Research shows that volunteer participation is highly effective in improving employee well-being.
For companies worried about falling levels of well-being in the workplace, one important place to focus is on employee volunteering programs.
Research on the impact of popular workplace wellness offerings and programs found that the only kind of program with a tangible positive impact on well-being was volunteering.
“It instills a bit more social meaning … into people’s jobs, especially if you’re working for a big corporate global organization [where] it can feel like you’re just making money for ‘the man’ and spinning paper sheets around,” explains William Fleming, sociologist and research fellow at the University of Oxford and author of the study.
A lack of social connection is one of the main factors driving lower levels of well-being in the workplace. New research suggests that loneliness in the workplace is more widespread in the workplace than previously imagined, and less visible than you might think. For example, remote workers might be at a higher risk for loneliness than on-site workers, but there are still plenty of on-site workers with chronic levels of loneliness.
Learn strategies from other great workplaces at the For All Summit™ April 8-10 in Las Vegas!
In addition to the social connection found during volunteer activities, research also shows a link between volunteering and happiness on an individual level. When you volunteer, well-being improves.
Great Place To Work® research also shows that volunteering is good for your workplace culture. When employees say they feel good about the ways their company contributes to the community, they are 60% more likely to report high levels of well-being.
How to increase participation in volunteering
Great workplaces like those that make the PEOPLE® Companies that Care list offer great lessons on how to increase volunteer participation across your organization.
Cisco, for example, boasts an impressive 80% participation rate in its volunteer programs, a feat which has earned it top honors on the Companies that Care list in 2023 and 2024. But they’re not the only company with innovative ways to get employees engaged with volunteer programs. Check out these ideas:
1. Make a volunteer day part of your annual calendar
While you might have missed the window to do something for International Volunteer Day on Dec. 5, you can create your own day to engage employees around giving back to their community. If you’re ambitious, make the day into a week of events.
DHL Group celebrates a Global Volunteer Day for a two-week period across its global workforce in September and October. Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2023, the program has had 3 million employees participate with 3.1 million hours of volunteer work over that time.
The company hosts approximately 2,000 activities each year, and employees can search for opportunities near them via DHL’s “myVolunteering” microsite.
2. Empower employees with opportunities that match their passions
For large companies, it’s often more effective to support projects that employees already pursue on their own than it is to build a volunteer program from scratch.
At Bank of America, team members can volunteer for causes that are local and match their personal interests as part of Global Service Month celebrated each April. Activities in the past include supporting veterans, caring for shelter animals, fighting hunger, or running races on behalf of a nonprofit.
Salesforce offers additional paid time off for volunteering, which allows employees to donate their time to causes that they choose.
3. Help employees use their expertise to give back
Salesforce also runs a pro bono program that allows employees to contribute their professional expertise to non-profit organizations. For example, employees can offer their skills in areas like marketing, project management, and software development to nonprofits that need support.
Visa created a mentorship program called “Bridge for Billions,” where its employees can meet one-on-one with small businesses from underrepresented communities around the world over a five-month period. Visa employees help their partners define a business strategy, develop financial projections, and create growth plans.
4. Use your technology to connect employees with opportunities
HR platforms that communicate and connect employees across the enterprise can also be leveraged for increasing volunteer participation.
At Mastercard, its internal talent marketplace “Unlocked” not only connects employees with job opportunities and gigs within the company but also hosts the application process for external volunteer opportunities like its “Racial Justice Pro Bono” program.
Salesforce built its own internal platform for volunteer opportunities called “Volunteerforce.” The platform matches employees with opportunities that fit their interests and schedule, helping workers find ways to give back.
5. Partner with your employee resource groups
Your employee resource groups (ERGs) can be essential communities to direct volunteer efforts. At Dow, its ERG for veterans works with Team Rubicon to deploy volunteers to areas affected by natural disasters like tornadoes and hurricanes.
ERGs can also become a community of committed individuals that boost overall participation. For First American Financial, its ERGs engaged in a friendly competition during National Volunteer Month in 2023 to donate items to food banks.
6. Use recognition programs to promote volunteering
Create an awards program to celebrate employees who go above and beyond to donate their time and resources to important causes in the community.
At First American Financial, employees can receive Caring Eagle Awards for their philanthropic efforts. First launched in 2018, a total of 36 individuals and 22 teams have been recognized to date.
You can also make philanthropy a part of your wider recognition efforts with rewards for employees to give to a local charity of their choice. Hyatt Hotels donated $1 for every digital message sent by employees during its global “Gift of Gratitude” campaign, incentivizing employes to share messages of gratitude with each other.
The funds benefited select nonprofits targeting issues from water conservation and the environment to fighting human trafficking.
Volunteering can have a profound impact on your culture, boosting pride in the workplace. You don’t have to wait until next year’s International Volunteer Day to get started. The best companies are finding ways to get employees involved all year round.
Join us in Las Vegas!
Register for the next For All Summit™, April 8-10, to connect with leaders and experts from great workplaces around the world.
