I happened to know some bloggers, non-HR related types, who are observing a blogger day of silence today. And I thought I’d kinda join in, on behalf of FOT. What happened in Japan is tragic, and shocking. The Japanese National Police Agency estimate 16,600+ are dead. Read that again. It makes me stomach churn, heart ache, and eyes well up. But you can help. Check out www.forjapanwithlove.com to give to ShelterBox, a not-for-profit dedicated to providing disaster relief tents and more to displaced families facing tragedy, or find another organization you’re passionate about. I don’t care much who you give to. Just give.
Because we mostly happen to be HR pros though, it does beg the question, what’s your role in your organization’s corporate giving or social responsibility strategy? Does corporate philanthropy fall within the HR wheelhouse or elsewhere? And if it isn’t an HR function – how are you participating in giving activities as an individual? I’m not always the first to jump up and down about HR having to be an organization’s primary cheerleader and warm-fuzzy-feel-good leader… organize the holiday party, meh. But sometimes, you just know what the right thing to do is, and you stand up for that and lead by example. And corporate and employee giving… well, who better to foster that? And even better, what if employee engagement and satisfaction was directly linked to workplace giving programs?
It’s food for thought. Give, and give often.
Jessica Lee is a VP of TA at Marriott International where she leads a team that enables the company to think big, broad and boldly about all things talent acquisition and in effect, keeps them relevant and ahead of the curve in how they attract and acquire top talent. Don’t be fooled by that fancy pants title and description though, she’s still an everyday HR gal in the trenches at the core. SPHR certified, a decade and a half into trench HR life… she can whip up a corrective action plan or source for your purple squirrel in a heartbeat.
