Part Two8 Selling the concept to business How can you, as a representative of a volunteer centre or another voluntary organization, encourage businesses in your community to adopt the philoso phy of employee volunteerism? How do you build your case? The vague notion that employee volunteerism is `good for' the community will likely not be enough. You will have to stress the potential opportunities and benefits that involvement can bring to the firm and its employees, as well as to the community. Any company should be concerned about the health of the community in which it does business. Its stakeholders and employees live there — and so do its customers. If the community is not healthy, businesses will not thrive and may not even survive. And, for a community to be healthy, it must have a vibrant and active voluntary sector with an adequate supply of volunteers. A company's public image has become a vitally important asset. There is strong evidence to suggest that the Canadian public believes that business has an obligation to society as a whole and must be responsive to local needs and concerns. Businesses are now expected to care about pressing social issues and to be involved in the life of the communities in which they operate. Certain segments of the Canadian public now tie their buying decisions to their belief that social responsibility is part of doing business. According to a recent nation-wide survey (the Market Vision 2000 Study), many Canadians consider whether a company is a `good corporate citizen' before buying its product or service. An earlier survey came up with similar findings (Decima's 1987 Nation-wide Survey on Attitudes Towards Philanthropy). Make it clear that a company's involvement in the community is likely to redound to the ultimate benefit of the company. Involvement shows that the company cares about the community in which it does business. Emphasize to the companies you are targeting that employee volunteerism is an effective way to demonstrate commitment to the community and to show leadership in addressing community concerns. Wherever appropriate, point out the opportunities to increase visibility in the community and to build the company's image, while at the same time making a much needed contribution to the community. In a sense, employee volunteers are the company's ambassadors in the community. Because they work at the grassroots level, they also have access to an `insider's view' that may help the company to better understand the community it serves. For example, working with ethnocultural groups may give employees insight into this segment of the company's market. Stress to companies that employee volunteerism can be a powerful tool for building a skilled, flexible and committed workforce. If used strategically, programs and policies that promote volunteer activity by employees can sometimes be much more effective than the traditional training and professional development courses — and less expensive. This approach should be persuasive since it is widely accepted today that employees are the primary source of gains in productivity in any company. People are now viewed as a company's most valuable resource — as `human capital' in which a wise company will invest. Continuous training and re-training, employee empowerment and improved teamwork are basic tenets of the Quality Management philosophy that has become predominant in the 1990s. Professional development and personal growth of employees are seen as a priority. The best companies make every attempt to create a nurturing environment where people's talents are tapped and their creative energies are released. As John Naisbitt writes in Re-inventing the Corporation: “The corporation's competitive edge is people — an educated, skilled workforce that is eager to develop its own potential while contributing to the organization's growth.” This same sentiment is echoed in all of the current literature on manage ment theory. (See “Popular books on management in the corporate sector” in the Useful Reading section for a list of key titles on this topic.) And the concept of employee volunteerism is entirely consistent with this theory in allowing employees the chance to hone skills that can be transferred to the workplace. You should also stress that volunteer work can offer personal rewards that almost everyone craves — interesting, challenging work; a chance to have new experiences; a sense of connectedness to other people in the community; and a sense of feeling needed and doing something positive and meaningful. Let companies know that recent studies have found that volunteer involvement increases self-esteem and stimulates a sense of accomplishment that helps to reduce the impact of life's many stresses. Research also suggests that regular volunteer activity can have a very positive effect on physical health as well as mental well-being. It is now recognized that happy, healthy people are likely to be productive employees. (This has resulted in the recent emphasis on the health, fitness and mental wellness of employees.) People who feel good about themselves have higher morale and are likely to be more motivated as employees. Indeed, in uncertain times people may have a greater need for the benefits offered by volunteer involvement. With the demands on all companies in the increasingly competitive environment of the 1990s and the impact this will have on their ability to make financial donations, employee volunteerism may be even more appealing today. It is a way to contribute to the community that goes beyond financial donations — and one that can offer many returns for the company. Recent studies from the United States, where the concept of employee volunteerism has become well established, show that many corporations regard programs and policies supporting employee volunteerism are helpful in meeting their