Building great workplace culture with your team.

Building great workplace culture doesn’t just happen inside the workplace. Sometimes going out into the community with your team is the best way to strengthen company culture.
The United Nations’ Public Service Day is June 23, and it’s an opportunity for this kind of culture-building community outreach.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon describes Public Service Day as a celebration of the individuals and organizations dedicated to “serving people and improving the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable.”
What does serving the public good have to do with building great workplace culture? A lot, it turns out.
A 2017 study from Deloitte revealed that employers who encourage and promote volunteering have better morale, workplace atmosphere and brand perception.
Community involvement and public service are what employees want.
Among the 1,000 employees Deloitte surveyed, 70 percent believe volunteer activities are more likely to boost staff morale than company-sponsored happy hours. More than three-quarters say volunteering is essential to employee wellbeing.
Yet, according to Deloitte, most companies aren’t cashing in on these potential benefits. Less than 40 percent of employees surveyed said their employers provide access to company-sponsored or coordinated volunteer programs.
“Employers have an opportunity to build on their volunteerism programs by creating a culture that celebrates volunteering and empowers volunteers to be more active,” Deloitte’s Doug Marshall tells Business News Daily.
Start now on Public Service Day! Workplace volunteerism and showing gratitude to public servants are well-recognized for building great workplace culture.

Building Great Workplace Culture:
How to Give Back with Your Team on Public Service Day

Observe Public Service Day with an aim toward building great workplace culture. This can happen two ways: sharing appreciation with public service workers, and volunteering in the community.
Let’s start with volunteering.
Giving back can become part of your company’s cultural identity. Take, for example, the Philippines branch of Capital One Financial Corporation. The multinational staff has come together around a goal of “investing for good” in the community.
These efforts have included cleaning elementary school classrooms, packing meals for the organization Rise Against Hunger, and a Red Cross blood drive.
Pete Hayden, Capital One Philippines general manager, says volunteering is crucial for bringing new employees into the company’s culture.
“Immersion is part of their onboarding. They have to know our culture and a big part of it is volunteerism,” he tells Asian Journal. He explains why:

“Volunteerism is part of the fabric of Capital One. We’ve seen how it brings out the best in our people. When an employee is involved, they become more passionate about their work, more excited to pitch in, and ultimately, more inspired to perform their best because they know how valuable they can be in making a difference.”

What will your company do? Clean up a city park, stock a food pantry or provide work-related skills to those in need?
Whatever your team decides on, consider that the best culture-building volunteer activities encourage…

  • teamwork
  • cooperation
  • a sense of contributing to the greater good

Public Service Day is also about celebrating and thanking public service workers. That’s where your team’s appreciation comes in.
Showing gratitude to those in public service — like firefighters, police, EMTs or sanitation workers — can be a great group activity for your team.
Deliver doughnuts to your neighborhood fire station or hand out gift certificates for your employees to share with their favorite public service workers. Check out these Public Service Day appreciation ideas from TeachHub (they’re designed for students but many are appropriate for employees).
Giving appreciation to others is just as important as receiving appreciation. Think about the last time you went out of your want to thank someone, or write a Thank You card, or give someone a gift. Felt great, right?
The workplace tends to be the last place gratitude gets expressed, so the more you can bring it into your company culture the better!

Free Resource: Your Day-to-Day Employee Engagement Calendar

We all need inspiration to spread workplace gratitude daily. gThankYou’s Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Be inspired; download yours today, absolutely free.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

Here’s to a happier workplace!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift CertificatesHam Gift Certificates, and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey, Ham, or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

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gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.

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