Community Involvement in Recruiting Strategies

April is National Volunteer Month, a time to promote and participate in community service across the country. For businesses, it's also an opportunity to simultaneously:

• Make a difference in the local community
• Attract new customers and create loyalty with them
• And recruit new talent

In blue-collar industries, where word-of-mouth and reputation often drive hiring, National Volunteer Month offers a chance to stand out and build goodwill. It’s a meaningful way to strengthen your employer brand, show your values in action, and connect with potential applicants who care about making a difference.

Why Community Involvement Belongs in Your Recruitment Strategy

That kind of value alignment is becoming increasingly important. Research shows that candidates are more likely to apply to and stay at companies that share their values and actively demonstrate a commitment to making a difference. Community involvement and local engagement offer a real-world, visible way to showcase your culture—not just talk about it.

Recruitment strategies to attract and retain talent increasingly hinge on employer branding through community impact. Younger generations in particular—especially Millennials and Gen Z—are drawn to employers who contribute to causes they care about. These job seekers are increasingly selective, prioritizing companies that reflect their personal values. If you want to compete for top-tier talent, especially among younger workers, it’s critical to show them how your company gives back and how they can be part of that impact.

But don’t limit your efforts to just one month a year. Year-round community outreach is one of the most authentic and effective ways to build a local talent pipeline. It helps you stay top-of-mind with potential hires even when you don’t have open positions. It’s also a smart way to strengthen your long-term hiring strategy.

It also creates a positive feedback loop for retention: Employees who take pride in their company’s community impact tend to be more engaged, less stressed, and more likely to stay long-term. In fact, studies show that community-aligned initiatives not only improve morale but also reduce turnover and the costs associated with hiring and onboarding new employees.

Strategic recruiting efforts that include community engagement also help you build trust with passive candidates who may not be job hunting but are paying attention to how you show up in the community.

The key to successful recruitment-focused community engagement lies in finding a project that aligns with the values of your business and the solutions it provides. In this blog, we'll explore some ideas for creative recruitment strategies that can benefit both your community and your business.

7 Recruitment Strategies Leveraging Local Engagement

Below are seven effective recruitment strategies that use local engagement to connect with potential hires, strengthen your employer brand, and make a meaningful impact in your community. Each one blends purpose with practical outcomes to support both your hiring goals and your company values.

Partner with Local Charities

For smaller mom-and-pop shops, partnering with a local charity is one of the most direct ways to give back and make a difference in your community. You can donate your time, resources, skills, or even money to directly impact the lives of your neighbors.

Charities focused on housing, health, and education are great starting points. If you have a skill or trade that can help the organization in a specific way, that’s even better.

Habitat for Humanity is a fantastic fit for many blue-collar companies and a big front-runner in this space. Additionally, there are many ways construction companies can give back by building new facilities or repairing existing ones. Plumbing companies can provide access to safe and clean water. And waste management companies can support environmental causes. There are just so many creative ways to apply your organization’s skills!

In fact, matching employees to volunteer roles that utilize their trade skills—like mentoring, training, or project work—can increase satisfaction and make a bigger impact on the cause you’re supporting. And while you're helping the charity, you're also building relationships with local community members who will have a vested interest in your business. This ultimately helps you reach potential hires and potential customers.

It also gives your employees a sense of pride and purpose, which contributes to higher job satisfaction. When employees feel like they’re part of something meaningful, they’re more likely to refer others and stay with your company longer.

For example, partnering with nonprofits that support underserved groups—like formerly incarcerated individuals, veterans, or women reentering the workforce—can help you reach overlooked talent pools with high potential and a strong work ethic.

These types of recruitment strategies create trust and demonstrate your long-term investment in the community.

Participate in Local Events

Throughout the year, communities host various events that are designed to bring people together and show off what makes their city special. These can range from small street fairs to large festivals and everything in between.

There are endless ways to get involved in these types of events – you could:

• Sponsor the event
• Provide free services, supplies, or swag to attendees
• Host an activity booth
• Support the setup or cleanup efforts
  

Whatever you choose, make sure that it ties into your business or showcases your brand in a relevant way. People will remember your contribution and be more likely to hire you or recommend you when they need work done. This form of local engagement doubles as a creative recruitment strategy, bringing visibility to your employer brand in an authentic setting.

Don’t leave this effort solely to your HR team. Community presence should be a shared responsibility across marketing, operations, and leadership. The more departments that show up at events and talk to locals, the more trust and familiarity your brand will build.

You can also use photos, quotes, and videos from these events in your recruitment marketing strategies—on your website, in job postings, or on social media—to show potential applicants what kind of culture and values they can expect when joining your team.

