The CIPD, the professional body for HR, said that they welcome a focus on the corporate volunteering agenda. A new report from the CIPD, ‘From Big Society to the big organisation: the role of organisations in supporting employee volunteering’, includes survey data that reveals that 39 per cent of large organisations already offer paid time for their employees to take part in volunteering opportunities, with an additional 23 per cent offering unpaid time.
Furthermore, many employers recognise the skills that volunteering opportunities can help individuals to develop. More than nine in ten of employers who offer time for staff to volunteer believe that it provides a personal development opportunity for employees.
The top three skills candidates with volunteering experience demonstrate according to employers, are teamwork, communication and an understanding of the local community.
However, despite these positive findings, currently only 39 per cent claim that volunteering is formally embedded into staff development or engagement plans – a number the CIPD would like to see increase.
Peter Cheese, Chief Executive at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, comments: “Our research shows that corporate volunteering benefits businesses and their employees, as well as the communities in which they work.
Not only does it help businesses build stronger roots in their local communities, but it also gives employees an invaluable opportunity to develop new skills and give something back. It can also form part of a new relationship between organisations and their employees, helping them to attract and retain the right talent to meet their wider business objectives.
“We’re pleased to see this agenda being championed, one that the CIPD is also committed to. We will be producing additional resources for our members seeking to introduce corporate volunteering in their organisations and embed it into staff development plans, as well as building on the success of our own volunteering opportunities, including our Steps Ahead Mentoring programme. The announcement raises important questions about how the three volunteering days will be administered and resourced and we look forward to consulting with our members and inputting in terms of the details.”
Image: Volunteering by Shutterstock
