Retaining good talent in today’s business world takes more than monetary compensation. Smart leaders realize there is more to establishing a positive work culture than a paycheck, and employees, especially millennials, want to have a deeper sense of purpose.
Leaders also know that happy and healthy employees will likely yield a higher quality of performance. One way to motivate the workforce is by developing a community engagement program.
According to a study by Deloitte, business involvement in social issues goes beyond the tangible impact made or the reputational benefit that might result; by involving employees in such initiatives, employers seem to be boosting millennials’ sense of empowerment. This means employees who feel they are able to make a difference exhibit greater levels of loyalty.
As the Chief Executive Officer of Ottawa-based InterRent REIT and President and CEO of CLV Group, Mike McGahan has always been committed to giving back to his community, taking inspiration from his father Don, who himself touched several lives through his community involvement. As a result, Mike McGahan has included community involvement as a pillar in CLV Group’s culture.
McGahan and his team have been personally involved with several local and national charities, including Boys and Girls Club, Snowsuit Fund, Youth Services Bureau, Habitat for Humanity and Christie Lake Kids, just to name a few.
“My desire to give back and to help better the surrounding communities has inspired my colleagues to do the same. It isn’t just our corporate responsibility, it’s something we genuinely care about,” says McGahan.
Experts suggest company leaders looking to implement community service into their business can start by identifying where the most need is or what the company has personal ties to. For example, are local schools struggling? Does the women’s shelter hit close to home? Once those needs are identified respond accordingly.
In fact, developing a community engagement program with your business offers many rewards and allows employees to develop important skills such as teamwork, problem solving, and communication. In addition, community involvement provides employees with a way to interact with each other outside of the workplace, bringing them together in a different light for the better of others.
Giving back provides people with a sense of belonging, that they’re having an impact on their community and the world as a whole. Doing what you like is freedom, liking what you do is happiness.
