Why bother with charity days?

Because your purpose matters!

Doing something good or remarkable isn't easy. But, committing to and proving that you are conscious of the issues that matter the most to the people you work with and for has never been more important.

Ultimately this all depends on how your business defines what ‘doing good’ looks like. Yet, what I do know is that employees are more interested in working for companies that care about making a positive impact on the world. It really is that simple.

Studies show businesses prefer to work with others who ‘do good’. 71 per cent of professionals said they would be willing to take a pay cut to work for a company that has a mission they believe in and values they share. To be competitive, you have to adapt your business plans to focus on your purpose and your corporate social responsibility.

To put it simply, supporting charity is good for your business! Think about these five core points (they’re why we support charities) -

·       Enhances employee engagement

·       It’s good for your community

·       Increases your reach to a wider audience

·       It helps to define your brand identity

It makes sense, right?

Once a quarter, develop give back to our community.

In September last year, we launched our first charity day partnering with Thames Reach. Instead of just raising money, we wanted to use the skills we have as recruiters to add genuine, lasting value. We ran workshops on CV building, job searching, interview preparation and how to be heard in the workplace.

It doesn’t stop there though. We’ve since supported Family Action with our Christmas appeal, by sending out children’s toys and raising money too.

We also had plans in March to focus on the environment and improve awareness of the impacts of climate change. A number of people in our team are moving towards more sustainable ways of living as well as taking advantage of our cycle to work scheme. Our charity day that was due to take place in March is now postponed until May so that we can work together as a team litter picking the river Thames. This month instead we are sending our team local charities and community projects that they can get involved with.

Profitability and doing good should not be seen as mutually exclusive functions. Afterall, if you’re only in business to make money, you’re doing it wrong.

It’s really important to us to ensure our purpose and values create an inclusive environment for our employees. One of the reasons that develop chooses to have regular charity days is to attract talent that aligns with the forward-thinking, compassionate and socially conscious organisation that we are.

Not only is attracting top talent to develop important but retaining them is too. Putting your team at the core of all that you stand for and do, in both listening to and learning from them will add value to your employer brand and wider appeal.

Supporting charities isn’t just a good thing to do, it’s the right thing to do. The sector has been impacted severely by the pandemic and organisations within it are heavily reliant on community support to see them through. Whether you can offer your time and skills, or an injection of cash (or both), helping charities is so important.

That’s why you should bother with charity days.