Working in public accounting with its periodic stressful times, I have found that it is important to find moments to engage as a team outside of the office. Since joining the firm, I noticed that we had paused participation in charitable events due to the pandemic. Because of my connection and personal involvement with a national charity, I saw an opportunity for the firm to re-engage in giving back. I made some suggestions about how we might get more involved and the positive response from the team motivated me to continue to encourage more participation including working with non-profits that are personally important to me. In this blog, I will explain the benefits of getting your workplace actively involved in the community.
Why Community Partnership Is Beneficial To A Firm’s Culture
Community partnership is a great way to get your firm exposed to opportunities beyond just business connections. At Weinstein Spira, these partnerships help to connect our tax and audit departments. Our tax and audit staff do not get to interact regularly in their day-to-day work lives. When we get the firm together, friendships are created and there is more camaraderie around the office. Although it is a great benefit to have a hybrid working environment, both in-office and remote workers, we can sometimes lack a sense of community. That’s why we advocate for opportunities to connect with each other. These connections help us feel that we are part of something larger. When our people are in the office, they have stronger work relationships.
Culture And Considerations of Community Needs
Culture was the attracting factor for me in joining this firm. I came from a work culture where the community did not come together naturally; employees were left to interact with each other outside of the workplace. Our firm is different in that it strives to consider our wants and needs by resuming regularly sponsoring charity events and hosting a monthly social event for us to gather. Bringing people together in the office is challenging amid the current work-from-home culture. However, these types of activities tend to bring the firm together and encourages everyone to join their peers in the office.
Charities are often looking for volunteers to run events and to raise awareness for their cause, making volunteering valuable. Many organizations make charitable donations, which are an excellent opportunity, however, I personally think that volunteering your time is more rewarding to the soul. Meeting the needs of your community can not only help strengthen your connection to it, but can also help to promote team building. By giving personal time, we are getting to understand the community in which we live. We also get to make connections with others supporting the same cause.
Creating a Connection Between Leadership and Staff
Participating in charitable events also creates an opportunity for employees to be able to interact with upper-level management outside of the office. While our shareholders and managers are accessible and available for work related conversations during office hours, these events help unite us on a more personal note that would not usually happen in the office. Overall, this type of contribution to the community trickles down and strengthens workplace relationships across all levels.
We are busy so many months out of the year working together to meet deadlines, therefore, it is nice to be able to have the opportunity to also work together and meaningfully connect with our community, adding a valuable dimension to our work lives.
