Doing good socially helps firm’s bottom line

EchoDitto lets employees take time off to help others; productivity, retention rates skyrocket 

Being socially responsible is no longer just a nice thing for companies to do—it’s a business necessity, says Harish Rao, CEO of strategic online communication firm EchoDitto.

For starters, he says, it helps the fast-growing Washington, D.C., company attract and retain high-performing talent.

“We’re increasingly seeing the competitive edge for new clients boiling down to not superiority of products per se, but in the superior service and value that your people provide,” he says. “This means that we have to be constantly on the lookout for incredible talent who understand emerging online community technologies … [and who] are also great at working with clients.”

That type of in-demand employee, he says, is drawn to work cultures where it’s not just about building a great company, but also about helping people along the way.

“As an example, for me personally, even on the worst days where everything seems to be going wrong, I can always step back and say, ‘hey, EchoDitto helps feed starving kids in Africa’ or ‘we’re helping stop global warming,'” Rao explains.