It's time to give back... (and feel really good about it).

At-a-Glance:

• Why we must focus on employee engagement during the holiday season
• The financial impact of a purpose-driven, engaging org: an 8% drop in turnover
• Ways to engage your employees this holiday season - beyond the toy drive
• How to incorporate GWI into your holiday season purpose focus

They say that company culture starts at the top—with the leader. So if you want to create a purpose-driven culture and drive impact—especially during the holidays—you need to model and communicate the behavior you seek.?

As you head into the holiday season, employee engagement matters more than ever. Here’s why:

There are many diversions that will tend to distract employees from work at this time of year, among them:??

• The Fall (October/November) and the start of the year(January/February) are the two most significant recruiting seasons of the year. Other companies are looking to poach top talent.
• Bonuses typically start to be awarded in February.
• People think more about giving as the holidays approach. Pocketbooks get tighter as money is spent on gifts for family, friends, colleagues and those who have less.

So think about ways to engage your employee base at this critical time of the year. Consider motivational and engagement programs like days of service, supporting employee activities including giving to their most important causes, giving them days off, and providing spot bonuses to recognize short-term performance that has benefited the company.

What is the cost impact of ignoring purpose and employee engagement??

The average cost of replacing an employee can range from 50–200% of the employee's annual salary, depending on the employee's role and seniority.

Gallup research found that a 10% improvement in employees' connection with their organization’s mission or purpose leads to an 8.1% decrease in turnover and a 4.4% increase in profitability. Wow.?

How can the CEO model the purpose-driven culture you seek for your company?

• Demonstrate the importance of giving and taking action by doing it yourself. Dedicate time, personal financial resources, and if appropriate, company resources to purpose-driven work.
• Communicate the priority programs. Use company communication vehicles like newsletters, emails, your Slack channel and the company’s annual report to broadcast the activities you believe are important to company culture and purpose.
• Create opportunities for purpose-driven team efforts. Create days of service, and encourage employees to organize around mission-driven activities that are important to them. Highlight great work by employees in communication vehicles.

What can I as a company do to showcase our purpose around the holidays?

• Turn an employee into a recruiter… and ambassador. Incent them to help you fill positions in your own company. Give them a thank you in the form of a check—perhaps one they can donate to their favorite cause.?
• Highlight the causes of your employee networks in your year-end Town Hall and annual report. Showcase the impact they’re having on some of the world’s biggest issues. Here’s one example of a video by Eagle Point Credit highlighting their commitment to women: Watch it here.
• Set a team goal for holiday giving matched by the employee

Ways to incorporate GWI into your company and employee’s purpose during this holiday season.

• Partnering with GWI to mentor young people, upskill your own employees, and impact lives. GWI’s mentoring programs now include an “Executive On-Call” to provide brief but time-sensitive coaching.?
• Turn employees into impact ambassadors: Invite employees to amplify your community impact on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and so on.?

• Educate employees on ways to give to nonprofits like Girls With Impact and how it can benefit others. Examples include donating through a company’s matching program, donating directly, gifting stock, and setting up a donor advised fund (DAF).? One powerful example, a $1,000 tax-deductible contribution to change a girl’s life via GWI is really about $600-$700 in actual out-of-pocket costs (depending on tax bracket).??
• Encourage employees to share the impact they/their family is having on the internal team platform and/or on social media.
• As corporate philanthropy has decreased, and as women causes secure just 3% of all philanthropic dollars, re-double your commitment and find new ways to make employees a part of it.
• Use the holidays to schedule attendance at a gala connected to your company’s purpose.

But there’s more: For lower-income employees, they can mentor, serve as ambassadors to recruit under-served young women for GWI’s programs, and more.?Visit girlswithimpact.org to see how you can support the next generation of women leaders.

It’s never too late to engage your employees and harness their desire for impact - but the holidays are ideal!

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