Could you ask for a better time than June?
We’re starting the second half of 2022. Could there be a better time to consider corporate volunteering?
Corporate Volunteering: A Winning Strategy
Businesses sometimes tend to overlook a key recruiting and marketing tool that often comes at a low cost, but is almost always beneficial for all involved. Are you raising an eyebrow? Think corporate volunteering.
It’s true. Lending your business name to an effort that benefits others not only is a benevolent act, but a great way to get your name in front of potential clients and prospective employees. Volunteer services also enable you to engage your existing employees and invest in their growth and well-being, while building community goodwill and aiding those in need.
Corporate – or employee – volunteering often involves employers providing some sort of support or incentive to employees to take part in volunteer activities. That backing could range from offering paid or unpaid leave for employees to participate in charitable causes or funding a corporate social responsibility platform.
Corporate Volunteering: Benefits for the Workplace
Some of the corporate benefits to be gained from workplace volunteering include:
- Name recognition
- Talent attraction
- Giving back
- Employee motivation and wellbeing
- Business credibility
For employees, the rewards are both personal and professional. Volunteering helps workers develop critical soft skills, such as leadership abilities and improved communications. Providing time and talent to a worthy cause also gives workers a sense of self-worth and contributes to their mental wellbeing. Enhancing social and networking skills and building relationships both within and outside the workplace are other ways volunteering benefits employees.
A Deeper Look Into Volunteerism
According to Deloitte, a multinational professional services network, “employers and employees may be missing opportunities when it comes to reaping the benefits of volunteering in the workplace.”
The company’s 2017 volunteerism survey of working Americans “found that creating a culture of volunteerism may boost morale, workplace atmosphere and brand perception.”
Other important findings from the survey about corporate volunteering include:
- 74 percent think volunteerism provides an improved sense of purpose.
- 70 percent believe volunteer activities are more likely to boost employee morale than company-sponsored happy hours.
- 70 percent agree that companies who sponsor volunteer activities have a more pleasant work atmosphere.
- 77 percent say company-sponsored volunteer activities are essential to employee well-being.
- 89 percent believe that companies who sponsor volunteer activities offer a better overall working environment than those who do not.
To Volunteer or Not Volunteer?
So, what is the right corporate volunteering effort for you and your employees? Only you can determine that. Fortunately, there are myriad options from which to use. Volunteer opportunities run the gamut from allowing employees time off to mentor local students to adopting a highway for beautification to sponsoring a community 5K run to hosting a fundraiser for a local charity. And, with more and more people working remotely, virtual volunteering choices are also available. The key is finding the right fit for your business and your employees.
If you don’t have the resources to go it alone when developing your volunteer policies and strategies, don’t fret.Our company has over 30 years of expertise in this arena and we can help provide you with another tool in your recruitment and marketing toolbox.
