What Does Volunteering Do For Your Workplace?
Workplace culture is extremely important in a company. We're not just talking about fun activities and events like Casual Fridays or Happy Hours. At its core, workplace culture is about how people feel when they come to work every day. Do they feel valued, heard, and motivated? Or do they feel like they have to drag themselves through the workday? Surprisingly, workplace volunteering can actually help you build a strong company culture. How? Volunteering gives employees a chance to make a real impact and an opportunity to connect with their colleagues in a meaningful way.
Volunteering in the workplace became popular with millennials and Gen Z employees, who are mostly looking to work for a purpose. They want their companies to stand for something bigger than profits. According to Deloitte's Gen Z and Millennial Survey, nearly half of millennials and Gen Z workers said they would leave their jobs within two years if their company's values didn't align with their own. That should encourage companies to provide volunteering opportunities, and fortunately, most do. After all, when staffers contribute to causes close to their hearts, they develop skills and build relationships with their peers. This results in higher employee engagement, improved job satisfaction, and stronger loyalty. It's a win-win for everyone. Let's explore some of the benefits of workplace volunteering and show you how you can incorporate it into your company culture.
3 Perks Of Volunteering That Prove Its Worth
1. Boosting Morale
Work can get repetitive sometimes, and volunteering can be a nice change. When employees take a break from their tasks to help others, they change pace and start seeing things more positively, which can reflect on their work. Employees leave volunteering feeling accomplished and grateful, and with a sense of purpose. Not to mention, that boost isn't temporary. Studies show that volunteering can lower stress levels, reduce feelings of burnout, and increase happiness overall. It also makes people more resilient, as they get back to work with a positive mindset, ready to face challenges and be more productive.
2. Building Better Teams
Volunteering breaks down the usual workplace barriers. When leaders, managers, and employees work side by side for a good purpose, there are no job titles or positions, just a group of people giving back to the community. These shared experiences create authentic and deep connections as people start seeing each other's strengths, empathy, and problem-solving abilities. Volunteering also encourages communication and teamwork in a collaborative and low-pressure environment.
3. Creating An Empathetic Culture
Employees develop empathy when they step out of their everyday lives and work with people from different backgrounds, life experiences, or communities. Suddenly, work issues or other concerns seem minor compared to what's going on around us, and we start seeing people as humans with stories and struggles of their own. Volunteering creates natural opportunities for people to learn about lives that might be very different from their own. And when employees bring those experiences back to the workplace, they have more compassion and open-mindedness, creating a more inclusive environment where differences are respected.
How To Integrate Volunteering Into Workplace Culture
Involve Leaders
If leadership doesn't care about volunteering, employees won't either. Culture change starts with what leaders prioritize, and if they start practicing volunteerism, the rest of the organization will follow. So, how can leaders do this? Simply by showing up, even if the volunteering activities are small. Even better, leaders can encourage employees to share a cause they want to help with, and the company can organize volunteering activities based on these suggestions. This kind of support makes employees feel seen and valued, not just as workers, but as people with passions and concerns.
Volunteer Time Off
Work and life can get busy, and people don't always have the time to dedicate work hours to volunteering. That's where volunteer time off (VTO) comes in. By offering paid time off specifically for volunteering, companies give employees permission to contribute to causes they care about without sacrificing their work hours. Plus, this shows that the company truly values its social impact. Some companies offer a day or two per year, while others provide more. In the end, what matters most is setting clear guidelines and making it easy for employees to take advantage of the program.
Partner With Local NGOs
If you really want to build a lasting impact and a meaningful culture, focus on building long-term partnerships with local nonprofits. Why local? These are the organizations making a real difference in the communities where your employees live and work. At the same time, local partnerships create opportunities for more activities, such as quarterly volunteer events, joint awareness campaigns, or ongoing fundraising support. The key is finding causes that align with your company values and your employees' passions.
Organize Company-Wide Volunteer Days
One of the most fun ways to make workplace volunteering part of your culture is through company-wide volunteer days. These events allow employees from all levels and departments to come together outside the office and contribute to something big. The best part? Volunteer days often lead to connections. For example, you might find your CFO teaming up with a junior developer or a marketing manager collaborating with someone from the customer service team. To make these days successful, choose activities that are inclusive and accessible to everyone, and provide options so employees can pick something that resonates with them.
Try Skills-Based Volunteering
Sometimes, the most meaningful work comes when employees use their professional skills to help nonprofits solve real-world challenges. This is called skills-based volunteering, and it's a rewarding way for employees to give back. For instance, a marketing team could help a nonprofit redesign its website or launch a social media campaign. Skills-based volunteering benefits everyone, as nonprofits get quality work they might not otherwise afford, and employees feel fulfilled using their talents to make a real difference.
Reward Participation
Lastly, recognition matters. People want to know their efforts are noticed and appreciated. When you celebrate employees' volunteer contributions, you encourage them further. Rewards don't have to be big. You can share your volunteer activities on LinkedIn, give shout-outs during team meetings, create an annual "Volunteer of the Year" award, or give an extra day off per employee each time they participate in workplace volunteering. The more you celebrate it, the more employees will want to get involved.
Conclusion
If you're thinking about bringing volunteering into your workplace, make it natural. Maybe start with small activities and then move on to bigger ones. Remember to keep it consistent, though. Over time, you will create a culture where people feel connected, motivated, and proud of where they work. That will spread to your teams, community, and the world, creating a lasting impact. If volunteering wasn't part of your business goals, it definitely should be.
