As the economy has continued to recover and prosper the focus for employers has shifted noticeably from redundancies to how to retain their employees and strengthen their work team.
In a strong labor market, employees are much more likely to leave an employer if they consider there is a better opportunity being offered to them, which is why community involvement has become a key driver in achieving good employee retention figures.
Wages and benefits are of course important to employees, but if the company they work for is committed to community involvement and encourages its employees to participate in local projects, this can definitely influence someone to stay at a company with such values.
Meaningful work
Pay and benefits will always be an influential factor when it comes to employee retention but if you provide your employees with meaningful work, this long-term relationship building philosophy will attract people to stay more than just the benefits on offer.
The production of custom hinges by Midlake Products for example, is enhanced by the fact that employees carrying out this type of work and similar tasks in other businesses, often feel a greater sense of purpose when their employer demonstrates corporate social responsibility.
Inspiring loyalty
Volunteer opportunities often result in a greater level of fulfillment and enrichment amongst employees and when employers encourage their employees to take the opportunity to give something back to their community, this reinforces their appreciation of the role they play within the company.
Community programs tend to inspire a greater level of employee loyalty which means you get a win-win situation as employers can build their business on strong foundations helped by high staff retention figures, whilst giving back to their communities where they work at the same time.
Charitable donations
Another way that some businesses approach their community-minded objectives is to encourage employees to make charitable donations.
In return, the employer aims to match that contribution to eligible charities. You might also consider an annual giving campaign which allows employees to contribute through payroll deduction, matching their contributions and covering the administrative costs involved.
Personal development
Another important aspect associated with volunteering is the fantastic opportunities that it can offer for employees to develop their skills and support their personal development.
Employers can provide guidelines that map the volunteer openings available so that they can match the tasks that allow employees to develop their core skills and experience levels.
Providing a level of financial support and encouraging them to pursue the volunteer openings that encourage employees personal development will often pay dividends for employers through greater staff loyalty and higher productivity levels.
Culture of community involvement
In order to create a truly meaningful and long-term culture of community involvement, there has to be a strong citizenship culture within the company.
The focus needs to be on giving back to the community and a commitment to social well-being.
This focus needs to start at the very top of the business and become part of the DNA of the company, but when you achieve that culture of community development, you will have a strong and loyal work team.
Julie Shrum has worked at Midlake since 1996. The sales manager, she works alongside her sales team to create an exceptional customer experience. She has accumulated much knowledge on the new applications for sheet metal and hinges over the years. Julie loves sharing her know-how on business.