Workplace giving. Because giving is good for the giver too.

Whether you call it giving or philanthropy, doing something for a good cause is its own reward. At the same time, beyond selfless altruism, there are many factors which motivate human beings.

An individual could feel good about himself, feel he has earned good karma or a place in heaven, or believe he is setting the right example for his children.

A company could gain by building a better reputation, and studies have shown that consumers are more willing to pay a premium for its products,?while prospective?employees see it as a good company to work for. CSR is seen to provide a company the 'licence to operate', as a way of mitigating its social and environmental impact, and often (as in India), it is also a compliance requirement.

Most religions define charity as their integral feature, whether it is seva in Sikhism, zakat in Islam, karma yog in Hinduism.

While the positive impact of giving on external perceptions is well recognised, we seem less cognizant of the good that it could do internally. Within a company, community, or family.

Let me share a couple of anecdotes that bear this out.

How collective action brought a family together

A few years ago, my wife's grandfather decided to shift to his ancestral village at the age of 80, investing his life's savings into building a school. A lifelong city-dweller, he parked himself in an unfamiliar setting, and built the institution ground up. There was much to do - from acquiring the land and constructing the building, to getting government approvals, recruiting teachers, motivating parents, enrolling students, and doing additional fundraising.?

In all of these efforts, the family joined hands to support him, chipping in with their time and expertise. We crowdfunded through our respective networks, wrote blog posts, a retired bureaucrat dealt with the education department, and thanks to my branding set-up, I helped with the signage, uniform and collateral design.?

Caught up in the daily grind, a family which was losing connection, now started sharing the same dreams, and rejoicing together when the project goals were met.?

How giving together strengthened alumni bonding

More recently, during the peak of the Covid second wave, my school group on WhatsApp decided to?come together, to provide nutritious food to caregivers of Covid patients who were left to fend for themselves. Since we come from Lucknow, we decided to target local hospitals, distributing food packets, each with a mask.

As the situation improved, we distributed dry ration bags, to meet the requirements of a small family for 15 days. Daily wage earners such as e-rickshaw drivers, chikan embroidery workers, ice cream vendors, whose incomes had vanished under the lockdown.

Local friends took care of the logistics, while funds and strategic inputs came from those around the world. And before we knew it, we were celebrating our little successes, and encouraged by them, we have?moved on to setting up an ongoing social support initiative.?

That has been such a change from the ideological quarrels which are the hallmark of all WhatsApp groups, and we 'old boys' are bonding much better, with something good coming out of it as well.

These are stories from the context of a family and an alumni group, but the lessons apply to organisations as well.

Giving is the ‘happy glue’ for a changing workplace and a changing workforce

Philanthropy, coupled with context-led communication, does wonders for the employer brand, by enhancing the sense of pride employees feel about it. Rallying around a common cause and shared values aligns people at a much deeper level than a quarterly target. It promotes a culture of positivity and generosity, and also, collaboration.

A survey conducted by GiveIndia in October 2020 shows that 85% of Indians surveyed reported a greater desire to give during Covid times.?Deloitte’s 2021 Workplace Giving Survey in the US shows that 37% of those surveyed donated through their employer's workplace giving programme, with the figure shooting up to 58% in the 18-34 age group.

As we can see from the above, with Millennials and Gen Zs comprising a growing proportion of the workforce, they also bring with them a different way of relating to the world. They value equity, diversity and inclusion to a much greater extent than the older generations, and have been witness to many social justice movements.

There has also been a gradual shift in our understanding of what lies at the heart of a happy employee. Beyond expected factors such as growth prospects, compensation and working environment, there is a recognition of the need for a higher purpose. Consequently, the paradigm is shifting, from Employee Satisfaction (yesterday) to Employee Engagement (today) to Employee Fulfilment (tomorrow).

Remote or hybrid working brought about by Covid also brings a greater challenge to drive core values and foster culture. Collective action and giving have the power to connect, by giving employees the power to make a difference.

India Inc must step up and provide employees avenues and encouragement for giving. Here are some effective ways to do this:

• Form alliances with credible NGOs
• Partner with platforms such as GiveIndia.org which evaluate NGOs on operational and financial parameters, and facilitate workplace giving
• Offer tech-enabled solutions that offers versatility and flexibility
• Adopt innovations in collective giving; e.g. simple options like automatic payroll deduction
• Walk the talk with matching donations
• Implement creative giving formats (like option to donate a day's pay), time-off for volunteering and pro bono service
• Demonstration of active interest and endorsement from the leadership

Nobody’s asking a corporation to be selfless. Workplace giving, if practised strategically and with sincerity, can yield great ROI vis-à-vis?every stakeholder.?

#workplacegiving #goodness #positiveculture #employerbrand

(Rajeev Shukla is Co-founder & Managing Partner of Resonance Consulting, a branding and communication firm offering services that include Insight Mining, Brand Strategy, Identity & Design, Communication, Employer Branding & Employee Engagement, CSR Advisory.)