Not all Employee Volunteering Programs Are Created Equal

Understanding what kind of EVP your company has may be the key to the success you've been looking for.

Not all volunteering is the same.

For example, if you show up at a non-profit once a year, volunteer for the day, and post a facebook photo of yourself in your newly earned t-shirt....well, I guess that’s one type of volunteering. On the other hand, if you return on a regular basis to the same non-profit, develop a relationship with the people who work there, give financially to the organization, and promote their cause to your friends - that’s entirely different. These examples are both “volunteering” - but the latter offers rewards that the former simply cannot give.

Making Distinctions

When it comes to employee volunteer programs, the difference lies between annual “Impact Days” and long-term partnerships agreed to by a company and a non-profit. Understanding the differences is essential for an effective assessment of any EVP.

A recent study in the UK performed by Corporate Citizenship surveyed 546 employees about their experiences with employer-supported volunteering. The study was limited to volunteering that occurred in schools and colleges. The report, Volunteering – The Business Case, was commissioned by the City of London Corporation.

While the report provides a wealth of information, the most important aspect is the distinction it makes between various types of volunteering activities. “It is also important to note that different volunteering activities are more effective in developing specific skills and competencies.” 

Doesn’t sound like rocket science, but these distinctions are rarely noted by companies - in fact, most companies approach volunteering as if its is entirely one-dimensional. Activities are often lumped  together in large groups which limits what a company can learn about the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of the program. It also eclipses key pieces of data could be (and should be) used for improvement.

Experience First

Try thinking of it this way: If your employees volunteered for a 4-hour “Day of Service,” what skills would you expect them to glean and bring back to their jobs? Any? How about a sense of how to effectively build teams or problem-solve or manage crises? No? Of course not. Nobody learns these skills well in just one day.

What did the “Day of Service” achieve? Let’s see....it was fun, right? It provided half a day out of the office and an opportunity to new people in the company. It was a chance to do something helpful for the community and an opportunity to learn about a potentially unfamiliar social issue. 

Most importantly, it was an experience - an opportunity to discover something. Typically, 42% of those who volunteer through your company will be volunteering for the very first time. Episodic volunteer events offer a chance to fall in love with volunteering.

But that’s it.

Taking it to the Next Level

It’s a start. Falling in love with volunteering is an essential stage of the journey. Unfortunately, the returns most companies and communities are hoping for from employee volunteering won’t happen until the later stages, which we’ve explained here.

The problem with most employee volunteering programs is that only a handful offer the opportunity for employees to volunteer at their “highest level of contribution.” If companies hope to realize the promised benefits of employee volunteering, its time to pave the way for partnerships with nonprofits that enable significant and long-term opportunities. Read further discussion on doing this here.

If your company is interested in taking its employee volunteering program to the next level, you may want to schedule a Canvas Design workshop. Just contact us at the info below:


chrisjarvis@realizedworth.com - or - 
angela@realizedworth.com
317.371.4435

Not all Employee Volunteering Programs Are Created Equal

Reflection: The (Missing) Key to True Impact

Corporate Volunteering is mostly about activity - unfortunately. Like presenting a dozen roses on Valentine's Day to someone who doesn't want them, activity is worthless when its missing the regular practice of reflection.

Why do companies implement employee volunteering programs? I mean, really - why bother?

Most of us have heard at least bits and pieces of the long list of benefits that are said to accompany a solid EVP. For example, employees who volunteer are naturally more engaged overall with their jobs. The companies these kinds of employees work at experience 26% higher revenue per employee, 13% total higher total returns to shareholders, and a 50% higher market premium. (Read the article where these stats came from here.) Here's bunch more from the typical list:

Benefits of Corporate Volunteering:

• Improved community perception and marketing potential 
• Creation of positive culture of caring and community service 
• Improved communications as people from different sites, departments and levels of seniority work together on social community initiatives
• A license to operate through the approval of local community by the demonstration of good social policy practice
• Improved relationships with customers who increasingly demand information about corporate-citizenship activities
• More effective networking through community links
• Improved morale and motivation
• Lower staff turnover (which attracts and maintains good employees)
• Better company relations
• Positive effect on productivity
• Greater employee fulfillment
• Skill and ability increase for employees
• Reduced absenteeism and fewer labour stoppages
• Personal and professional growth which strengthens the workforce

Basically, the idea is that corporate volunteering begets engaged employees. And for companies who want to be seen as credible in their CSR strategy, employees are key. Especially lately - because lately, CSR is not just "nice to have." Lately, customers have started to expect your business to be socially responsible. When you want to influence your customer, where should you start? Your employees. It all circles back to the employees. (Read more about this in our interview with Carol Cone of Edelman.)

