How Abilities-Primarily based Volunteer Packages Can Increase Worker Satisfaction

At Comcast, Lisa Harmon, an enterprise account supervisor, is used to rising income and managing consumer wants. However by means of the corporate’s Workforce Up program, she’s increasing her expertise in a brand new manner — by giving again and rising past her day job.

By way of the corporate’s skills-based volunteer and worker engagement program, Harmon volunteered with Lifting Up Camden’s Youth, an after-school program in Camden, NJ.

“This was one thing fully out of the field for me, discovering grant cash, reaching out to organizations, and studying find out how to assist philanthropic organizations to drive engagement,” she mentioned. Harmon added that the expertise helped her develop public talking and networking expertise.

The chance to be taught new expertise by means of volunteering deepened Harmon’s dedication to Comcast. “I am having experiences that I’d have by no means had earlier than if it weren’t for a skills-based volunteer program,” she mentioned.

Firms are more and more keen to attach their staff with skills-based volunteering. On this mannequin, staff donate skilled expertise to an area nonprofit, permitting them to construct management and problem-solving expertise whereas serving to others.

“It appears counterintuitive, however for those who depart your desk to go volunteer, you might have a better degree of dedication and engagement to the agency,” mentioned Lee Fabiaschi, vice chairman and director of studying communities for the Ares Charitable Basis, part of Ares Administration Company, an funding administration firm.

Volunteering can assist staff construct new expertise at work

Rachel Hutchisson, the CEO of Widespread Affect, a company that works with firms to create skills-based volunteer initiatives, mentioned volunteering outdoors a office can assist staff develop as leaders and develop confidence. “You are serving to another person, you are growing expertise, you are constructing connection, you are being linked to the surface world,” she mentioned. “Typically, you are simply validating the talents you have already got that you do not understand are so beneficial to another person.”

As an illustration, Hutchisson mentioned if an worker is in an early-career finance position and needs to be a CFO, they may develop their skillset by serving to a nonprofit put together for an audit.

Blue Cross Blue Protect of Massachusetts works with Widespread Affect, a nonprofit group, to design skills-based volunteer packages. Lucy Darragh, the director of technique and social affect at Blue Cross Blue Protect of Massachusetts, advised Enterprise Insider that Widespread Affect gives steering on find out how to design a program that strategically meets the wants for growth and engagement whereas additionally benefiting the nonprofit.

This partnership led BCBS to supply two distinct alternatives: a short-term consulting engagement and an advisory partnership that lasts a number of months.

For the limited-time volunteer alternative, a staff of 4 or 5 associates will work with a nonprofit on a selected challenge for 3 weeks, offering a last deliverable on the finish of this system. “We assist scope a challenge that we expect will be achieved in three weeks, then we recruit a staff of individuals, usually of us who do not work collectively,” Darragh mentioned.

The long-term advisory engagement is comparable, however the timeline for the work is extra unfold out. In some circumstances, the advisory engagement will construct on the short-term consulting challenge.

Darragh mentioned skills-based volunteering gives a significant manner for workers to showcase the talents they use in an workplace and to see how these abilities might translate into a special surroundings.

“It additionally gives this particular layer of networking, teamwork, and connections that we have to deliberately domesticate in our hybrid work surroundings with of us throughout our group,” she mentioned.

At Ares, many younger professionals have participated within the firm’s skills-based volunteer program. Fabiaschi mentioned she’s seen that junior colleagues return to work with elevated confidence after volunteering. She added that the expertise has additionally created a way of camaraderie amongst staff who work on the identical tasks.

Ares lately launched its 2025 Summer time of Service with 60 world volunteer occasions. The agency mentioned it is anticipated to have interaction as much as 1,100 volunteers.

construct volunteer alternatives at work

For firms seeking to begin a skills-based volunteer program, Fabiaschi suggests beginning small and giving staff “selection and voice.” She mentioned firms ought to first set up an employee-led committee to search out out which sort of volunteering garners probably the most curiosity. Then, she added, the group ought to set up a set day or week of service. For instance, an organization might schedule sooner or later per week at a soup kitchen or a firm-wide park cleanup.

This yr, Ares added a brand new volunteer alternative round Monetary Literacy Month. “We’ve a complete bench of expertise with monetary literacy experience,” she mentioned. “I believe individuals love with the ability to tie their day job into giving again.”

Darragh mentioned firms need not develop volunteer packages on their very own; they’ll staff up with organizations to create personalized initiatives that align with their targets.

“It may be a strategic providing that not solely builds engagement, but in addition helps to develop expertise,” Darragh mentioned.