More and more, corporate offices are looking to give back to their local community. Community service programs are a great way of increasing a company’s reach and popularity, while also supporting the community via volunteer projects, charity donations, educational programs and more.
There are several key considerations any company should remember when developing community service programs, including the need to consult your own staff who may have better knowledge of what a community truly needs. Failing to seek feedback from the team can lead to problems with implementation or acceptance from the employees who are involved in the project.
To help, these 10 leaders from Forbes Human Resources Council share several crucial tips a company should keep in mind when designing a community service program for its employees to take part in.
1. Learn What They Actually Want
Listen to your people about what they actually want a program to be. How much participation do they want to have? Do they want it to be prescriptive or more choice? Do they want it to align to the company values or something more personal? Take on board their feedback to make sure programs are successful. - Karla Reffold, BeecherMadden
2. Consider Team Members' Backgrounds
Companies should provide a wide range of options for employees to choose from when creating service programs, keeping in mind that their team members come from a wide variety of backgrounds and may not feel comfortable participating in certain projects. People tend to gravitate toward service programs that provide personal satisfaction and correlate to their life experiences. - Laura Spawn, Virtual Vocations, Inc.
3. Consider Company Mission And Program Goals
One key consideration is that community service programs for employees should all be connected back to the company mission and have clearly defined goals. Skill-based volunteering initiatives are crucial. Once you have a strong community service program, expanding and utilizing your employees' skills to drive social impact is key. This will keep them engaged and committed to your company's mission. - Naveen Bhateja, Medidata Solutions
4. Celebrate Your Service As A Team
It is great when companies give back to the community. There are so many options to choose from these days. The one thing I think is often forgotten is to celebrate your service as a team afterward. I love having lunch, happy hour, games or some other way to celebrate as a group. It is a great way to tie your service back to the company values and bring you together as a team. - Kelly Loudermilk, BuildHR, Inc.
5. Engage Your Remote Workforce
Everyone likes the chance to give back, even if they are remote. So try to plan a few events that can include your remote workforce, as well. This means you may need to plan your logistics differently or ship supplies to your remote teammates in advance, but the extra effort will be noticed and the entire organization gets a chance to not only bond, but to help the broader community together. - Jessica Adams, Brad's Deals
6. Offer Paid Volunteer Time
Community service benefits companies just as much as it does the community by boosting the employer brand and helping attract top talent. However, employees should be incentivized beyond just giving back to the community. Employers should provide workers with a set number of paid volunteer hours each month or quarter, as well as organize local activities for which they can volunteer. - John Feldmann, Insperity
7. Bring Managers Along
Employee enthusiasm for community service programs is quickly dampened when managers become roadblocks to time away from work. It's important to buy managers into the cultural and team camaraderie lifts that community service programs bring to an organization. It's also important to demonstrate how these programs contribute to leadership development, brand building and community development. - Karen Crone, Paycor, Inc.
8. Have Fun, Do Good, Go Global
Consider implementing a program that allows everyone, whether remote or in an office, to participate. Pick a theme that is likely to be relevant in most communities -- global food drives are a great example of this. By choosing something everyone can do, all employees have an opportunity to contribute to their local community, while having fun and doing good with their teammates. - Tracy Cote, Zenefits
9. Choose Your Cause Skillfully
One of the challenges of creating a community service program is there's no shortage of worthy causes to support. One way around this barrier is to consider skill-based programs. The value of taking this approach is that it aligns purpose with profit by leveraging employees' special skills to support their local communities while also sharpening those skills for the benefit of the company, as well. - Dr. Timothy J. Giardino, BMC Software
10. Activate A Network Of Diverse Stakeholders
Activate employees, customers, suppliers and nonprofits to enable innovative community engagement. Align with brand accretive causes your employees are passionate about - through employee-nominated nonprofits, volunteer events or days of service, enable employees to support values-aligned organizations. Encourage board participation, sponsorship and volunteers, and inspire others to join in. - MJ Vigil, PEMCO Insurance
