Supporting employee volunteering can provide a wide range of benefits to an employer through:

Skills Development of Employees

• Develops skills such as communication, leadership, teamworking, project management, listening and negotiation, creativity, innovation and confidence through experience rather than formal training.
• Cheaper and more effective than training courses because staff are in unfamiliar environments and dependent on their own initiative
• Can provide the opportunity to practise new skills immediately after training courses
• Professional skills development for younger staff
• Exposure to the strategic management of a whole organisation

Improving Organisational Cohesion

• Very effective team building
• Improved understanding between staff from different departments or levels of seniority

Boosting Staff Attitudes and Morale (leading to improved staff retention)

• Opportunity to have a fun day out of the office
• Chance for staff to gain recognition
• Increases staff pride in the company
• Generates a “feel good factor “

Enhancing Company Profile

• Secures positive media coverage
• Raises local profile through making a visible impact on the community
• Effective contribution to the corporate social responsibility agenda
• Enhances company reputation as a corporately responsible employer
• Genuine contribution to the local community – “giving something back“
• Knock-on effect in terms of recruitment

Understanding and working with the wider Community

• Establish relationships at all levels in the local community
• Increases staff awareness of community issues, eg. diversity