An increasing number of corporations actively support the social volunteering of their employees - and everybody seems to profit from the arrangement. A new study, Hand in Hand - Corporate Volunteering asan instrument of organizational development in Germany, conducted by brands & values, looked at the positive influence corporately sponsered volunteering has on employee motivation, loyalty and attractiveness for new recruits.
Two empirical studies form the basis of the report: a questionaire distributed to 685 employees and new job applicants as well as another amongst 68 Human Resource managers. The latter shows that so far only few companies have installed corporate volunteering as a strategic instrument for their recruiting nd employee development processes. On the other hand, those international corporations which have done so, have reaped great benefits, such as Nokia’s - Helping Hands.
Energy supplier RWE connects its socially engaged employees via its intranet. The companies volunteer organisation RWE Companius publicises their activities and in 2008 supports at least 1000 projects with millions of Euros.
The Henkel Initiative “Miteinander im Team” (“together in a team”) can already look back on a long history. “Social engagement increases a companies attractiveness in the eyes of its employees” says the project leader and is “an essential element of our corporate culture and CSR-policy”.
Everybody benefits
Corporate Volunteering creates multiple win-win situations: social institutions profit from the engagements and expertise of corporate volunteers. They themeselves feel supported in their activities. As employees feature as a kind of ambassadors of their companies, the latter themselves aquire human traits (a fact which is especially important for huge, largely faceless corporations). At the same time an increasing number of consumers and even financial institutions and investors expect corporations to be “good citizens”. Volunteering enlarges the horizon of employees and enriches their competencies. And last, but not least, socially responsible corporations have a competative advantage when it comes to enlisting new recruits. 71% of the questioned job applicants stated that they would like to be involved in corporate volunteering.