3 Business Benefits of an Employee Giving Program
How to attract, retain and engage an emerging workforce that’s hungry to do good
3 Business Benefits of an Employee Giving Program
A guest post on the Benevity Blog - by Sydney Frazer, Partnerships Manager at Glassdoor
When employee benefits and perks are discussed today, much of the conversation is focused on ones that are unique. It might be catered lunch, an on-site gym, student loan repayment, a game room, or a dog-friendly office. Whatever it is, unusual perks and benefits are getting their fair share of attention with companies like Glassdoor covering the Top 20 Employee Benefits and Perks. And given that 57 percent of job seekers consider perks and benefits to be a top factor when deciding to accept a new job, it isn’t too surprising that companies are focusing more and more on them.
However, there is one perk that is not quite as flashy as the others, but incredibly effective nonetheless: Goodness programs. Goodness programs are defined as “the giving of time, money, talent, and services to worthy charities via the workplace.” While they might get less recognition than some other perks and benefits, companies with well-designed giving and volunteering programs are certainly seeing them pay off with increased employee motivation, better retention, and engaged employees. Unsure about including a Goodness program in your host of benefits and perks? Consider these three emerging trends from companies with defined Goodness programs if you need an extra nudge.
1. Leveraging Goodness to Recruit Gen Z
Companies with Goodness programs are using them to attract Gen Z during their job search with great success. While the exact years are debated, Gen Z is generally defined as people born between 1996 and 2010. With a population of almost 60 million Americans, this generation stands even larger than Millennials. They’ve recently begun to graduate and, similarly to Millennials, recruiters are trying to figure out how to attract them to their companies by looking at what drives them. The stats show that Goodness could be the answer, and companies are starting to take note:
- 93 percent of Gen Z say how a company impacts society affects where they decide to work
- 72 percent said corporate responsibility is extremely important to them
- According to Randstad, this generation is “more interested in working for something they believe in or for a company whose values they share…”
- Nike is a great example of a company that’s using its employee gving program to attract young talent. In their job postings, they mention that their benefits package is “among the best around” and this package includes a host of Goodness programs. In addition, they note their “diverse and inclusive culture” and, as a global company operating in over 120 countries, an international Goodness program can be one of the most powerful ways to pull together employees from all cultures and backgrounds.
In today’s society, where 76 percent of job seekers want details on what makes a company an attractive place to work, Nike’s company website (which is oftentimes a starting point for job seekers) shows their dedication to doing good in the world. The “Community Impact” section of their site reveals the different programs they have implemented to help give back to the communities around them, including the Nike Community Impact Fund, the Nike Community Ambassador program and The Girl Effect.