There is one, vital ingredient for realizing all these excellent benefits: Reflection.

Reflection

Reflection is the process of analyzing, questioning or reconsidering experiences within some type of framework (for example, poverty or homelessness). Reflection happens naturally immediately following any new activity as participants walk away, drive home, or discuss around the water cooler.

Despite the fact that we all reflect on our experiences to some degree or another, meaningful reflection (the kind that motivates change) is not always natural or easy. Sometimes we don’t know enough the issues to reflect on them in a meaningful way. Other times, we're busy and there’s just not a lot of time to just sit and consider what we’ve experienced. More often than not, we just don’t want to look stupid. Discussion is an important aspect of reflection and there's always a chance that in the course of conversation, we'll reveal how much we don't know. As colleagues, our lack of information is often the last thing we want to show each other.

But no reflection means no benefit. So, let's look at how to create safe and intentional space for critical reflection:

1. Hold casual “round table” meetings with everyone who volunteered to hear about their experience (I included some ideas for round table questions below.)
2. Have volunteer leaders present at a "Lunch & Learn" and explain what they did and why it was meaningful
3. Create social gatherings over lunch (or better yet, after work over beer) where employees can talk about volunteering with other employees who may be curious or want to share their concerns
4. Have volunteers write short blogs or use twitter to send out micro-blogs about their experiences. Be sure to have them invite questions and more dialogue on their thoughts.
5. Work with HR to incorporate reflection on these activities during performance reviews
6. Invite employees to include quotes or short blurbs about their experiences for the annual CSR report.

Here are some basic questions you may want to ask as part of a roundtable discussion to guide reflection:

1. Was your volunteering experience what you expected? 
2. Did you learn anything about yourself?
3. What kinds of things did you discover about the community you were working in?
4. What do you think your personal contributions were to the volunteering experience?
5. Have any of your values, opinions, beliefs been influenced by volunteering?
6. What is your biggest takeaway?
7. How have you been challenged?
8. What changes are you considering for yourself?

And if you'd like just a little more guidance toward reflective learning, here are a couple helpful sites:

A manual for facilitating reflection: http://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/reflection_manual/

The theory behind reflection: http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/fact_sheets/he_facts/he_reflection/

Introduction to developing reflective practice:

http://www.ukcle.ac.uk/resources/personal-development-planning/introduction

At Realized Worth we work with companies to design and implement outstanding employee volunteer programs. Contact us here: chrisjarvis@realizedworth.com, angela@realizedworth.com, 317.371.4435

Reflection: The (Missing) Key to True Impact

10 Essential Elements of Successful Volunteering & Giving Strategies

The 2010 LBG Canada benchmarking exercise produced a wealth of information and insight into the management approaches that underpin best practice in employer-supported programs. In reviewing the data, ten essential elements of successful volunteering and giving strategies are apparent. We are pleased to share them with you here. You can view the full results of the 2010 Benchmarking Survey here.

1 • Clear objectives

It may seem like common sense, but clear objectives are a surprisingly low priority for many volunteering and giving strategies. How can one be sure that their objectives are, in fact, clear? LBG Canada companies would ask you to consider the following: Are your objectives realistic and achievable? Can they be measured? Do they have set time limitations? Start with these simple questions and you’ll be on your way. 

When it comes to employee giving and volunteering, make sure your focus is on what matters most. Read our review on Microsoft's program here.

2 • Approved policies and procedures

While policy and procedure may not be the most exiting category to outline and implement, it is this element that will allow your employee volunteering and giving strategy to reward you with smooth operations – and more importantly – peace of mind. Approved policies and procedures include categories such as: criteria for sign-up, management approval, volunteer conduct and volunteer health & safety. Unfortunately, very few companies (and not one participant in the LBG Canada study) has a complete set of policies in place. In 2010, expect to see a major focus on improvement in this area.

