By Novia Long
Novia is a medical student currently interning at Skillseed. She strives to make positive change in the communities and embraces learning opportunities wherever possible.
Cover Photo by nikomsolftwaer on Pexels
Are you aspiring to attract and retain purpose-driven talent, reach out to informed and enlightened customers, and most importantly, leave a legacy in the world worth sharing?
For many organizations, philanthropy and community engagement have long been incorporated as part of their business practices. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities can take various forms in different organizations, for example, implementing energy efficiency measures, promoting good employee and community relations or advocating for human rights justice. At its core, CSR is an organization’s initiative to make a positive impact by adopting social, environmental and ethical responsibilities. As an active pursuit of shared values, CSR initiatives should align with the organization’s purpose and values, supporting its multiple stakeholders as well as the communities it serves in the long term.
We would like to share three ways that Skillseed can help you achieve your CSR goals, tackle social and environmental challenges strategically and/or collaborate with the communities to make a sustainable and meaningful impact. #DoGoodBetter.
Upskill your team for social impact
What better way to implement social change as an organization than investing in your best assets aka your people? Our Social Innovation Toolkit equips teams with knowledge and tools to maximize their impact, through modules in Design Thinking, Asset-Based Community Development, the Social Business Model Canvas and more. By advocating for improvement and social awareness, your team would be able to contribute effectively both in the workplace and society. The tools and frameworks that we share will also enable employees to brainstorm innovative social solutions - going beyond the parameters of CSR initiatives.
In addition to these technical skills, we also have a suite of Human-Centred Leadership tools such as Empathy, Dignity and Effective Facilitation to equip teams with the necessary soft skills for people engagement. We believe that it’s not just about what we do, but how we do it. With ample opportunities to develop these community engagement competencies, each individual in your team will grow to have a deeper sense of purpose and become more socially conscious when engaging with diverse stakeholders.
Leverage Skillseed’s network for corporate volunteering
Your organization’s commitment to give back to the community through meaningful, sustainable connections will motivate and empower your team to hone their professional and interpersonal skills. These skills will also contribute to causes they care about beyond the premises of the workplace. According to the 2016 Cone Communications Employee Engagement Study, 74% of employees perceived their job to be more fulfilling when they are provided opportunities to make a positive impact.
Beyond the skills-equipping workshops, your team will also appreciate a socially-responsible organization that takes an interest in the community it belongs to. Enhance the value of your team and organization by tapping into Skillseed’s community partners in Singapore and abroad, building mutualistic relationships by leveraging the unique assets of your team and communities on the ground to execute dignity-promoting community projects.
You might be wondering, how do I know if there is actually a perceived value in my efforts of community engagement? Fret not, we have extensive impact assessments that can help to measure your organisation’s success in creating social impact.
Team Building retreat integrated with sustainability
Whether you would like to boost your team’s morale or build a positive corporate image by contributing back to the community, we have got you covered. We would like to introduce a retreat concept that not only fosters team bonding within your company but also integrates sustainability into the experience.
For a 2-day 1-night retreat (which can be arranged locally or overseas), your team will have opportunities to meet inspiring change-makers, unpack the complexities surrounding sustainable development and be motivated to make more sustainable life choices. With 7 years of experience in curating programmes for social impact, we are confident in bringing you a fun-filled, socially-responsible experience. We will work with you to design an experience which aligns with your organization’s values and promotes a collaborative culture that will inspire change beyond the team retreat.
From start to finish, allow us to help you conceptualize and plan your next social impact training session or CSR project leading to long-term positive outcomes on a multitude of communities you deeply care about. Get in touch with us today!