GreenShield’s Nadim Kara on building a culture that empowers employees to make an impact
When employees can align their personal values with their organizational culture, they become more engaged – and more productive – at work.
For GreenShield, Canada’s only national non-profit health care and insurance organization, a purpose-driven culture is the foundation that supports GreenShield’s mission of Better Health for All.
“GreenShield’s Creating Shared Value model recognizes that business performance and social impact are not separate pursuits,” explains Nadim Kara, Executive Vice President, Head of People & Culture at GreenShield. “This operating model means that as we grow, we strengthen our ability to reinvest, scale solutions, and deliver meaningful, measurable change.”
“Our impact is powered by our people,” adds Kara. “Purpose shows up in how we work and the communities we support every day.”
For an organization committed to improving health outcomes for Canadians, it’s essential that employees feel united by a shared purpose. GreenShield’s industry-leading employee giving program facilitates impact by empowering staff to support the causes that mean most to them.
While GreenShield’s social impact is uniquely intertwined in its business model, any organization can leverage these strategies to help employees feel more engaged with their communities and at work.
1. Enable volunteering
Employers can encourage their teams to get involved in the community by providing the time and tools that incentivize volunteering.
For every hour of time volunteered, GreenShield employees also earn $20 in Volunteer Dollars that can be donated to a registered charity.
Internal communications platforms make it easier for teams to plan volunteer opportunities. “GreenShield’s Purposely platform enables team-based and regional volunteering through event coordination, feedback, training, and impact tracking,” explains Kara.
2. Amplify employee impact with donation matching
For GreenShield employees who choose to give back financially, the organization amplifies their impact through donation matching.
“At GreenShield, we’re committed to extending the reach of individual giving,” says Kara. “This demonstrates that, as an employer, we recognize the generous support of our employees and join them in advancing the community organizations they care about most.”
GreenShield matches employee charitable donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $3,000 per employee per year.
3. Empower employees to give where they live
For companies that have multiple locations across the country or around the world, it’s still possible to allow them to feel connected to their local communities.
“We know that making impact locally is often the most meaningful and tangible way for people to give back,” says Kara. “While GreenShield has offices across Canada, our ‘Give Local’ program enables employees to support local charities through payroll deductions. Each month, participants nominate and vote locally on organizations to receive funding, meaning that support is directed by employees and responsive to local priorities.”
“This way, whether you’re at our head office in Windsor, or one of our other locations from Halifax to Quebec City to Vancouver, your impact stays at home,” he adds.
4. Embed purpose-driven values and behaviours into your organization
To build a culture that is truly aligned with social responsibility, create organizational values rooted in impact that inform decision-making and team performance.
“Our GreenShield Behaviours protect and advance the aspects of GreenShield’s culture that are most important to us,” notes Kara. “Our defined ‘Purpose-led’ behaviour aligns every decision and action with GreenShield’s social mission.”
GreenShield Behaviours are embedded into every aspect of the employee experience, from recruitment to onboarding to performance management.
“This means that organizational values reflect employees’ personal values and are tied to their success from the first day at GreenShield onward,” says Kara.
5. Celebrate community leadership
Recognizing employees who go above and beyond in their communities is key to celebrating team performance and demonstrating an organizational commitment to purpose.
“The annual GreenShield Cares Award reflects GreenShield’s identity as a social enterprise and honours employees who exemplify purpose-driven performance and create meaningful impact beyond the organization,” says Kara.
“The award provides $2,500 donated to a charity of the recipient’s choice, with three runners-up each receiving $1,000 to support causes they care about,” he adds. “It’s a way to spotlight those who are community leaders, while accelerating their impact.”
Taken together, these strategies support employees to align their personal values with organizational purpose, which then contributes to strong workplace engagement and performance.
“The effect of connecting employees with impact is profound,” notes Kara. “They’ll feel more engaged with their communities, with their colleagues, and in their work.”
This article was provided by GreenShield
