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Author and speaker Simon Sinek once said, “Great leaders are willing to sacrifice the numbers to save the people. Poor leaders sacrifice the people to save the numbers.” These words can have a far-reaching impact within your company, should you choose to heed them. As you are likely aware of, running a successful business is about much more than just the numbers. Obviously, the business does not exist without them. But those numbers do not exist without people. This natural give and take must be considered at every turn. Especially when it comes to how your employees make use of their working hours. In fact, a practical approach is probably necessary here.
Companies have begun innovating in this respect by giving their employees paid volunteer days where, instead of reporting to work they assist the local community in some way. The idea of letting employees take additional time away from work responsibilities on top of their regular paid-time-off may be unfamiliar at best. At worst, you may recoil out of surprise or lack of interest in doling out more free time for employees who cost you a pretty penny. That is not to say these employees are not worth their salt so to speak. However, the reality of running a business demands those to charge to make extremely wise financial decisions. Without these happening on a round-the-clock basis, a bright red bottom line is imminent.
With this in mind, you might be averse to the idea of paid volunteer days. But there is a reason why they were mentioned in the first place – paid volunteer days can be incredibly beneficial. To find out more, please continue reading.
1. It furthers a positive relationship between employer and employee
Unless you have been living under a rock for a while now, you are very much aware of the shift in the working public’s general sentiment towards their employers. Long gone are the days of unimpeachable devotion to a company or brand simply because they sign the paycheck. The era of personal choice and empowerment has been upon us for a long time now. With it has come the average employee’s desire, or demands, for a healthier workplace.
“People want a give and take relationship with their employer because that is how the majority of human relationships work,” said John Berry, CEO and Managing Partner at Berry Law. “If they do not feel this in their present workplace, they are usually happy to go elsewhere.”
This point boils down very simply – employees want to be treated as humans. As an extension of this, they want to see that their employer cares about much more than the bottom line. If said employer chooses to use its extra resources to help people in need, then the employees will certainly take notice of this. Especially if they are the ones given the opportunity by their company to help others.
“I introduced volunteer time off a few years ago and it really changed the working relationships in the office,” said Maegan Griffin, Founder, CEO and nurse practitioner at Skin Pharm. “By taking our professional relationships out of this setting and substituting in a real human element like volunteering, those relationships are bound to grow.”
2. Employees themselves can benefit from it
Volunteering can look like anything under the sun. On one hand, you have the traditional approaches such as assisting in manual labor or spending meaningful time with children. On the other hand, you can have endeavors such as designing websites for free. No matter the actual task at hand, volunteering is about nothing more than lending a helping hand. But what if that helping hand went both ways for your employees who elect to use paid volunteer days? The truth is, it already does.
“Volunteering does something for the human spirit that I can’t quite put my finger on,” said Woody Sears, Founder of Autio. “It’s like it allows the helper to get outside of their head for however long they’re helping. I can’t think of many other things in life that do that.”
To break this point down a little further, helping others is a massive benefit to your mental health. Science has even proven this – people who volunteer regularly are generally less stressed out. Furthermore, these same people generally maintain a higher level of positivity than most. Of all that is written here, this might be the most convincing argument for implementing this practice.
“Imagine helping the needy people close to your company while also improving the mental health of your employees,” said Jae Pak, Founder of Jae Pak MD Medical. “It kind of makes you sound like a non-profit yourself but really, this is what happens when companies pay for their employees to volunteer somewhere.”
3. The local community can benefit from it
Up to this point, we have only discussed what paid volunteer days can do for you. But maybe the most important question worth asking is what can those paid volunteer days do for your community? More than you realize, actually. To paint a picture, some companies have been able to build entire houses while others have put together community gardens which serve the local neighborhood. These types of things are a massive benefit to your local community.
“Many western, and especially non-western, communities still have areas of need and do not have the resources to make this a reality,” said Sara Alshamsi, Chief Operating Officer at Big Heart Toys. “Your company might be able to fill in a couple of these gaps and really make a difference.”
This corporate helping hand can go much deeper than just a physical gift of something. What many people do not realize about the needy or neglected, is that while they do have a litany of physical needs, there is none stronger than their need for human connection. Those who are the recipient of volunteer work tend to be the people who do not necessarily blend in with society. This has resulted in them being alienated from people in some fashion. This is a lifestyle no human deserves.
“The people who benefit from your company’s paid volunteer days might remember the act of generosity shown to them,” said Dr. Michael Green, Chief Medical Officer at Winona. “But they will definitely remember the time you took to care for them and see them as a person.”
4. It furthers a positive relationship between the company and the public
That final point about connecting with people can have spider-web-like benefits. You see, when people have a positive experience with anything, a type of food, a new song, or even a business, they tend to tell the other people in their lives about this. In turn, those people become interested in the same item. If this trend sounds familiar, that is because you might know it as word of mouth advertising. It has a very real presence in the volunteer world.
“Nowadays, thanks to the internet, people are much more aware of everything. Including each and every step your company takes,” said George Fraguio, Vice President of Bridge Lending from Vaster Capital. “This can be daunting or it can be a perk – If you help others, they will remember you.”
However, this is not to say your company will become memorable simply by implementing paid volunteer days. As stated above, society as a whole is very much aware of the minute details of business. Maybe to a fault. But, you must account for this. If the public sees or believes you are delving into volunteering simply for the publicity of if, they will be quick to turn a cold shoulder. As a remedy to this, ensure your company and employees are helping where it is relevant.
“Say your company specializes in construction. It doesn’t make sense to volunteer time or efforts to a non-profit focused on agriculture,” said Brittany Harrer-Dolin, Co-Founder of Pocketbook Agency. “If this company helped out in a lane that it is more suited to, the sailing would be much smoother.”
5. Education and professional growth opportunities
To branch off that last quote, there is much to be gained by a company and its employees when they decide to volunteer in a capacity that pertains to them. Instead of floundering their way through an entirely unfamiliar setting with a non-profit that cannot relate to them, they can apply what they know in a helpful manner. Out of this will hopefully come exposure to and growth of new skills which can be quite the windfall for your company.
“I’ve seen employees have their entire professional career change by participating in a single non-profit event,” said Miles Beckett, CEO and Co-Founder of Flossy. “Obviously, this is the exception to the norm but it is not unheard of for employees to add to their resume via volunteering.”
Practically speaking, this acquisition of knowledge will only happen if the employees pursue it. Afterall, they are the captains of their time away from work. That being said, you can nudge this growth a little by presenting your employees with volunteer opportunities in areas that are highly specific to them.
“Partnering your company with a non-profit that exists in the same sector will do wonders for your company,” said Caleb Ulffers, CEO of Haven Athletic. “Not only are your employees able to make a difference, they can also pick up relevant skills along the way.”
Stepping into the world of volunteering as a company can be quite the time. But this time is what you make of it. To encourage you in this endeavor, consider the words of former US President Bill Clinton, “Volunteering is an act of heroism on a grand scale. And it matters profoundly. It does more than help people beat the odds; it changes the odds.”
