If an employee volunteers 10 hours with the Boys and Girls Clubs, for example, the company pays for the 11th hour of time. A valuable initiative would be to educate employees about volunteerism informing them of what it is, how to approach it, how to have impact and where the needs are. People don't know how to find or choose from volunteer opportunities, except to respond when asked. A proactive approach could help get those efforts more in line with the business' objectives. Some companies have intranets that serve as clearinghouses for volunteer opportunities.
Employees can find out where to be active and submit suggestions for company involvement.
This could extend to matching employees with board or committee positions with organizations that are important to the business. Recognition may be as simple as a certificate of appreciation or as complex as special events or a volunteer of the year program. Regardless, such an effort is almost certain to make employees feel better about the company and their role, and positively reinforce volunteerism. The Future of Employee Volunteerism Employee volunteerism is one of the fastest-growing community investment activities in North America and the future is bright. It also helps attract, develop and retain employees.