I think it’s safe to say that most people today are experiencing some level of anxiety, uneasiness and stress about the state of our economy. With job losses mounting at a rapid clip, retirement accounts and property values evaporating just as fast, it’s no wonder. And the negative impact this is all having in the workplace is challenging many companies to find new ways to keep their employees happy, productive and engaged.
One powerful and cost-effective strategy your company can leverage is a formalized employee volunteer program. A strategically aligned program not only helps your employees develop new skills, it helps to boost morale and teamwork among employees. At the same time it helps to address the growing needs in the nonprofit community.
According to a February 2009 survey of major US corporations conducted by The Conference Board, 45 percent of companies surveyed anticipate dedicating more resources this year towards their volunteerism programs. This is great news. Unfortunately, volunteer programs remain absent from the vast majority of businesses today.
Don’t let today’s economic climate keep your company from enhancing, enriching and transforming the lives of your employees and those in your community. Now is the perfect time to invest in a traditional or skills-based employee volunteer program.
The skill-building aspect of volunteering is a great notion that can work on a micro-level too. A boss can encourage an employee to volunteer as a way to build skills where there is no money for a training program and no opportunity for on-the-job training at the company. Many more people would volunteer in this fashion if their boss encouraged it and it was a part of their normal work day.
Wonderful post. In addition to building skills, an employee volunteer program can strengthen a company’s stated values. Many sabbatical programs, for example, restrict employees to volunteering for certain causes. Patagonia’s sabbatical program requires employees to volunteer for environmental non-profits (that’s definitely part of the company’s values). IBM has one, too. See http://www.yourSABBATICAL.com for other examples.