individual business goals. These companies are convinced that volunteer programs help them attract and keep the people they need, and help build skills and attitudes that foster company loyalty and job satisfaction. Surprising as it may seem, employee volunteer programs have even survived attacks of `restructuring' and downsizing. (See Corporate Volunteer Programs: Benefits to Business, published by the American Confer ence Board in 1993.) To remain competitive, today's `lean' company must have a high-quality workforce — skilled, creative, effective as team players, well motivated, committed to the organization, and healthy in body and spirit. Employee volunteerism can help a company achieve this goal. 9 Making the connection To be successful, the relationship between a voluntary organization and a company should be mutually beneficial — a true partnership. This means that both your organization and the company have to give as well as get something from the arrangement. Before you approach a company, think about what you can offer the firm and its employees in return for gaining access to the skills and expertise of its employees. Possibilities that might appeal include:
Develop a list of target companies that you would like to approach. Find out where your existing supporters work. They could be ambassadors who could open doors in their companies. Find out about the company you would like to approach — what it needs, and what it can offer you. What is the company's mission and history? Is it currently making a profit? Is it independent, or is it a subsidiary of another company? What kind of workforce does it have? Are the Ceo and top executives involved in the community? Is there a history of support for community organizations? Is there a formal donations program or a commu nity fund? Which companies have employees with the skills you are looking for (for example, administrative and financial management, communication technology and systems, marketing or graphics design)? Is there any reason why a company might be particularly keen to forge links with the community or to build good employee relations? For example, have there been local protests about the company's activities? Or is the company undergoing a major reorganization, be it either expansion or downsizing? Experience has shown that good companies to target are likely to be those:
In addition, certain types of businesses have a much stronger tradition of employee volunteering than others. Insurance companies and other financial institutions, retail stores and service companies, for example, are typically much more actively involved than are the manufacturing and construction industries. This would seem to support a theory that companies which deal directly with the public are more likely to support the concept of employee volunteerism. Presumably, this is because the benefits to them are more tangible. It would also be wise to check the list of companies which are associated with the Imagine campaign and are recognized as “Imagine Caring Compa nies”. These companies range from large national corporations to smaller enterprises from across Canada. They have committed themselves to a corporate policy that includes donating at least one per cent of pre-tax profits to non-profit and charitable organizations of their choice, and encourages current and retired employees to contribute money and time. Medium-sized and small business should not be overlooked as a source of volunteers. Best bets will likely be those that are successful, consumer-oriented, and headed by someone who is active in the community. Up to now, medium and small businesses have not been involved in employee volunteerism to the same extent as larger corporations. However, even small businesses may be well worth pursuing, especially if they have specialized services in areas that would especially help your organization (for example, accounting, advertising, evaluation, long-range planning). In fact, a small business which is used to dealing with `shoestring' budgets may be able to relate much more easily to the day-to-day operations of a community organization than a big corporation would. Once you have decided on the best companies to approach, find the gatekeepers — the most appropriate contacts in the company. This may be the President or Ceo; the vice-president or manager of community relations, corporate affairs, public relations, human resources, or planning; the person responsible for training and professional development, the head of an employee association or a union local. As a general rule, begin by approach ing the person at the highest level you can reach. When you make your first contact, try to identify what the company would like out of a partnership with your organization. This will help you to suggest the most appealing kinds of volunteer activity. Sometimes you may discover that you are unable to provide the kinds of benefits that the company is looking for. If that happens, you should communicate it in a clear yet tactful way. To kindle a company's interest, give examples of what other companies are doing, especially others in the same community. Suggest ways individual employees could get involved as volunteers and have specific ideas ready to offer the company. In addition, give them examples of how a company's involvement could be recognized, and ask which approach they would prefer. Remember that the rule of thumb for public relations and community relations in most companies is: maximum impact for minimum outlay of dollars and time. The best kind of advocacy has a personal touch. Look for opportunities to meet face-to-face with groups of employees, middle managers and senior officers. It is quite probable that your organization, like most others in your community, is struggling in these tough economic times. But the advice from the experts is to