For more guidance, be sure to check out this tool Angela and I helped produce “Mapping Success in Employee Volunteering: The Drivers of Effectiveness for Employee Volunteering and Giving Programs and Fortune 500 Performance”

3 • Executive buy-in

Speaking of smooth operations and peace of mind, nothing will settle the volunteering and giving waters more than executive buy-in. Just don’t forget: buy-in is only the beginning. 77% of the LBG Companies measured have executive buy-in in support of their programs, but less than 36% set targets for any form of participation. Less than half track participation. Ninety-six percent (96%) of companies support employee volunteering, yet only 29% have an organized program to recognize, thank and motivate volunteers. Prove to your execs that they made the right choice when they bought-in: set goals, measure everything, and keep your volunteers happy. 

Watch our video for more thoughts on how to create buy-in through proper motivation.

4 • Targets for annual participation & 5 • Tracking participation against targets

At the end of the year, when you’re asked to prove that your program was successful, you will probably say, “Yes, we had a 25% participation rate!” And….after a pause….you will be asked, “And how does that percentage demonstrate success?” Unless you can produce the targets for annual participation that you set at the beginning of the year, you won’t have anything to say. Set targets to demonstrate success and track participation against those targets. By doing these things you will have the information you need to prove success, renew funding and continue your valuable program. It’s that simple. 

But remember, participation rates don't necessarily equal success.

6 • Evaluation of results in order to improve

The more metrics you measure, the more results you will have to apply toward improving your company’s volunteering and giving strategy. The LBG Canada Benchmarking Survey is a clear example of this. With the survey, we can clearly see percentages that tell us the areas that are strong (executive buy-in), areas that need improvement (volunteer recognition), and areas that need to be addressed (clear program objectives). As the results are evaluated, it is important to include every relevant perspective such as: the volunteer, the community partner, and the business. 

 Find out more on measuring what matters.

7 • A complete communications strategy

Many volunteering and giving strategies are new as Corporate Social Responsibility is a relatively new phenomenon. We see companies scrambling to pull together a haphazard plan in order to to show that they at least have some kind of plan in place. LBG Canada companies, however, are learning together that a haphazard approach is simply not good enough; a complete communications strategy is essential. The goals of the strategy ought to include: methods for motivating involvement, recognizing volunteers, and reporting on program results.

Read more about our thoughts on strategy in this Inc. Magazine interview.

8 • Accountability for commitments

Even with executive buy-in, once a volunteering and giving strategy is implemented, promised involvement will often get lost in the intensity of other business initiatives. In order to keep this from happening, participants must be held accountable. What this looks like will be different for each organization, but should all include the following categories: executive involvement, manager involvement, board of director involvement, and managers required to encourage and support.

Here's an interesting Case Study on PwC's community investment program demonstrating the importance of executive buy-in. Especially when things go horribly wrong.

9 • Opportunities for feedback

An easy win for every volunteering and giving strategy can be found in offering direct opportunities for feedback. This allows for a sense of ownership and personal value. Be sure to offer this opportunity to: managers, employees and community partners. 

Remember when listening to feedback - not everyone is at the same stage in their volunteer experiences. It's important to account for this reality when reacting to feedback. Read more about the 3 Stages in the Journey of a Volunteer.

10 • Program flexibility re: employee schedules

When employees choose to be involved in something above and beyond their regular job requirements, one important reason for this is usually the fact that their personal needs are acknowledged. If the only opportunity for a single mom to volunteer takes place after 5:00 on weekdays, she is likely to feel devalued and unwanted. When the program offers flexibility for different levels of availability, employees feel valued and greater participation is possible.

Here are 3 reasons why flexibility is key to a successful employee volunteering strategy.

Contact Chris or Angela at Realized Worth here: 317.371.4435 or chrisjarvis@realizedworth.com, angela@realizedworth.com

Click the "hire us" tab above to learn more about what we can do for your company in the areas of corporate volunteering and social media. It's our favorite thing to talk about, so feel free to call or email with questions.

10 Essential Elements of Successful Volunteering & Giving Strategies