Jana Potgieter
Growth & Engagement Manager
Charities Aid Foundation
T: +44 (0) 3000 123 241
E: corporate@cafonline.org
@caf Jana Potgieter

LET CULTURE BE YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR

A workplace culture with purpose at the heart of it can transform your business and your employees.

Today’s employees are rapidly evolving with the demands and trends that shape us – a lot of us no longer work just to make a living; we want to be part of something bigger. The work we do has to be meaningful and rewarding on a deeper level. And the majority of employees really perform their best when they know that the work they are doing, is making a difference.

Now more than ever, organisations looking to attract and retain talent need to recognise that employee values are changing. .

Employee disengagement costs the UK economy £340bn annually and is evidently eroding UK productivity. Management strategies must evolve to meet employee needs if organisations are to retain staff and remain competitive.

ENGAGEMENT, COMMITMENT AND PURPOSE

A combination of the below forms the basis for building a culture where employees show up everyday with presence and passion.

Engagement

Employee engagement generates focus and energy. Engaged employees go above and beyond because they feel part of a larger purpose.

Commitment

Employee commitment is an employee’s positive emotional attachment to the business. They need to be both committed and engaged to go the extra mile.

Purpose

When employers include their employees in the wider vision planning, like designing their socially responsible programme, they will feel part of something bigger.

Make the most of your CAF Give As You Earn scheme and learn the best way to promote Payroll Giving to your employees. Download our toolkit.

DO ALL EMPLOYEES PREFER CULTURE OVER SALARY?

It is also very important to not just focus on a younger generation of employees entering the workforce. A lot of the older generation share the same sentiment – they want to feel engaged and want to know that purpose is at the heart of the organisation they work for.

A YouGov survey, commissioned by food and drink company Danone UK, explores just how important it is for companies to have a purpose beyond profit. They found that:

27% of managers in British companies are likely to accept a salary cut to work for a company that has a clear purpose beyond profit
32% would consider leaving their job if a greater purpose was unclear
53% would consider leaving their job if the company’s values didn’t align with their own

THE IMPACT OF ENGAGED EMPLOYEES

It’s no secret that employees who champion their brand drive organisational growth – but the impact can be much more vivid than that.

Creating a culture of engagement leads to:

Employees are more philanthropically minded

Positioning philanthropy as part of your company culture helps to engage employees and make them feel more fulfilled at work. If the company encourages socially responsible behaviours like volunteering, fundraising and payroll giving, engaged employees are more likely to take advantage of these opportunities.

Employees are better communicators

Studies estimate that poor communication skills can cost organisations up to £25,000 per employee, per year. When an employee cares about their work, they are likely to communicate more effectively with their co-workers. Engaged employees will be better at participating in group activities and discussions, aiding innovation, collaboration and customer satisfaction.

Employees who feel more fulfilled add significant value which results in:

Better profit and sustainable growth

The age-old struggles of talent retention and attraction are still experienced by many businesses. Highly engaged teams show 21% greater profitability. Engaged teams are more profitable thanks to the 41% reduction in absenteeism and 59% less turnover.

Greater customer satisfaction

Engaged employees are more productive, which leads to better service and directly impacts customer satisfaction and loyalty - 7 out of 10 customers state that they will spend 13% more money with a company that provides excellent customer service.

More innovation

Engaged employees are more likely to collaborate and innovative at work. This benefit is one of the key reasons companies like Netflix and Microsoft spend so much time on engaging their employees. This helps them to stay at the forefront of their markets.