Volunteer Programs Boost Job Satisfaction

Employer-sponsored volunteer programs can build goodwill within local communities and improve a company’s image. They can also help retain employees by teaching new skills and increasing their confidence, according to a 2023 global survey and report conducted by Edge Research for investment company Ares Management.

In the study of more than 5,000 full-time workers across the U.S., India, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and the U.K., researchers found that 79 percent of employees who volunteer through employer-sponsored programs are satisfied with their jobs, compared to 55 percent who don’t volunteer that way. However, developing a company volunteer program requires HR departments and managers to work together to ensure they have time, resources and usually some financing, all of which may be scarce at small companies.

At DailyRemote, a New York City-based online jobs board for remote employees, HR talent acquisition specialist Daniel Wolken recalls that creating a volunteer program in 2019 “with just three of us in HR and a $5,000 budget wasn’t easy.”

“For other companies starting out, especially small ones, my advice would be to take it gradually,” Wolken says. “Rolling it out step by step lets you better organize and adapt as needed. In our case, with 50-plus employees worldwide, the program has been really rewarding for morale.”

To create a strong foundation for a company volunteer program built to last, experts recommend that HR departments take the following steps and closely involve managers—who will most likely be called upon to model the program—every step of the way.

Pick a cause. The beneficiary of a company volunteer program can be based on a number of societal needs, such as addressing homelessness, climate change or racial inequity. Regardless of which organization they choose to support, HR departments should work with managers to make sure the chosen cause interests their teams and isn’t just the pet project of their CEO.

“Volunteer programs may fizzle despite executive buy-in if employees feel like they don’t have ownership and the ability to decide on the nonprofits and causes that their organizations support,” says Lee Fabiaschi, vice president for employee engagement and community impact at Ares Management in New York City.

Another factor to consider is the age of the employee volunteers. Ares’ study cuts across four distinct generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z. Ares recommends determining ahead of time what interests your employees and how they want the program to work.

“With that comes different priorities and desires,” Fabiaschi says. “A workplace volunteer program that addresses all employees’ needs and interests might not be possible, so employers should consider a variety of options to engage workers in volunteer activities.”

Use your employees’ skills. When managers are called upon to support a company volunteer program, they should ensure their employees are matched with organizations that can best use their expertise. For example, Common Impact, a New York City-based organization of 25 remote workers who run virtual and in-person volunteer events, recently worked with America Needs You, a local nonprofit that provides first-generation college students with interviewing and resume advice.

“We did the project while we were [on an] annual retreat, and it was a deeply rewarding team-building experience in support of an exceptional group of young people whose futures look bright,” says Leila Saad, Common Impact’s CEO. “Volunteer programs don’t have to be big or flashy. Something as simple as reviewing a resume can create a profound and lasting impact on a person.”

Secure funding. Once your volunteer program is determined, HR should work with managers to decide whether the program will be in person or virtual, how many volunteers will be needed, and how much time they’ll need to commit. HR and managers should then present the plan to senior leaders to ensure that they’re on board and will fund the program. Companies can spend as little as $2,000 to $5,000 to start a program, Saad says, although larger corporations typically invest more.

Provide necessary training. HR and managers should work with the volunteer organization they choose to ensure it provides appropriate guidelines and safety rules to protect the company and its employees.

“Oftentimes, [nonprofits] assume that working with volunteers is as easy as having them walk in and get them working, no paperwork involved,” says Michelle D. Jimenez, SHRM-SCP, director of human resources at Settlement Housing Fund, which creates affordable-housing programs in New York City. “That’s far from the truth. There are many factors you need to consider—labor laws, documentation, creating volunteers’ job descriptions, spelling out the work they’ll do and supervising them.”

This, she says, may require ­collaboration between the employer and the nonprofit. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has strict guidelines for what constitutes a volunteer at a nonprofit and what doesn’t. If companies don’t take that into account, they could be setting up their organization—and the nonprofit—for lawsuits. HR should work with nonprofit managers to develop volunteer job descriptions in line with DOL standards.

Get executive support. HR and team managers should strongly encourage their senior executives to support and participate in the volunteer activity.

“Our research points out how important it is for corporate leaders to model volunteerism,” says Michelle Armstrong, managing director, head of philanthropy and executive director of the Ares Charitable Foundation. “More than half of those surveyed for our global study [53 percent] say that they might not participate in a workplace volunteer program if those senior to them don’t make it a priority. They make clear that standing shoulder to shoulder with executives at a volunteer site makes the program feel more authentic.”

Monitor your program. Once the program is up and running, HR, with the support of managers, should track participation, costs, compliance, time commitments, rewards, and challenges and tweak the program as needed.

“It’s important to note that some of these steps may run simultaneously, especially once the program gets rolling,” Jimenez says.

Acknowledge the volunteers’ efforts. This might include a small gift, such as a company coffee mug or a simple “thank you” in the company newsletter. But managers should make sure their employees don’t feel they’re forced to volunteer or else they’ll disengage, Ares says.

Don’t go it alone. For one-person HR departments, limited time and funding for nonessential efforts such as volunteer programs may mean having to lean on other employees within the company to help. In developing a volunteer program for a previous small employer, Ricky Torres, SHRM-CP, now HR operations manager at 3M in Michigan and Ohio, created a committee of employees representing different departments.

Torres says the committee met at least once per month to plan service projects throughout the year, including collecting holiday gifts for families in need and having employees serve food to homeless people during work hours. By giving everyone a voice, the committee helped increase engagement. In addition to providing extra hands to assist with the work, it also opened the door to new ideas.

“There may be different ways to contribute, different ways to volunteer, that you may not know exist,” Torres says. “But by getting other people involved, you get different perspectives.”

Large companies can simply write a check to a local charity, but community groups also need hands-on volunteers.

“If you’re a small employer, you can incentivize employees by giving them four hours of time off every quarter so they can go and volunteer,” Torres says. “There’s a lot of ways to help out.”

He offers one final piece of advice: Don’t think you have to do it alone. “Just because you’re an HR department of one,” he says, “doesn’t mean you can’t find other stakeholders to help you.” People managers can be a key resource in lending support and driving participation. 

Dana Wilkie is a freelance writer in Panama City, Panama.