Give a Little Something Back

If you have your Creatives in one place, rather than scattered around the world, then consider giving a little something back to the community that supports you.

Volunteer work by companies is very helpful because he resources a company brings often exceed those of individuals. This isn't just about money...it's about talented people who can combine their skills into something powerful, something that can really help others.

There are many good ways to volunteer. You might offer your Creatives' services to a non-profit group. Maybe some of your employees could teach at a youth center or mentor students in their field at local high schools. Your hairstylists might do hair once every couple weeks at a battered spouses' shelter. Your opportunities are limited only by your creativity, and when you're leading Creatives, that shouldn't be a problem.

Why should you do volunteer work? Well, for one thing, it's just a nice thing to do. We're all part of a community (however we choose to define that community) and contributing to that is something responsible members of a community tend to do. Just think of it as a way to positively increase social capital where you live.

It's also a good way to build on existing skills or try something new. Your Creatives might hesitate to do something different with a paying customer and could feel more at ease testing it out as part of a volunteer opportunity. That doesn't mean you shouldn't provide bad work for a charity...if you mess something up, be sure to fix it before you leave! It's also a good chance to practice existing skills, especially those they might not use every day.

During the current recession those skills might be getting even less use, and your Creatives might have extra time on their hands. If possible you want to try not to let them go, since ultimately as business picks up you'd just be hiring them back (or, more likely, getting less experienced replacements). Volunteering offers one way for your Creatives to be productive even if they aren't being profitable.

Finally, it can be a good recruiting tool. Actively volunteering in your community suggests a company culture that is attractive to many people. It tells potential employees that there's more to your company than just making a buck, and a lot of people are looking for the opportunity to do more with their talent than simply make money for someone else.

Speaking of recruiting, you never know what the future holds for those people you help. You just might find a great new Creative in that group. Recruiting doesn't get much cheaper than that.

So give it a shot. At this time of year people tend to be filled with lots of good feelings...how about carrying that beyond December????