Expanding The Margins Of Corporate Citizenship Employee Volunteering

An Employee Volunteering Program creates a win-win situation for the employees, community, and the business. Here is how you can strategize your next volunteering event to align the interests of these key stakeholders of the Corporate Social Program.

- Abhishek Humbad

Decades ago, corporations across the world used to plan a one-day volunteering event, typically once a quarter, where the interested employees would visit an orphanage, conduct a cleaning drive, plant a tree, etc. Although, organizations were and are driven by a purpose of corporate citizenship, corporate volunteering and philanthropy have only been a check-in-the-box activity. In 2002, American academics, Michael Porter and Mark Kramer in an article published by the Harvard Business Review argued that “There is a more strategic way to think about philanthropy. Corporations can use their charitable efforts to improve their competitive context —the quality of the business environment in the location or locations where they operate. Using philanthropy to enhance context aligns social and economic goals and improves a company’s long-term business.”

Today, organizations across the globe are adopting various strategies to address the impact they can create on the key stakeholders of their CSR program — Employees, Community, and Business:

Employees: There’s a strong link between volunteering and employee development. Volunteers are benefited from accelerated growth by gaining alternative experience and new skills, and are instilled with a strong sense of purpose that further helps in effectively recruit potential talent and engage employees.

Community: Volunteering enhances the social connections, builds the bridges for governments, enterprises, and employees alike. Employee volunteering can make a significant contribution to the global economy and can further help in creating cohesive, safer, stronger communities.

Business: Employee volunteering and corporate social responsibility affect a company’s reputation. The most important way that environmental, social, and governance programs create value is by maintaining an excellent corporate reputation or brand equity.