Cleaning With Meaning: How Volunteering With Your Team Boosts Productivity

Cleaning-Meaning-Volunteering

By Samantha Hager

As a company leader, it’s no secret how valuable a connected team truly is. But, how can you help your team to truly work together and find purpose in their careers when all the traditional tactics simply aren’t cutting it? Well, the answer may be more obvious—and more positive—than you think. 

volunteering impact

How volunteering makes an impact at every level

According to Nonprofit Source, “Approximately 63 million Americans—25% of the adult population—volunteer their time, talents, and energy to making a difference.” These efforts help countless individuals to advance recycling efforts, feed the homeless, care for cancer patients, and so much more. 

However, making a difference doesn’t just help the world—it also helps those that volunteer as well. Not only does volunteering improve mental health but it also helps with physical health, connection, and defining an individual’s sense of purpose likewise. On top of this, company leadership should take note of the effects volunteering has on productivity and performance as they are truly astonishing. Studies show that those that volunteer are inherently happier, more connected, and more driven while also being more capable of working in a team setting. Furthermore, A study by Deloitte found that 61% of millennials consider a company’s commitment to the community when making a decision on a potential job. 

With all of this in mind, it’s clear to see how volunteerism with your team can actually be one of the best leadership strategies for employee retention, happiness, purpose, and connection without breaking the bank in the process. As such, it’s time you consider this method and try introducing it to your team through one of the three opportunities below. With any of these three unique opportunities, you can help your community, your industry, and your company to become more empowered and united at last. 

volunteer opportunities

3 unique volunteer opportunities to get started

Although these opportunities are hardly the extent of volunteer options in America, they serve as some great starting points that are already established or easy to implement. However, as you continue these efforts, you can always find additional volunteer programs on VolunteerMatch, a site dedicated to local volunteer opportunities you and your team can sign up for. 

school supply drive

1. School Supply Drive

While it may be a very easy volunteer opportunity, this choice is a great way to start introducing volunteer work to your staff, sharing in the fulfillment it provides, and giving back to the community all at once. To start this option up in your office space or storefront, simply put a large bin in an open area and use a sign to encourage people to drop off school supplies for the community. Your team can also donate to the drive and can manage the flow of goods as well. Whenever the bin gets filled, you can have your team drop off the items at local schools on the way to client jobs. 

Studies show that 15 million children don’t have money for school supplies and teachers are spending more out of pocket on school supplies than ever before. By helping to combat this problem in your local community, you are showing your clients you care while simultaneously helping your team to collaborate and feel fulfilled at work. 

ISSA Charities

2. ISSA Charities

As a division of ISSA, we are proud to be able to see the wonderful impacts our many charities have made around the world. ISSA Scholars, Cleaning for a Reason, and ISSA Hygieia Network all help the cleaning industry and community in many ways. As a cleaning professional and business owner yourself, helping these charities to thrive is a terrific way to get your team to connect, work towards a common goal, and rejoice in the positivity that this goal brings into the community. 

To help the ISSA Charities, you can review these ways to give, learn more and join the cause, or even develop a donation drive in your office space to make a contribution to the charities in your company and team’s honor. 

community garden

3. Community Garden

Finally, all business owners hope their companies will grow and blossom. To help them do so, sometimes, the best solution is to help something else grow and blossom instead. 

With community gardens in just about every city in the country now, it’s easy to get involved and schedule time for your team to come out and work together in the space. The beauty of this collaborative and hands-on volunteering opportunity is seeing the results of your hard work as flowers bloom and vegetables ripen before your very eyes. 

You can even schedule a select day of the month on company time to really incentivize the opportunity and ensure your entire team is present and working together. While it may have an upfront cost, the ROI is well worth the day’s pay in the long run. 

As Gorden B. Hinkley once said, “You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make.” Although there are many other ways to connect with your team and increase your productivity internally, volunteering provides nourishment not just to the community but to your team’s minds and hearts as well. For that alone, this option remains one of the best for company leaders to instill. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time you empower the world—and your team—one act of kindness at a time. 

Cleanfax Staff

Cleanfax provides cleaning and restoration professionals with information designed to help them manage and grow their businesses.

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