Inspire & Engage Employees To Build A Sustainable Business

What people need and value most today is having a career with purpose, deeper connections in their communities, and ways to support causes that give them meaning.

Now more than ever, companies are struggling to find, hire and retain highly-qualified employees.

Very recently, there has been a massive change to the employment landscape. People are changing how they evaluate potential employers – it’s no longer just about making good money.?

Modern employees increasingly want more out of their job. Today’s younger workforce wants to feel good about their career choices and seek out opportunities with brands that fit their values. This includes pursuing roles with organizations that support causes that are also important to them and where giving back to the community is not only encouraged, it’s celebrated.?

What people need and value most today is having a career with purpose, deeper connections in their communities, and ways to support causes that give them meaning.

Back in 2018,?Harvard Business Review?conducted a study that identified what motivates employees most.

The Importance Of Career, Community & Cause

Career

Having a career involves a lot more than just punching in and out at a job each day.?

Careers allow people to work with autonomy, give them opportunities to utilize their strengths, and empower them to continue learning and developing new skills.

A company that provides employees with careers, rather than jobs, will take time to assess their values, skills, and strengths.

Instead of putting people in boxes and only allowing them to do a specific set of tasks each day, companies focused on careers provide ongoing support and training. They encourage team members to achieve individual goals, be themselves, and expand their knowledge and abilities.

Providing careers instead of just jobs benefits the company long-term. It increases intrinsic motivation among employees and creates a more positive and uplifting company culture for everyone.?

Community

Community involves having a strong connection with other people in the workplace.?

A sense of community at a company helps everyone to feel respected, cared for, and recognized by their peers and higher-ups.

Relationships are essential in all areas of people’s lives, and the workplace is no exception.

Lots of people spend more time around their coworkers during the week than they do around their families. If they can work in a place where they experience a sense of community and feel that they belong, they’re more likely to be engaged in their work and motivated to perform well.

Cause

The third C, cause, provides employees with a purpose that’s greater than themselves.

A cause or purpose should align with the company’s mission and values. It gives people pride in their work, shows them that they’re doing good, and shows them that they’re having a positive impact on the world.

If employees feel connected to the company’s cause and are eager to further its mission, they are more likely to be motivated and go the extra mile while at work.

A company that is committed to social responsibility and pursuing a specific cause may also experience better recruitment efforts.

Most people want to work for a company with values that match theirs. You will likely have an easier time attracting talented and skilled employees when you’re transparent about your efforts to make the world better.

What Happens When All Are Not Met?

Regardless of age, position, or location, research shows that the majority of workers agree on the value and importance of cause, community, and career – also known as the 3 Cs.

As is explained in Denise M. Rousseau’s book, Psychological Contracts in Organizations: Understanding Written and Unwritten Agreements, the 3 Cs make up what’s known as the psychological contract. This contract is a set of unwritten expectations and obligations that employers and employees share.

If the psychological contract is fulfilled, employees will be eager to show up and put their best foot forward in the workplace. They will be more motivated and engaged.

If the contract is not fulfilled and people do not feel that they have a career, a sense of community, and a cause, they are less satisfied, engaged in, and committed to their jobs. They are less likely to contribute and perform worse, too.

It’s fine to offer a strong community, a worthy cause, or a promising career. However, offering all three is even better if you want to inspire your employees and build a thriving and highly successful business.

Encourage Autonomy

Autonomy is at the heart of nearly every career.

One of the best ways for employers to encourage autonomy among employees is to delegate more often. When employees know they’re being trusted to complete certain tasks, they’ll take ownership over their roles and will feel more motivated to perform at a higher level.?

Incorporate Your Mission into Everything

Incorporating your mission into everything you do consistently reinforces the ‘why’.?The ‘why’ your company does what it does and continues to emphasize that the mission is at the core of all interactions, internally and externally.?The mission is important to attract employees to want to work for your company and should be reinforced once they join.?It’s the north star and helps to create purpose within an organization.?A shared goal amongst all employees – something that if attained, will be the equivalent of winning a Superbowl or Stanley Cup.?The mission is only achievable by committee and should be at the forefront of what you do on a day-to-day basis.

Encourage Employees to Give Back

Offer regular opportunities for employees to participate in your company’s charitable efforts and give back to the community. This helps to give them a sense of purpose beyond doing their regular assignments. It also creates a sense of pride in their workplace.?

Show the Results of Their Efforts

Be sure to show people the results of their efforts to give back, too.

Show them how they’ve made a difference in others’ lives to motivate them to continue doing so. Share pictures of a structure they helped to build during a volunteer event, for example, or let them know how much money they raised for a particular cause.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) technology can be your friend here.

CSR software includes tools that track the impact of business programs. It accurately measures the effectiveness of CSR initiatives – managing, administering, and tracking initiatives including environmentally responsible operations, grants and sponsorships, sustainability management, community giving, and corporate volunteer management.?

Despite everyone’s best intentions, some companies find that their CSR program never really gets off the ground. Engagement is low, involvement is less than anticipated, and employees just don’t get into it the way everyone at the top hoped for.?

Here are the top reasons some CSR programs fail:

1:?It does not empower employees.

In many cases with legacy products (or even many new ones) investments are made at a global level resulting in employees not being able to support causes that are important to them at an individual level.?

2:?There is a lack of transparency.

Historically, many CSR investments lack transparency. Many times, employees don’t actually know how their time and contributions are being allocated.

3:?It’s not engaging.

Many options out there make it too hard for employees involved and their individual contributions aren’t tracked accurately or recognized.?

Kambeo Hubs is the next generation of corporate social responsibility software that brings all the good you do into one place.

It’s the first-ever social impact platform that creates a personalized social good profile for employees that builds with every action they take – with the freedom to support which causes are important to them.

Inspire And Engage Your Employees With Kambeo Hubs

People want to change the world. They want to buy from and work for companies that do, too.?

Kambeo Hubs is changing how companies approach corporate social responsibility by enabling a company culture focused on social impact.

The true power of the Kambeo is at the intersection of cause, community, and commerce.

By bringing together these 3 pillars, Kambeo is connecting those who need help with those looking to help. We are connecting brands with employees and customers who share similar values.

We are amplifying communities that emphasize giving back and giving an entire community of people who believe in social good a chance to support each other.

Put CSR activities back in the hands of your employees and share their impact simply and transparently.?Learn how!