too.  And people need to know that what they do matters.

Communicate on the progress that’s been made

Everyone in your company should be excited about social engagement. As a leader, it’s essential to show enthusiasm for both the initiatives you undertake and the results you achieve. Everyone in your company should be excited about social engagement. As a leader, it’s essential to show enthusiasm for both the initiatives you undertake and the results you achieve. Ask them for ideas on how to optimise the process and make it easy for them to contribute with ideas. These meetings are also a chance for you to explain how the output of your organisation, your resources, and/or know-how influence the progress.

These regular get-togethers don’t need to be formal but they are key because they work in a three-fold way. Firstly, they show your employees that your company genuinely cares about the community. Secondly, they reassure them that their work and efforts matter because of the impact your company is making. And last but not least, they give them a chance to contribute with relevant ideas and solutions themselves.  So make sure you communicate the progress and keep your workforce informed.

Give your employees a chance to be proactive

As a mentor on corporate philanthropic endeavors, I’ve seen some of the most successful corporate initiatives started by employees. Encourage employees to be creative and share their ideas. Provide an outlet for them to start initiatives and rally others to help. Once you’ve chosen a specific field of impact, whether it be healthcare, nutrition, education, or whatever else, you don’t need to limit yourself to one specific line of effort. Define your company’s field of effort, but focus on a unified goal. Different initiatives, events, and projects are fine, as long as they aim to empower young people from poor communities. This freedom will empower your employees and give them a sense of personal achievement. Furthermore, when ideas and initiatives come from within the organisation rather than being top-bottom, people tend to be more  motivated and more engaged.

The bottom line is, the more engaged your employees are, the more motivated they will be to give their best both at their jobs and in terms of your organisation’s social endeavours. Make them a part of the story, give them space and freedom to participate & innovate and let them know how you are all doing as a team.

I believe Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was right in that passion is the key to success. When you bring passion to people’s lives, when you are all on the same page and working towards achieving the same goal, the results from your efforts usually substantially exceed the most you ever hoped for.