It’s also worth gathering feedback after the event—what resonated with employees, which questions job seekers asked, and what kinds of interactions built trust. These insights can help refine future events and improve your overall recruitment strategy.

You can also use these events to train and empower your recruiters and hiring managers. Make sure they’re familiar with your community initiatives and can talk confidently about them with candidates. People want to know who they’re working for and what kind of impact they’ll be able to make in the role.

Support Local Schools

Schools are the cornerstone of any community – they're where our future leaders get educated and develop into the people who will shape our industries and country. And in the midst of a massive labor shortage, what better way to reach out to potential hires than by helping develop their talents from an early age?

If you have a blue-collar business, there are plenty of ways to help out local schools:

• Donate supplies such as tools or materials
• Offer classes on skills related to your trade
• Mentor students who are interested in pursuing a career in your industry

This is a great way to build your brand and create relationships with students (or their parents) who may one day become valuable employees. It also gives you the chance to directly influence the future of your industry by inspiring young people to join it! Check out our article on how to foster these types of relationships with schools and students to promote the trades. 

You can also expand these efforts to local colleges, trade schools, and training programs—creating a full pipeline of talent from high school to adulthood. And when employees are encouraged to lead these school partnerships, it builds their leadership skills while strengthening your company's reputation as an employer that invests in the next generation.

Incorporating these partnerships into your hiring strategy can be a key part of skills-based hiring. By identifying students with an interest and aptitude in your trade early on, you can offer hands-on learning and development that leads directly to employment—no degree required.

To maximize recruitment value, include community involvement in your job descriptions and onboarding materials. Help new hires understand how they can get involved, whether it's volunteering during paid time off, mentoring students, or joining upcoming community projects. This builds early connection and engagement.

Sponsor Local Sports Teams

Blue-collar businesses require physically fit workers and people who can collaborate well in a team environment. One of the best ways to find those types of people is by sponsoring local sports teams.

Not only does it give you access to athletes and coaches, but it also helps build community spirit and goodwill toward your business. Sponsoring a team gives you an opportunity to show off your brand in front of hundreds or even thousands of fans and family members.

Depending on your location and the size of your community, you can sponsor any number of teams that cater to various age groups:

• Little league teams
• High school tournaments
• Adult athletic clubs
• College-level teams
• Semi-pro or professional teams

Most of these will already have a range of sponsorship opportunities at different price points. You might be able to place a branded banner within their field, place your logo on their uniforms, or run an ad on the jumbotron. This is a fun way to build your presence in the community and possibly find potential employees who have the talent, drive, and values that you're looking for.

And don’t forget the power of your own team—literally. Branded gear like t-shirts, hats, and jackets worn by your employees around town can turn them into walking billboards and conversation starters. It’s also a way for employees to feel more connected to the company, especially if your team supports sports they already love. That emotional connection can boost retention and loyalty.

You can even take it a step further and host a hiring event at a game or team banquet. These are often casual, high-energy environments where you can build rapport with parents, coaches, and community members in a natural, low-pressure setting.

Community Cleanup Projects

No matter where you live, there's always work to be done to keep your community clean and safe. And with National Volunteer Month in full swing, why not mobilize your business to help out?

You can organize a company cleanup day where employees can come together to spruce up the local parks or streets. You could even partner with an existing organization that has regular cleanup days, such as Keep America Beautiful or the national Adopt-A-Highway program. These are especially relevant to landscaping companies, who specialize in outdoor beautification.

Not only does this keep your community looking great and create a safer environment for everyone, but it also gives you more exposure to potential hires. Plus, employees who participate in these efforts often feel more connected to each other and their surroundings, which can improve teamwork and mental well-being.

Cleanup projects are also a great way to introduce your team to passive job seekers—people who aren’t actively looking but might be open to new opportunities if they connect with your mission and team culture.

Volunteer for Disaster Relief

When disasters strike, the devastation can be overwhelming. People lose their homes and possessions, infrastructure is destroyed, and communities are left to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. In these times of unprecedented need, communities need the unique skills of tradesmen and women.

Blue-collar businesses, such as roofers, construction companies, and other skilled trade workers, are in a prime position to make a substantial difference in the recovery process.

By assembling a dedicated team of employees and volunteers from your company to lend a hand during a disaster, you can truly create an impact in the affected communities, both domestically and abroad. Whether it's rebuilding damaged properties or simply providing clean-up assistance, your unique skills or resources will be invaluable in these difficult situations.

Even if your business doesn't specialize in a trade directly related to disaster relief efforts, you can still make meaningful contributions to the cause. Financial donations or contributions of much-needed supplies can go a long way in supporting devastated areas.

You could also explore offering paid volunteer time during emergencies—an approach used by leading employers to show they support their people and their values.

