Volunteering can help those in need. No matter what sort of company you run, young adults entering the workforce are looking for employment with businesses that offer them the opportunity to give back to their communities. They want a more rewarding and meaningful workplace experience, so companies should make volunteering easier to do. Offering paid time off for volunteering can help retain talented employees and improve employee engagement—volunteer opportunities help more than just the employees going out of their way to help others.
Here are a few benefits that businesses get from employee volunteerism.
Employee Retention
Businesses that make volunteerism easier for employees have a higher retention rate. Workers are more likely to stay with companies that encourage volunteerism than ones that don’t—not only are they able to give back to their community, but they’ll have a deeper commitment and connection to the company they work for.
Employee Empowerment
Your company donating to a charity or a cause will meet the expectations young adults have of their employers to do social good, but your business can go a step further than these expectations. Providing your employees with opportunities to volunteer will give them a sense of empowerment; they can be hands-on with their charitable efforts and feel like they’re physically doing good. This is empowering and creates high levels of commitment and pride among your teams.
Connected Teams
Volunteering isn’t just good for your community—it’s great for the teams within your company as well. When whole teams volunteer for a cause, even if it’s just for one day, teamwork is fostered between them. This leads to a more connected team due to a common goal, bringing the team closer together through support and formed bonds. These bonds will persist outside of volunteer work and into the workplace, with each team member more committed to one another.
Future Leaders
Giving employees the opportunity to volunteer can also reveal who has the potential to be future business leaders down the line. Setting a day aside for a team to volunteer could be the opportunity to discover who has a natural aptitude for leadership, which can then tell you who should be put on track to become management or put in line for promotion in succession planning down the line.