When Doug Molder was hired at Home Depot 11 years ago, all he was really looking for was a paycheck. But in the years that followed, Molder developed a real appreciation for the charitable and social-justice work Home Depot undertakes.
"When I first hired on, I don't know if community service was my main goal. But it's one of those things that has locked me in as an employee," said Molder, district manager in Utah. "Being involved in it makes you feel good about where you work."
Molder has volunteered to collect and distribute toys to disadvantaged children, helped homeowners who have been hit by a disaster such as a flood, and has been heavily involved in Habitat for Humanity, a program that helps low-income people fix up older homes and makes home ownership possible for those who otherwise couldn't afford it.
Even though it means lots of hard work and sacrificing days off, Molder said it is heartwarming to see homeowners who sometimes are teary-eyed with gratitude looking at their refurbished homes, or to watch low-income children "ooh" and "ahh" over Christmas gifts. "You see that this company has so much heart," he said.
Molder is not alone in his thinking.
Two recent studies show that companies — in this era of ultra-tight labor markets — are supporting worthy causes to recruit and retain qualified employees.
One study titled 2000 Cone/Roper Executive Study showed that 85 percent of corporations polled said they support causes to increase employee loyalty, and 82 percent said they associate with a particular social issue to be a preferred employer.
Sixty-nine percent of the companies polled said they intend to boost their future community-service activities.
Mark Feldman, executive vice president for Cone, a Boston-based strategy firm that links firms and causes, said employees today are looking for more than a big paycheck and good benefits.
Feldman said employees also want to work for a company they can be proud of.
A supplemental poll by Cone conducted by Opinion Research showed that 76 percent of people surveyed said they would choose a company that supports a worthwhile cause if they were offered two jobs that were similar in pay and responsibilities. The survey also reported that Americans polled said that if they were to change jobs in the next year, 90 percent said they were likely to pick a firm that supports a social cause.
Feldman also said that socially aware companies are not just cheerleaders for voluntarism, but are preparing sophisticated programs to get employees involved in worthwhile causes.
Molder buys into that entirely.
"One of the statements of Arthur Blank, the founder of Home Depot . . . has really impacted me: 'Giving back to the community is not only a responsibility, it is a part of doing business.' "
Randy Rushton, the general manager of the LensCrafters at South Towne Mall, is another person who joined that company and has stayed with it for more than five years because of its "Give the Gift of Sight" charitable program.
"I've had many opportunities to move with other companies, and one of the reasons I stay here is because this company cares, about people in our community and people in the world," Rushton said.
The program offers free eye exams and free glasses to people around the world. LensCrafters also sends its "vision vans" around to people who might not get to a store for help.
Rushton has not gone on an international foray, but previously ran — and still is involved with — the "vision van" in Utah that has distributed hundreds of eyeglasses to needy people.
"You talk about a heartfelt, touching experience," Rushton said. "We had a young girl, about 6 or 7, from a local elementary school who needed glasses. We didn't know how she was seeing the chalkboard. We put glasses on her and she started to cry and everybody broke down. It's a really neat program."
E-MAIL: lindat@desnews.com