Supporting disaster relief efforts is one of the more impactful forms of corporate social responsibility and can differentiate your brand as part of a strong recruitment and retention strategy. Disaster relief also strengthens your reputation as a dependable, community-minded employer. Candidates want to work for companies that show up when it matters most—not just for business, but for people.

7. Partner with Other Local Businesses

Community involvement isn’t only about helping—it’s also about connecting. Join your local chamber of commerce, attend business expos, or co-sponsor events with complementary service providers. These relationships can open doors to cross-referrals, subcontracting opportunities, and even direct employee recommendations.

When multiple businesses team up for a cause, the collective impact is bigger—which gives your brand more visibility and creates a stronger impression on potential hires. It also creates an opportunity to develop shared recruitment strategies, especially in tight-knit industries or rural areas.

And by teaming up with other employers that share your values, you’re expanding your reach while reinforcing a collective commitment to the community. That kind of collaboration sends a strong message to job seekers about the kind of network they’ll be joining.

Ask for Feedback and Improve Your Efforts

Community involvement shouldn’t be set-it-and-forget-it. Ask your employees what causes they care about, and check in regularly to see which events or initiatives had the most impact. Pulse surveys and informal conversations can help you fine-tune your strategy and increase participation.

Sharing that feedback loop publicly—through newsletters, social posts, or all-hands meetings—demonstrates transparency and commitment. It shows job seekers that you’re not just doing this for the optics, but that you’re genuinely invested in getting it right.

You should also share these community-focused stories on your careers page. Include real examples—photos, videos, testimonials from employees—to give job seekers a transparent view of your company culture. This helps create a strong emotional connection between candidates and your brand, which can tip the scales in your favor during the hiring process.

Align CSR With Your Brand Identity

For community involvement to work as a recruitment strategy, it has to feel like a genuine extension of your company’s identity. Choose initiatives that relate to your business, your people, and the communities you serve. For example, a landscaping company might support environmental restoration efforts, while a home cleaning business could partner with shelters or transition programs.

Once you’ve identified those key initiatives, make sure your messaging connects the dots. Use language in your job posts and interviews that shows how your values drive both your work and your community engagement. This gives candidates a fuller picture of the workplace they’re stepping into.

And don’t forget to involve your leadership team. When owners, foremen, and managers participate in community initiatives alongside employees, it reinforces authenticity and strengthens your internal culture. Candidates and employees alike take note when company leaders walk the walk.

How to Make the Most of National Volunteer Month

Once you've chosen the charity, event, or cause that you'd like to support, it's important to craft a well-thought-out plan that results in:

• Community engagement and goodwill
• Positive exposure for your business
• A safe, efficient, and fun experience for all involved
• Learning opportunities for current and future employees
• Recruitment opportunities

Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of national volunteer month:

Engage with Local Organizations

Prioritize supporting local organizations. This will ensure that you're contributing in a meaningful way to the people you live and work near.

Think broadly—partner with job training programs, community centers, or nonprofit agencies that already work with job seekers. A wider net brings in a more diverse and motivated candidate pool.

And don’t be afraid to think long-term—these partnerships can also be a source of apprenticeship candidates, employee referrals, and leadership development opportunities.

Promote Your Efforts

Spread the word about your community involvement efforts. Promote the event through social media, blogs, and other channels to maximize engagement and exposure. Make it easy for candidates to see your community work in action by showcasing it on your job listings, careers page, and even during interviews.

Include testimonials from volunteers, pictures of your team in action, and even short videos that show the personality of your workforce. These can be valuable additions to your careers page and job postings.

Invest in Your Brand

Ensure that your company brand is represented in all volunteer activities. This might include t-shirts, bags, banners, etc.

Make sure your messaging ties your community efforts back to your values. This helps candidates understand what kind of company they’re joining and how they’ll contribute beyond their job title.

Have Recruitment Marketing Materials Ready

Have marketing materials on hand that highlight the benefits of working for your company. Bring branded swag, job applications, and other information that job seekers can take with them.

Don’t forget to track results. How many people asked about jobs at your booth? How many signed up for a follow-up call or interview? These metrics will help you make the business case for future investments in community engagement, so gathering this data is key to refining your recruitment strategy plan over time.

Ultimately, National Volunteer Month isn't about what you can get out of your community, but rather what you can give. But by taking part and leveraging the power of community engagement, you can build strong relationships and gain valuable exposure to potential customers and job seekers. It's a win-win for everyone involved.

And when you make community involvement a year-round effort—guided by feedback, aligned with your values, and supported across the business—it becomes one of the most powerful tools in your recruitment and retention strategy.

_{This article was originally published on April 1, 2023. It was last updated on April 1, 2025.}