If you had the choice, would you want to work for a company that enables their employees to volunteer for charities? Of course you would. Thankfully, every business CAN do that. With a bit of effort, at least.
I’m a millennial. Let’s get that out in the open. I don’t like the term, particularly – it has some perceived negative connotations. But y’know, as a 40-year-old bloke, I fall into that category, apparently. Why is that important?
Frankly, it doesn’t mean much. Millennials are perceived as being a generation that cares for society and the world in general. And that’s spot on, in my case. According to recent research, my generation and the generations that follow look for companies that offer charity volunteer days to their employees. Personally, it’s not the only criteria I looked for, but it certainly was a factor. And as today is the International Day of Charity, I think it’s important that we look at this in a bit more depth.
I’ve worked for a bunch of companies in my 25 working years or so. Some cared. Others, well, let’s just say that their morals and ethics conflicted with mine. Guess which roles I enjoyed more?
Here at iAM HQ, employees are lucky that our leaders already care. They want to give back. We’re able to volunteer our time for good causes. But why? Surely allowing employees to volunteer is a drain on resources? That’s one way of looking at it. Let’s flip that attitude though. Employee volunteering offers some superb benefits to employees, employers, and of course, the people who gain from your time – the charity themselves.
I call that a win-win-win.
Let’s look at some of those benefits in greater detail:
Attracting and retaining top talent – It’s no secret that motivated & caring employees from every generation have a lot to offer. Being able to volunteer for good causes that employees care about is not just a nice sweetener when you’re trying to bring in passionate, driven people. It’s crucial to employee engagement and retention for existing employees too. When you’re in a caring culture, you’re likely to want to stay there.
Enhancing employee engagement – Ok, so I’ve touched on this briefly already. But it’s worth reiterating. If employees have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful causes, it contributes to a sense of purpose and fulfilment. If those engaged employees volunteer, it could promote a positive workplace culture, strengthen team collaboration, and create a strong connection between employees and their organisation’s values. This all leads to increased job satisfaction and loyalty, too.
Positive public relations and brand image – Employee volunteering showcases the company’s commitment to social responsibility and community engagement. If you’re in the public eye, that can enhance your reputation as a socially conscious, ethical organisation. Result = stronger customer loyalty & increased trust.
Boosting employee well-being – Is this an obvious one? Volunteering creates happy, engaged employees. This contributes to lower stress and improved mental and emotional well-being. Happy employees have a healthier work-life balance and greater job satisfaction. As someone who’s worked for companies that don’t value this, every day was a slog and I dreaded coming to work at times.
Skill development and team building – Employees who volunteer have the opportunity to learn new skills or refine existing ones. If multiple colleagues volunteer, they’re likely to collaborate and strengthen their relationships, improve communication, and understand each other’s talents, which they then take back to their own teams.
Let’s quickly recap. I’m of the opinion that employers should allow (and indeed, encourage) their employees to volunteer their time for good causes. Personally, I’ve experienced workplaces that do and don’t, and the ‘do’ camp wins by far. The negatives (temporary loss of resources) are vastly outweighed by the positives (positive public relations/brand image, enhanced employee well-being, increased skills, attracting top talent, boosted employee engagement and retention) here.
On a personal note, when I’ve volunteered my time for a good cause, I feel like I’ve improved my life. Dani-plus, if you will. Not only did I learn new, transferable skills, but I increased my confidence and added some new friends to my network. More importantly, I’m happier than ever.
If charity volunteer days aren’t a thing within your company, today is the perfect day to change. If you’re an employee for one of those companies, it’s time to have that conversation with your manager.