The gentler side of corporations (Web sight)

Encouraging employee volunteerism and promoting corporate social responsibility

Many employers are seeing the benefits of encouraging employees to spend time and effort volunteering in their communities. Just as individuals are motivated by a mix of altruism and self-interest in doing volunteer work, businesses often combine a desire to give back to the community and be seen as good corporate citizens with the benefit of improving employee morale and building team spirit. Other frequently cited bonuses in encouraging employees to become involved in volunteer work include the ability to attract and retain high-quality employees and make a positive impact on employee productivity. The following websites take a look at how organizations can encourage employee volunteerism and promote corporate social responsibility.

A framework for action

www.imagine.ca

The Imagine Caring Company program promotes public and corporate giving, volunteering and community support. Its program sets benchmarks for business leadership and its website provides a great deal of information on corporate citizenship. Under the main menu on the left side of the website’s home page is a list of links to what the organization offers. Click on “Corporate citizenship” and then “Leadership challenge” to see the organization’s framework for action. Called “Canadian Corporate Citizenship: The Leadership Challenge for CEOs and Boards,” this is designed to increase the impact and recognition of the corporate contribution to community building. Click on “Knowledge centre” for links to a long list of resources, including publications, statistics, business cases and metrics for corporate community investment. Under “Programs,” click on “Employee volunteerism” and then click on the link to “Engaging Employees in the Community: How to Establish Employer Supported Volunteerism in Your Company” for a step-by-step guide designed to help Canadian companies capture the benefits of volunteerism through the development of a comprehensive employee volunteer program.

Workplace benefits of volunteering

www.statcan.ca/english/studies/75-001/archive/2003/2003-04-01.pdf

This Statistics Canada PDF article, Volunteering on Company Time, examines the contribution of employers in supporting volunteer work, various types of employer support and the benefits of employer-supported volunteering. As the author points out, there are advantages to employers: “One benefit of volunteering is the variety of skills that can be gained and then used at work,” and “employees who acquire new skills may improve their sense of self-worth and thereby offer their employer a more productive employee.”

Getting employees on board

www.frameworkfoundation.ca/pdf/File_4.1%20KDC%20(Corp%20Programs).pdf

This PDF report, entitled Corporate Volunteer Programs: Maximizing Employee Motivation and Minimizing Barriers to Program Participation, outlines corporate volunteer programs and gives guidance to companies that want to motivate employees to participate in a corporate volunteer program. Published by the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, the article draws on a detailed study of one of the largest corporate volunteer programs in the country — the program run by the Ford Motor Company of Canada. The report identifies six major factors that influence employees’ interest in participating in the program: employees’ personal values, attitudes and objectives; the nature of the program; the kinds of volunteer opportunities available; company support for participation; personal support for volunteering; and degree of satisfaction with volunteer experiences. The report offers a series of recommendations, including “make it easy for employees to volunteer and then support their efforts” and “make the program as appealing as possible.” As the report points out, offering “time off work is a major motivating factor for many employees.”

How to plan a volunteer activity

www.volunteercalgary.ab.ca/CWVC/resources.html

This page of the Volunteer Calgary site provides resources on workplace volunteerism. A PDF, Planning an Employer Supported Volunteer Event, outlines the steps involved in planning a volunteer activity for employees. It provides advice about what to consider when choosing a cause to support, how to determine the resources required, the timing and location of the event, and how to leverage the event. Also on the web page is a section on “Tip sheets,” including those for managers, employee volunteers and even one on insurance. The site also provides links to case studies, training and development, as well as research and commentary.

Ann Macaulay is a freelance editor and regular contributor to Canadian HR Reporter. Her Web Sight column appears regularly in the CloseUp section.

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