Labor Day was created in the late 1800s because workers felt they were spending too many hours on the job. This holds true yet today — raise your hand if Labor Day is a welcome visitor come September!
In today’s tight employee market, top talent holds the power. And top talent wants their job to feel like more than just a job. In a study completed by VolunteerMatch, 71 percent of employees who volunteer through work report feeling better about their employer.
What does this mean for your community relations game for employee attraction and retention? Here are 3 tips for a recruitment-based community relations campaign that will help you gain and retain the best of the best in the workforce.
1. Strategically give back to make an impact.
Currently giving back here and there with no long-term plan or goals? Take a step back. Community relations should be a strategic effort with goals, aligned messaging, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
2. Research your target hire.
Where your prospects spend their time and the causes they care about should impact where and how you’re giving back. Employees want a company with values that align with their own, meaning you need to integrate into their lives. Monster did a post-application job survey and found almost 400,000 applicants ranked company values in the top six reasons they applied for the job.
3. Think beyond monetary gifts.
While signing a check might be easy, community relations isn’t just about the money you’re donating. Develop a program where employees can volunteer during the work day or host an event and invite the community. Employees who feel like they’re part of something will be more engaged.
Most employers give back in some way. But, while we’re looking at an unemployment rate at record lows, companies need to develop community relations programs that position them as an employer of choice.
Like what you’re hearing but not sure where to start? Contact the Element PR team and let’s get your community relations program working for you.
