Make Employees Feel Like They Have a Purpose. Make Communities Feel Like They Matter

March 8, 2007 (Press Release) -- Denver, CO, March 5, 2007 – It’s a funny thing, but somehow money stopped motivating people. Customers want more than just cheaper prices; they want a product with integrity. Shareholders want to see an earning report and brand image study. And somehow that “employee of the month” parking spot just isn’t as enticing as it once was.

i-to-i, a meaningful travel provider, offers programs for companies to send their employees on volunteer projects around the world. These are used by companies as sabbaticals, performance incentives and team building activities. Projects can be designed for any length of time, and people can volunteer nearly anywhere in the world.

Recruitment: What differentiates your company? Is it your benefits package or competitive salary? Probably not. How could it be when every company has a benefits package and ‘competitive’ salary? You hire employees who stand out from the rest of the field, and they choose employers who do the same.

Companies with inventive salary packages not only recruit inventive employees, but they also keep them. Enticing employees with a structured career break, such as ecology and sea turtle conservation work in Costa Rica, offers recruits a new perspective on their employer and job.

Motivation: Being happy at work, doesn’t always mean better work. Throwing money at a problem is hardly ever the solution, so why would motivating employees be any exception to this? Whether it’s with positive or negative reinforcement, employee motivation is being reinvented.

The idea that employers motivate their employees is a misnomer. Employees motivate themselves, but their employers can give them the tools, incentives and environments to do just that. No one looks forward to seeing a motivational speaker in their conference room. Though, few people would turn down an enriching community development project in Thailand for their team-building activity.

Image: Buying a product is no longer just about cost or quality to many consumers. Buying a product is about subscribing to a way of life. Nowadays, businesses need to show they care not just about the consumer, but about the planet. The rise of organic and environmentally sustainable businesses is a direct result of this. Companies with an evident sense of social responsibility are seeing unprecedented results.

Make employees feel like they have a purpose. Make communities feel like they matter. Make your company bigger than its bottom line.

Editor's Note:

To get involved, visit www.meaningfultravel.com or call 1-800-985-5882. Since 1994, i-to-i, with offices in the US, as well as the UK, Ireland and Australia, has been the award-winning leader in volunteer adventures and TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) training. Each year, i-to-i sends approximately 5,000 volunteers to 500 projects in 30 countries and helps 15,000 people gain the certification necessary to teach English overseas. i-to-i volunteers contributed approximately one million hours of service last year.

For more information, please contact Amy Kaplan, i-to-i Public Relations Manager at (303) 991-5414 or amy.kaplan@i-to-i.com. Photos available upon request.