One of the interest groups that plays a crucial role in a company’s commitment is its employees. For this reason, more and more companies are offering their workers corporate volunteering that has an impact on society and in turn brings great benefits for the firm and the group.
“More and more companies are incorporating corporate volunteering programs as part of their social responsibility strategy,” says Xavier Gangonells, general director of the AED. “These initiatives not only generate an impact on the community, but also strengthen the sense of belonging of employees and contribute to the development of key competencies such as teamwork and empathy,” adds the head of the association.
And it is a practice that is also joined by managers who “not only support these initiatives, but also lead them and actively participate in them,” highlights Gangonells. He believes that his commitment to these activities sends a powerful message to the rest of the organization: “Social commitment is not just a corporate policy, but a practice in which the entire organization must be involved.”
From AED they affirm that corporate volunteering benefits both society and the company. “It improves reputation, attracts talent, increases employee engagement and reinforces corporate values,” highlights its general director. In addition, it allows companies to connect with their environment and generate a positive impact that, in the long term, “strengthens their sustainability and competitiveness.”
Benefits
Julio Blas, professor at OBS Business School and CEO of Echar a Rodar, talks about an increase in corporate volunteering, especially in areas such as reforestation, cleaning public spaces and organizing charitable events. “This type of volunteering offers benefits for both companies and employees, such as increased team commitment and motivation.” The teacher also highlights the significant impact that this initiative has on companies at all levels, benefiting communities as well as the company itself.
Among these benefits is improving company culture and employee engagement; promote teamwork, increase the company’s reputation and develop skills among different workers such as leadership and teamwork. “In addition to promoting creativity, it has a positive impact on the health and well-being of employees, and volunteers can also benefit from tax incentives or legal advantages,” Blas points out.
These actions contribute to strengthening key skills such as teamwork and empathy.
The SERES Foundation has prepared a study in which the aggregate social impact of companies has been measured for a decade (SERES-Deloitte Social Impact Report). «It is a unique document that when it was born there were no studies of those characteristics. This year’s edition reflects the trend of the last 10 years. The most important thing is this integration with the strategy,” highlights Ana Sainz, general director of the SERES Foundation. “Companies have contributed 2.4 million volunteer hours since this information began to be collected in 2019,” the document indicates. This employee participation in this type of program has increased over the years, “reaching 10% of the workforce and becoming a reference for the design of companies’ volunteering strategies,” explains Ana Sainz.
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