6 Tips for Implementing an Employee Volunteer Program

One driving force behind these compelling statistics is the fact that employees actually want to work for a company that promotes CSR, especially volunteerism. This blog provides six strategies to help harness and leverage the power of employee volunteer programs to enhance employee satisfaction and make meaningful contributions to society.

1. HAVE A CLEAR PLAN AND GUIDELINES

The first part of a strategy is to decide what success will look like for the company. What are the objectives of the volunteer program — is there a set employee engagement target or social outcome target?

You also need to provide guidelines. Employees must be given clear guidance on what can and cannot count as volunteer work. For example, will both skill-based and hands-on volunteerism count? Are any nonprofits excluded from volunteer programs? Additionally, the plan must also include how departments or site offices will manage employee volunteer programs. Having these written guidelines will make the approval process efficient.

2. ADDRESS ISSUES EMPLOYEES CARE ABOUT

An easy way to ensure a high level of employee engagement is to support causes that employees are passionate about. One way to get this information is to have employees complete an electronic survey. A 100% response rate is not guaranteed, but those who respond are likely to participate enthusiastically. Empowering employees to have input is a strong message showing employees that leadership trusts and values their opinions.

3. BE EMPLOYEE-DRIVEN, BUT HAVE STRONG LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT

Leadership support of CSR shows employees that the company’s commitment is “more than just talk.” As mentioned above, employees should be key influencers of activities, but leaders need to be CSR advocates as well. Publically, company executives should volunteer themselves and report on the importance and progress of CSR activities at events such as annual meetings. It is equally important, executives to actively solicit feedback from EVP organizers, as well as recognize and thank employees for their service; a written thank you note or personalized email still makes a difference. Without leadership commitment, employees may feel like they are being pushed to do something that the company does not value.

4. MAKE THE VOLUNTEER PROCESS SIMPLE AND FUN

5. EMPOWER EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEER AMBASSADORS

Decentralize the management and motivation of employee engagement by appointing EVP Ambassadors in various departments or office locations. These Ambassadors will be responsible for driving any office-specific CSR or employee volunteer program engagements, working as a liaison between leadership and staff, and getting staff excited about the volunteer opportunities. The CSR team will most likely have volunteers for EVP Ambassadors, but the people who take the time to be EVP Ambassadors deserve a reward for their efforts. Some ideas for incentives include an extra day of paid time off, gift cards, or office perks such as a priority parking space.

6. MEASURE ENGAGEMENT AND IMPACT

As with any other business operation, CSR/EVP efforts need to be actively tracked and analyzed. CSR leaders should work with these Employee Volunteer Program Ambassadors to get a pulse on which programs have high engagement, what needs to be adjusted, and what programs might need to be discontinued. CSR managers need to manage what matters, such as:

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