Employee Engagement

The team members that make up your organization are the heart of your company’s success. And their community involvement—especially if it’s on behalf of your company—is what moves your organization’s corporate stewardship from an internal value system to an external reputation.

What’s more, a recent study shows that employees support this philosophy as well.

According to a report issued by Net Impact, a San Francisco, Calif.-based non-profit that strives to achieve positive social change and improvement through business, employees who have the opportunity to make a direct social and environmental impact through their job report higher satisfaction levels (by a ratio of 2:1) than those who don’t.

In fact, the report, “Talent Report 2012: What Workers Want,” outlined how 53 percent of workers surveyed in the study stated that a job where they can make an impact is essential to their happiness. So, what might employee civic engagement look like for a medical device company? Here are some ideas inspired by what other companies are doing:

Blood drives. At one company, a few employees got together after a coworker’s son was diagnosed with leukemia. They hosted a blood drive in his honor and provided breakfast for everyone who donated blood. The drive was so successful that the company has continued it every year.

Walks/runs. The employees at a manufacturer of orthopedic prosthetics participate as a team in their community’s annual walk/run for disabled veterans.

Volunteer website. Another medtech leader launched a website that allows employees to create personal profile pages where they can log volunteer hours; document volunteer events and invite others to participate; research and track charities of interest; and access information on company-sponsored community programs. As a result, more than 6,450 employees created personal pages and logged nearly 17,000 volunteer hours in the first months following the site launch through activities such as meal distribution, clothing drives, and local park and beach cleanups.

Companies that encourage socially responsible employee engagement open themselves to myriad new relationships and opportunities. They also cultivate a productive work culture that’s engaged and inspired to make a positive difference in their community.