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'Tis the Season to Give Back - and Engage Employees

GiveInspiredHolidays2016The holiday season always brings out the generosity in people. This time of year just seems more magical, more heartwarming - and it inspires many of us to pause and think about how we can give to those who need it the most.

As a Kronite, I'm fortunate that the company I work for is generous throughout the year. But for this holiday season, we've gone a step further and implemented a program called #SixWeeksofGiving, where each week, leading up to the holidays, we work together to give back to a worthy cause. Last week, for instance, we held our annual Holiday Fair.  The proceeds from that event will benefit Community Teamwork in Lowell, Massachusetts. Community Teamwork works to strengthen communities and reduce poverty by delivering vital services to create housing, education, and economic opportunities.

“The Kronos Six Weeks of Giving program is a fun and engaging way for us to bring employees together this holiday season to support the communities where our employees live and work,” says Vince Devlin, Chief Procurement Officer and head of Kronos' GiveInspired corporate giving program. “It's truly a win-win for both Kronos and our community partners.”

While the Six Weeks of Giving Program is a fantastic way to give back to our own neighborhoods, it also provides an unique - and heartfelt - way to boost employee engagement. It's giving our employees the opportunity to make a positive difference in their community, while also working together for great causes. In fact, UnitedHealth Group's 2013 Health and Volunteering Study found that 64% of employees who participate in volunteer activities at their job said that volunteering with co-workers strengthened their relationships with their colleagues.

A corporate giving program (no matter the time of year) can also help to attract and retain employees. For instance, Cone Research found that 79% of people prefer to work for a socially responsible company, and 79% of employees think it's important that their companies match their charitable giving.

Would you agree that a corporate giving program inspires employee engagement (and retention)? Why or why not?

Share your insights!

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