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Today an increasing number of employers encourage their employees to volunteer, and it’s not difficult to understand why. In addition to being a great way to help the community and bring employees together, volunteering offers numerous benefits for businesses. Below are some of the top reasons why every business should make volunteering a part of their mission.

Recruitment

If your company wants to recruit millennials, it should offer some sort of volunteer program. Research shows that millennials don’t volunteer as often as previous generations. However, millennials are concerned with making a positive impact. They just do it differently than previous generations. Millennials are more likely to volunteer if their place of employment encourages them to do so. A volunteer program gives them an opportunity to network with their peers, and a Deloitte Volunteer Survey found that “50% of Millennial employees that volunteer are very loyal toward their company” (Haberman). Volunteer programs both attract and help retain millennial employees.

Public Relations

A company that volunteers and promotes the fact that it volunteers scores point in the eyes of the public. It’s especially beneficial for customers to see that your company cares about the community. Volunteering is also a good way for employees to interact with the public, explain what the business does, and answer any questions. The bottom line is that volunteering is great for a business’ image.

Employee Engagement

Engaged employees are happier and more productive employees. Volunteering helps employees feel more positive about their work environment, and it helps them feel like their work has a purpose. A volunteer program is a sign that an employer has a positive company culture. If an employer goes out of its way to help the community, then it’s likely that it will go out of its way to help its employees.

Help Employees Improve Their Skills

Although employees work together each day, volunteering gives employees a chance to work together and get to know each other in a more informal setting. Since the stakes are lower while volunteering, employees can focus more on forming friendships rather than just getting work done. Giving employees the opportunity to choose an organization and recruit colleagues to volunteer is a great way to empower employees and help them sharpen their leadership skills. This strategy allows employees to take ownership of the volunteer project and also demonstrate their event planning skills.

Ultimately every business should consider instituting a volunteer program since it has a positive impact on the community. Businesses have the power to do more than just turn a profit, and they should leverage that power for the betterment of the community.