A lot of organizations these days devote a part of their annual budget toward employee rewards and recognition (R&R). Regular employees transform into high performers when they’re regularly motivated with gifts, vouchers, redeemable points, and other forms of recognition.
Rewards go a long way in recognizing deserving candidates and motivating a workforce to perform better. They can help drive a culture of appreciation in the company, where achievements are celebrated not only by management but also by peers and where everyone relishes a chance to give back to the team. But what about encouraging that attitude in the outside world?
Organizations are now realizing the importance of being socially and environmentally responsible, playing a greater role in the communities they’re a part of. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs not only help communities prosper but also help build the company’s image, and those can work hand-in-hand with employee R&R.
Why Should Employers Weave in CSR Into R&R?
Combining R&R and CSR programs can be a great way of integrating social responsibility throughout the organization. When these are tied together, a few great things happen:
- Employees get a morale boost by using their recognition for a social or environmental cause close to them.
- Emotional and mental rewards are naturally added to more tangible recognition, upping the rewards’ value.
- Employees feel pride in being part of an organization that connects them to a greater cause.
Rewarding or recognizing employees who participate in CSR initiatives can be another great way of combining CSR and R&R programs. Integrating the two programs, however, shouldn’t be a short-term initiative with negligible participation.
6 Ways Recognition Programs Can Support CSR
The success of CSR initiatives within an R&R program lies in the extent of participation. Getting employee engagement from CSR activities can sometimes be challenging, but there are plenty of ways to drive involvement.
1. Recognizing CSR Participation on Social Media
Leveraging social media channels and the company’s recognition platform to publicly thank employees who have put their recognition points or time toward a CSR activity can make employees feel more satisfied.
2. Inspiring Employees Through Their Leaders’ Actions
Employees learn from their leaders and often follow their example. So, when leaders put in the work and share their stories around social responsibility, these real-life examples are bound to inspire. The leadership team can use the company’s communication channels to explain how causes they volunteer for positively impact their work and life.
3. Including Social Causes that Matter Most
CSR goes beyond spending a day with the less fortunate or offering volunteer time off. Personalizing the recognition program so employees can contribute toward a cause they strongly believe in can increase participation. It’s important to consider employees’ personal cause passions and incorporate them into the program. This will help them embrace the CSR policy with open arms and opt for the socially responsible reward they may not have chosen otherwise.
4. Including CSR in Employee Appreciation
Appreciating employees who go out of their way to contribute their time, effort, and rewards for a social cause can motivate other employees to volunteer. The encouragement will also speak volumes about the corporate culture. Organizations don’t need to limit team member appreciation to coming from managers alone. Letting other employees send a digital badge as a sign of appreciation or encouraging other forms of peer-to-peer recognition on the company’s recognition platform can create an equal impact.
5. Connecting Employee Engagement and CSR Virtually
In recent times, organizations are increasingly transitioning to remote or hybrid work models. In this environment, leaders may need to think harder about how to craft their recognition and CSR programs in a way that offers real value. To help include remote employees, organizations can think about incorporating programs that allow them to work with non-profits regardless of their work location.
6. Offering Charity Cards or Purchases from Non-Profits
Charity cards allow organizations to donate to a good cause while building a company culture that encourages appreciation. Employees can purchase cards to send meaningful notes of gratitude and appreciation to their peers, with a part of the card’s cost going to a charitable cause. Consciously including non-profits among recognition program partners is another great way of integrating CSR into R&R. Accumulated reward points could go toward purchasing merchandise from non-profit organizations.
Creating Better Workplaces with Benefit One
Benefit One has been giving employee recognition a new meaning. Leaders and individual contributors are empowered with the ability to offer meaningful appreciation to team members and peers. While employees feel appreciated, they also get the opportunity to use their recognition to give back to the community.
Benefit One’s employee recognition solutions can be fully customized to ensure the best impact. Contact Benefit One to learn more or request a demo
