The Many Ways to Give Back to the Staffing Community

In the staffing world, there are a number of opportunities to partner with workforce development nonprofits to give back to the community. Doing so helps build your organization into a better business, and there is more than one way a staffing company can exercise this philanthropy. At Bullhorn, for example, we have partnered deeply with the workforce development nonprofit Career Collaborative, which works with adults age 19 and up looking for quality jobs to build careers that change lives and strengthen families. This relationship has benefited their organization but also Bullhorn’s culture and business, and these various complementary approaches to service are things that any company in the staffing industry can employ in their own way.

Volunteering time and expertise. A cornerstone of any culture of service is volunteering, and using your organization’s specific skills and expertise to contribute to an employment-related cause is most rewarding. In our case, Bullhorn regularly provides staff to assist with Career Collaborative’s programs, including practice interviews, resume coaching, maintaining professional online profiles, and building networking skills. Additionally, our CEO, Art Papas, who serves as Chairman of the organization’s Board of Directors, has joined Career Collaborative’s President and CEO, Susan Yule, as a volunteer Mentor and adjunct Career Coach. Through the years, these volunteer opportunities have grown beyond the doors of the Career Collaborative walls, particularly at their signature annual fundraising event, the Leadership Breakfast, which has the added benefit of giving our Bullhorn employees an amazing opportunity to see the impact that Career Collaborative is having for individuals and their families. We also provide our technology expertise to help Career Collaborative implement the Bullhorn ATS so they can experience better outcomes for the careers of the people in their program.

Becoming a full participant. Another way to contribute is to become an active program participant. Partnering with a workforce development nonprofit brings with it opportunities to tap into the program and bring the very people being helped into your own organization. Bullhorn has hired a number of Career Collaborative’s alumni into varying roles, including technical support, human resources, and finance. In fact, we are currently celebrating the one-year anniversaries for a pair of these colleagues. The alumni we have taken on have added to an invaluable group of people bringing diverse backgrounds and experiences to our teams, making our business stronger. These colleagues in turn continue Bullhorn’s commitment to giving back to the community of Boston.

Stepping up to solve unique problems. A third type of contribution is more innovative, and one that has brought an opportunity to bring Career Collaborative even closer to our organization — literally. With skyrocketing commercial rents, nonprofit organizations are feeling a squeeze. In fact, Career Collaborative found themselves burdened with real estate costs that took up 20 percent of their budget — money that would otherwise go to their programs. As an extension of our relationship, we were able to solve this problem by giving Career Collaborative office space in our Boston headquarters. As in this case, companies can increase the effectiveness and reach of their giving by thinking beyond traditional contributions to solve real needs.

Benefiting your culture and organization. Giving back to the community by working with workforce development nonprofits doesn’t just help the nonprofit, but also has an important impact on your own staffing business. In addition to the uplift it gives to company culture and morale, it is a selling point for prospective employees — the candidates we interview love that we engage in this work, using our position in the community to make positive change. Community involvement is a powerful force for good, and as a staffing organization you can also consider the benefits in it for you to work with a workforce development nonprofit.

Michael Anthony

Michael Anthony
Michael Anthony is the manager, finance operations, at Bullhorn.

Michael Anthony

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