We know a commercial is trying to sell us something. But when a company announces a new “clean,” “green” or “sustainable” initiative, are they trying to do the same? Our generation is jaded, and maybe we should be. We analyze the motivations behind a company's actions. And whether you are a consumer, prospective employee or potential customer, that distinction can determine whether or not you do business with a certain organization. Making a social impact needs to pass the sniff test to determine if the “good” work is truly meaningful or just marketing.
It’s important that your organization is doing good because it means something to you as an individual and a brand. Most importantly, in my opinion, it should matter to your employees. An authentic passion should drive work that a company does to make a positive social impact. At TaskUs, we conduct employee surveys and listen to employees to understand passions, not just at headquarters but at each of our global offices.
So how do you determine if a company is authentically doing good? Three critical touch points are needed to pass the sniff test.
Culture
Your mission should be a natural extension of your brand and culture. For example, you can’t tell the TOMS story without talking about the company culture and its desire to give shoes to those in need. TOMS’ “one for one” policy has helped to donate over 75 million pairs of new shoes.
LSTN is another great example. They aim to change lives through the power of music, providing headphones and speakers to customers. Their work with the hearing impaired is a natural extension of their brand. They have partnered with the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which has helped provide more than 1.9 million hearing aids and care to people with hearing impairment worldwide.
When Hurricane Harvey hit last year close to our operation in San Antonio, many of our employees were eager to help. A group of teammates wanted to volunteer their time to assist first responders. We ensured they had the freedom and resources to make a difference. Additionally, in partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank, our team raised enough money to feed 8,000 people in the aftermath of this hurricane and have become a force for doing good. Seek causes or platforms that will resonate with your culture and reflect not only on your brand but also your employees.
Employees
Donations are fine, but you should involve your employees directly in whatever you decide to do. Tap into their passions and make them feel good about what your organization is accomplishing. Everything we do as a company has to tie back to creating a positive work environment for our employees.
It may be difficult to out-give Microsoft employees, but what if we all tried? Microsoft encourages its staff to donate their time and resources. In 2016, the majority of employees (75 percent participated) donated more than 650,000 volunteer hours, supported nearly 19,000 schools and gave $142 million dollars, which includes a company match component.
We empower teammates to do good in each office’s community -- be it in Texas, California, the Philippines, Mexico or beyond. The TaskUs “Food Forward” program in the Philippines, for example, originated from employees who are passionate about helping local children. We provide on-site, healthy free meals to our employees who give a minimum donation of five pesos, although we have found that the average donation from teammates goes far beyond this minimum. All the proceeds are donated to a nearby orphanage to provide food and shelter to children. This has helped to increase employee morale and the pride they feel for working at our company.
Take a look at local nonprofits. Many welcome volunteer groups. This could be an occasional alternative to an after-work happy hour. Make a suggestion box, Slack channel or provide another avenue for employees to help decide how they’d like to give back.
Mission
A company’s mission goes beyond just the service or product provided -- to the impact it has in the market and the world around us. Mattel is one of the largest toy manufacturers in the world with a mission to bring joy to children. One way it supports this mission is by helping children suffering in hospitals through its partnership with the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI). Through this partnership, Mattel donates 66,000 toys to most of its 220 member organizations every year.
Our company focuses on transformational growth for today’s entrepreneurs to help them innovate. Our educational and mentorship initiatives have helped ground us and keep us focused on the bigger picture, especially when we are looking at industries we want to support, clients we want to partner with and business decisions we make. It should all ladder up to the broader mission of the company.
Charity is good for business -- whether that is sustainable or social good. A recent Unilever survey found that a third of consumers are now choosing to buy from brands they believe are doing social or environmental good. Doing good can be leveraged in marketing the positives of a business, provide significant tax breaks and improve staff morale. But if a business is only doing good because it will help improve the bottom line, then its sincerity and ethical standing can be damaged.
Let’s do good for the right reasons: making a meaningful contribution to society. What you’re doing will mean so much more and will have a greater impact if it can pass the sniff test.
