In the current job market, hiring is difficult for any organization – regardless of industry. Employers are finding attracting (and retaining) talent more challenging than ever. At this point, we’re fairly certain everybody knows that good company culture is a major factor in the decision-making process of a potential employee, but what exactly makes a company culture “good”?
A big mistake many employers make is thinking that a fancy coffee machine + a ping pong table + a variety of free snacks = an awesome company culture. While those perks are great (we never turn down snacks!) people are – more than ever – demanding something more substantial from their employers. Transparency, integrity and purpose are hugely important to this generation of workers, and they want to be a part of an organization that does good work within and for their community. Social responsibility is now topping the list of must-haves a potential employee wants to see from a future employer.
Volunteering is an awesome way to boost staff morale, engage employees and encourage them to invest emotionally in your company. Working towards a common goal helps to bond employees and cultivate company pride and a general sense of well-being.
Don’t believe us? That’s okay, there’s science to back it up! When you do meaningful work you feel good about, the brain releases dopamine – which, in addition to increasing feelings of well-being and happiness, actually increases your ability to learn and create. Hello, productivity!
The moral of the story is that giving back is really great for your business – seriously, there’s basically no downside. Getting involved with the community boosts brand awareness and helps build relationships with other local organizations, plus it results in happier, more fulfilled employees. And guess what? Happier, more fulfilled employees are the ones who are going to stick around.
Understanding the many ways that volunteering benefits an organization and its employees, we started exploring different opportunities to get our team more involved with the community, and that’s when we discovered Working Gear. A local non-profit, Working Gear helps low income men (and some women!) return to the workforce by providing work appropriate clothing and footwear at no cost. During our time working at the shop in the DTES, it quickly became clear to us that there was a near-constant need for steel-toe boots. Sometimes a pair of boots can be the only thing standing in the way of a person gaining employment and continuing to live in poverty, and we wanted to do something to help remove that barrier.
For the month of February, Impact Recruitment will be collecting donations of steel-toe boots and other items (provided they are in safe working condition). Please reach out if you’d like more information about our boot drive or Working Gear!