avoid pouring out your troubles when you approach businesses. Companies usually respond best to specific needs and opportun ities rather than to cries of alarm and urgent pleas for help. You want action, not sympathy. For example, it would be best not to emphasize to the company that massive cuts in your core funding have put your organization at the crisis point in terms of survival. Rather, ask the company for specific kinds of technical assistance to allow you to evaluate your programs and your organizational structure, to develop a publicity campaign to become better known in the community or to design and conduct a fundraising campaign. Determine what would attract a particular company — a link with its known priorities, a link with the product or service it sells, or a link with its particular skills base. In most companies, even large corporations, the individual responsible for employee volunteerism almost always has many other duties. There may not even be a specific person assigned this specific responsibility. But don't jump to conclusions: the obstacle may well be a lack of time rather than a lack of interest in the idea. Bear in mind then, that ease of access to information about volunteer opportunities and activities may be a crucial factor in eliciting interest in employee volunteerism, especially in smaller companies. Prepackaged information may be the key. The more prepared you are with ideas to appeal to employees, the more likely you are to succeed. If you understand the interests and motivations of particular companies, you can prepare yourself to respond to their needs in the most suitable and effective way. 10 Preparing your organization for employee volunteers Employee volunteer programs offer your organization the chance to involve individuals you might not reach through your normal channels and strategies of recruitment. They may provide access to skills and talents that would be of particular use to your organization. However, you must be well prepared if you want to take full advantage of the possibilities offered by employee volunteerism. Always bear in mind that you are competing with a wide range of other options for leisure-time activities. You will have to be flexible and creative to use employee volunteers effectively. First of all, look at the work that needs to be done in your organization and the various tasks involved. What skills are needed? How much time is required? Does the job need to be done on site or can it be done elsewhere? Can it be done after hours (that is, in the evenings or on weekends)? Will volunteers be expected to work independently or to follow precise directions? Is it a job for a single individual, or could it be done as part of a group or family effort? Design or redesign some of the tasks that need to be done in your organiza tion into separate time-limited pieces. Then analyze these projects in terms of the opportunities for learning and developing skills and for team-building and other possible benefits for the volunteers. As you would do for all volunteer positions, make sure job descriptions have clearly defined responsibilities and duties, and provide a plan for orientation, training and supervision. When recruiting volunteers from the workplace, you increase your chances of success by offering opportunities for:
To find the most appealing volunteer jobs, try to minimize practical barriers and maximize potential benefits. It is important to ensure that volunteers' tasks match the motivations and availability of the people you are trying to attract. To do this, you will need to understand the motivations of the company and its employees. The best matches will provide benefits to all parties. What could your organization offer the company you want to approach? For example, if the company is looking for team-building opportunities, you could invite its employees to plan, manage and operate a self-contained project. You could offer them a choice of ready-to-run projects that include opportunities for the employees to play leadership or managerial roles. As your relationship with a company matures, encourage peer recruitment. A satisfied employee volunteer is an excellent person to recruit new volunteers, whether they be colleagues, family members or friends. Have your information kit ready before you begin approaching companies. It should give information about the purpose of your organization, when it was established, your current aims and objectives, the services and programs you offer, the number of clients you serve, the names of your board members, the number of salaried employees, the current number of volunteers, your budget (including sources of funding or revenue, and a summary of expenses). You could also prepare material for company newsletters and bulletin boards about volunteer opportunities in various community organizations. This will serve as a forum to introduce employees to your volunteer programs and let them know that there are many options for volunteer involvement. It is also a good way to inform a broad range of people about the many services that voluntary organizations provide to the community. You could use displays and information booths to publicize your appeal for volunteers and have staff members or current volunteers on hand to answer questions. A volunteer fair could be held on the premises of an individual company or in a central location. (See Appendix D for more details.) Once you have begun working with a company, do regular evaluations of your approach to make sure that your activities stay as effective as possible. Progress should be measured in both quantitative and qualitative terms. It is important to have feedback not only on the number of employee volunteer and the number of hours they donate but it's also important to keep track of the level of volunteer satisfaction and the opportunities for personal and professional growth. Make sure that the company itself is getting recognition. 