For purpose-driven companies, skills-based volunteering is a powerful way to boost employee engagement and make a genuine community impact. Here’s a practical guide to launching a programme that aligns employee strengths with community needs.
1. Identify Skills and Map Them to Community Needs
Survey employees to understand their skills and interests, then link these with the needs of local charities. For example, if your company has a design team, connect them with charities needing branding or website support. Platforms like VOLI make it easy to match skills with community needs seamlessly.
2. Set Clear Programme Goals and Metrics
Define objectives, such as employee engagement, volunteer hours, or specific community impacts. Metrics help employees see their efforts’ importance and enable you to track progress for CSR and ESG reporting. Key metrics might include hours volunteered, projects completed, or organisations supported.
3. Source or Create Flexible Volunteering Opportunities
Offer short-term or flexible commitments that fit into employees’ schedules, such as 1–2-hour sessions. Rock Agency, for instance, provides creative services to charities in manageable sessions, allowing employees to balance work with volunteering. Flexible programmes see greater participation and allow more employees to get involved.
4. Provide Recognition and Rewards
Recognise contributions to encourage participation. Show appreciation through internal communications, awards, or rewards such as gift cards or charitable donations on employees’ behalf. This reinforces a culture of impact, signalling that the company values its employees' contributions to the community.
5. Share Impact Stories
Highlight volunteering stories and impact to inspire others. Share these stories through internal channels, social media, and with clients. Celebrating and sharing outcomes boosts employee pride and shows your company’s commitment to social good, enhancing brand reputation.
A thoughtfully implemented skills-based volunteering programme yields extensive benefits, from enhanced employee engagement to tangible community impact. Start building a culture of purpose by using your team’s strengths for meaningful change. For assistance with your programme, VOLI offers tools to connect, track, and celebrate impact with ease.
