Why companies introduce employee-volunteering schemes

Why exactly should you introduce a staff volunteering scheme? What are the benefits: to your company? to your staff?

Evidence from around the world is growing about why so many businesses, including many b-corps, have introduced an employee volunteering scheme as part of their CSR or ESG strategies. Here are some of the key reasons business leaders give :

For your reputation

• Volunteer schemes provide positive PR, presenting the company in a favourable light

• They help address any perceived negative impact on communities/environment

• Volunteer schemes visibly and publicly demonstrate a company's 'citizenship behaviour'

• They discharge corporate social responsibility by helping the community

• Staff volunteers - and therefore their employers - have a measurable social impact

• Such schemes are a valuable way of engaging with the community

For your business development

• Staff volunteering looks good to customers

• It helps attract new business

• Communications are improved especially helping connect businesses with end beneficiaries

• It builds relationships and networks with other companies/providers

For your workforce

• Staff volunteer schemes improve employee morale

• Teamworking is enhanced - especially significant if many staff work remotely

• Employees find volunteering fun

• Volunteer schemes help attract - and retain - employees

• Schemes help meet employees' ethical expectations

• Volunteering can develop employee skills

  
  

Staff volunteers have long understood the value to themselves of well-considered employee volunteering schemes, including:

• feeling good about giving back to the community

• personal pride

• enjoyment of the challenge

• enhanced social and professional relationships with colleagues

• volunteering can be a distraction from own problems

• personal and skill development

• enhanced career progression

• a raised profile in the company

• company recognition

If your company would like to discuss the benefits of introducing an employee volunteering scheme and would like help on how to do so, we are experts at CMP. Give us a call - you really won't regret it.