11 Models for promoting employee volunteerism in your community To promote employee volunteerism effectively in a community, an organized approach is needed to provide a link among the companies involved and between these companies and community organizations. Various models have been tried. A popular model is the corporate volunteer council (Cvc), sometimes known as a business volunteer council. This is a well established concept in the United States, and has been adopted in a number of larger Canadian communities, with variations. In the American model, the Cvc is a coalition of business corporations which provides a link between the corporate sector and the community. Member corporations either have formal programs to support employee volunteerism or a strong interest in initiating such programs. Through the Cvc, member companies exchange information on their programs, discuss relevant issues and organize joint projects to meet a need in the community. American Cvcs are driven by the corporations. While volunteer centres have sometimes played a vital role in the development of Cvcs, their involvement tends to be limited to that of a behind-the-scenes facilitator once the Cvc is fully operational. Canadian Cvcs may vary somewhat from the American prototype. While in some communities, the business sector has taken the lead in establishing a Cvc, in others it was the volunteer centre. Some Cvcs are composed exclusively of business corporations; others include municipal governments and educational institutions; several involve the volunteer centre as a full member of equal standing. A key function of a Cvc is to encourage corporations to donate time and resources to community organizations and to encourage policies, strategies and programs that foster employee volunteerism. Cvcs also serve as a forum to share ideas related to volunteerism in the workplace and to promote the concept of employee volunteerism in the broader community. Another way to link the corporate and voluntary sectors in your community is through a corporate volunteer committee. This is a standing committee of the volunteer centre, established in collaboration with the business sector. It is chaired by a board member from the centre, with a staff person involved as a coordinator. The committee members do not necessarily represent the organizations with which they are affiliated in a formal way. Volunteer centres are logical catalysts to spur the growth of employee volunteerism in their community. Many of them are already involved with companies, even if only informally. Volunteer centres have a mandate to promote volunteerism and recruit volunteers for community-based organizations and agencies. They are thus in an ideal situation to approach the local Chamber of Commerce or Board of Trade as well as individual companies in order to advance that cause. Since their role includes providing advice and assistance on issues relating to volunteerism, they are also in a position to offer concrete help to companies interested in developing policies and programs related to employee volunteerism. As the hub of a wide network of voluntary groups, volunteer centres are able to offer companies a perspective that goes beyond any one setting in which volunteers are active. For medium-sized and small businesses, in particular, the role of a broker agency to assist in making the match with community organizations could be extremely valuable. A company could also contract with the volunteer centre to ensure the most suitable volunteer placements for its employees. Summing UpEmployee volunteerism is a valuable resource for all three players:
Put simply, everyone stands to gain from promoting volunteerism in the workplace. There are benefits for those who volunteer, for the companies which support the concept, for the voluntary organizations that have access to these volunteers — and for the broader community. Employee volunteering is an excellent way to tap into the diverse human resources of a community. It can also increase the public's awareness of community needs and issues and build understanding between the voluntary sector and the corporate sector. The workplace can be a major source of volunteers for community organizations. Companies have a potential to mobilize immense energy for the common good. Virtually anything that an employer does to support the volunteer work of its employees or to encourage its employees to become involved as community volunteers will promote volunteerism and thus benefit the community. There is no set blueprint for how a company can support employee volunteerism; a variety of models are available. Policies and programs must be designed to meet the individual needs, priorities, and culture of companies, as well as the interests of their employees. Volunteer centres and other community organizations should be aware of the various options so that they can tailor their suggestions to businesses and provide guidance and advice when called upon to do so. As a clearly defined force, employee volunteerism is in its early stages in Canada, especially in comparison to the United States and Great Britain. But the movement is relatively new, and continues to grow. Formal initiatives have been launched in a number of Canadian cities. And much is already happening informally, without the assistance of structures such as corporate volunteer councils. In the 1990s, the need to forge stronger links between the corporate and voluntary sectors in Canadian communities is urgent. Creative strategies must be found to link the needs of voluntary organizations with the reserve army of willing volunteers in the workplace. And, hopefully, new models of working together will also emerge.
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