The Business Case for Employee Volunteering
If you are looking to build a case for volunteering in your company, or tightening the connection between your volunteering programme and your bottom line, here are some key statistics to help you – all obtained from 3 research studies.
City Of London – 2010
‘Volunteering – The Business Case’
- 31% of organisations used volunteering as part of their strategy to address critical business issues.
- Over 60% agreed that volunteering builds teamwork skills in employees.
- Volunteers believe that they developed the following competencies:
66% communication skills
65% ability to help others
54% adaptability
45% influencing/negotiating
43% team working
41% leadership
41% willingness to improve
40% planning/organising
39% decision making
39% problem solving
39% fostering relationships and networks
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The Institute of Volunteering Research – 2008
‘Helping Out’
1. 54% of UK employees who do not have access to a volunteering scheme, wish their employer had one.
2. The same study found 67% of UK volunteers felt satisfaction from their results.
3. 82% of UK employees said that having time off would motivate them to volunteer.
4. Where a volunteering scheme existed, 29% of employees volunteered.
5. Women are more likely to volunteer than men (64% vs 54%).
6. The biggest motivator for employee volunteering is having the ability to choose where to volunteer, followed by paid time off and the opportunity to build skills.
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Volunteering England
‘The Business Case for Employer Supported Volunteering’
Companies with employer supported volunteering programmes find that:
- Employees are proud to work for them
- Potential employees want to join them
- Customers feel good about buying from them
- Partners want to work with them
- Investors want to invest in them
- Local strategic partners welcome them to their area.
Employer supported volunteering can help a company’s:
- Reputation and credibility
- Recruitment and staff retention
- Staff morale and work performance
- Training and development
- Change management
- Government and regulatory relations.