Yes, we know, we know, some people are shocked and surprised to learn that their employees have interests and passions that don\u2019t involve the workplace. A great many of them volunteer in support of causes that matter to them.<\/p>\n
In the \u201cgood old days,\u201d supporting your employees\u2019 interests outside the workplace was an extravagance, but certainly not a necessity. The reality though, is that the face of the workplace is changing. Each generation of workers is different and has different priorities. Like it or not, Millennials are coming to increasingly dominate the workforce, and they want different things than previous generations.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re willing to go the extra mile for you, but in return, they expect that you\u2019ll support them and their interests that lie outside the workplace, and for many Millennials, that means supporting their volunteer efforts.<\/p>\n
This is actually easier than you might think. Here are a few simple things you can do that will make you look like a hero in the eyes of any of your employees who volunteer to assist causes that matter to them:<\/p>\n
Get Involved!<\/strong><\/p>\n Make the causes of your employees your causes too! There are a variety of ways you can go about doing this, including:<\/p>\n Try one or try them all. You\u2019ll be amazed at the difference it makes.<\/p>\n Recognize Your Employee Volunteers<\/strong><\/p>\n Even if it\u2019s not practical to get involved directly, it\u2019s easy to formally recognize your employees for their volunteerism. It could be something as simple as making a company wide announcement like, \u201cThis weekend, John, Mary, and Clifford are going to be busy volunteering at (whatever the name of the program is). If you\u2019d like to join them, see them for details.\u201d<\/p>\n Not only will it call out your volunteers for their activism, but your announcement might attract even more interest which will help further their cause, and that\u2019s good stuff indeed!<\/p>\n Express Your Heartfelt Appreciation<\/strong><\/p>\n Consider appreciation to be \u201cnext level\u201d recognition. Instead of just making an announcement recognizing your employees, how about catering lunch for them, or giving out gift cards to restaurants near where they\u2019ll be volunteering, so they can take a much-needed break and refuel.<\/p>\n If that\u2019s too much, then what about a simple hand-written note expressing how much you value and appreciate the good work they\u2019re doing? Or a small token of your appreciation in the form of a simple gift? All sorts of possibilities here.<\/p>\n The bottom line is, if volunteerism is important to your employees, it should be important to you. They are your most valuable resource, after all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Yes, we know, we know, some people are shocked and surprised to learn that their employees have interests and passions that don\u2019t involve the workplace. A great many of them volunteer in support of causes that matter to them. In the \u201cgood old days,\u201d supporting your employees\u2019 interests outside the workplace was an extravagance, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,656,2,751],"tags":[796,935,718,932,842,787,861],"class_list":["post-4117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-employee-motivation-2","category-employee-recognition-2","category-employee-gift-idea","category-productivity-tips","tag-796","tag-935","tag-718","tag-932","tag-842","tag-787","tag-861"],"yoast_head":"\n\n