More than ten million people volunteered in their community during the Covid lockdown, yet as the pandemic rumbles on it’s easy to see how volunteering might become the last thing on your to-do list. When times are tough and your life is increasingly busy, why should you be the one to give up your time, or the time of your employees, to volunteer? Because volunteering is not just about helping others...
What is Volunteering?
For most people volunteering conjures up images of litter picking, painting community centres and working in soup kitchens, but there are lots of other less traditional ways to volunteer.
Skills-based volunteering is increasingly done virtually from home and involves using your work skills to support organisations ‘pro-bono’. While these roles might not be directly related to your industry experience, they draw on your skill-set. Examples include web design, book-keeping, being a trustee, a school governor or setting up a peer-to-peer support network.
For people really pushed for time, ‘micro-volunteering’ offers an even more flexible option. Volunteers scout for opportunities on a range of digital volunteering platforms and sign-up to small one-off tasks such as promoting a charity online or checking someone else’s CV. The beauty being that you only volunteer when you have the time.
Skills-based volunteering is increasingly done virtually from home and involves using your work skills to support organisations ‘pro-bono’. While these roles might not be directly related to your industry experience, they draw on your skill-set. Examples include web design, book-keeping, being a trustee, a school governor or setting up a peer-to-peer support network.
For people really pushed for time, ‘micro-volunteering’ offers an even more flexible option. Volunteers scout for opportunities on a range of digital volunteering platforms and sign-up to small one-off tasks such as promoting a charity online or checking someone else’s CV. The beauty being that you only volunteer when you have the time.
Why should I Volunteer?
Francesca gathering groceries
Everyone needs to get something ‘back’ from their volunteering, be it skills, experience or simply enjoyment. Volunteering is a two-way street and as well as making a difference to others, here are some of the benefits you can expect from giving your time.
Personal benefits
Volunteering is proven to protect mental health and many studies across the world have proven that volunteers are happier, healthier and more employable. Helping others gives you that feel-good rush of oxytocin that can make you happier and more productive in your day-to-day life.
Francesca Greaves, CSR officer for SThree, explains: “During lockdown I volunteered at a local supermarket doing food shopping for elderly people. I did it at 6am in the morning which meant I’d come back to my desk with a clear head feeling mentally refreshed. It felt really wholesome to come together with others in the community to do something good.”
Career benefits
Volunteering can also be a great way to further your career. It introduces you to potential new work connections; it develops your skill-set, builds your confidence and exposes you to new experiences – all of which you can add to your CV.
Nick Brown, Deputy Director at Volunteer Glasgow, explains: “Say you are a marketing executive looking to move to a managerial position. You could think about what skills you need to make that leap, like managing a budget or a team, and offer to work with a charity helping them to design and develop a marketing campaign where you'll also be able to contribute to and advise on managing the money, and to support staff members as they implement it.”
Samtaler's Director of Operations, Zahra Hedges, certainly feels that she gets more from her volunteering than she gives: "I was on the Board of Social Enterprise Scotland for three years. Having a voice at that level gave me confidence in the rest of my work and I also developed a breadth to my skill-set including budgeting and HR.”
Business benefits
If you are a business-owner, allowing your employees time to volunteer doing things they enjoy can also be a huge boost to productivity and employee happiness. Francesca adds: “Employees who volunteer doing something they enjoy and are passionate about will bring that positivity back with them to work which then benefits the wider team as a whole.”
Personal benefits
Volunteering is proven to protect mental health and many studies across the world have proven that volunteers are happier, healthier and more employable. Helping others gives you that feel-good rush of oxytocin that can make you happier and more productive in your day-to-day life.
Francesca Greaves, CSR officer for SThree, explains: “During lockdown I volunteered at a local supermarket doing food shopping for elderly people. I did it at 6am in the morning which meant I’d come back to my desk with a clear head feeling mentally refreshed. It felt really wholesome to come together with others in the community to do something good.”
Career benefits
Volunteering can also be a great way to further your career. It introduces you to potential new work connections; it develops your skill-set, builds your confidence and exposes you to new experiences – all of which you can add to your CV.
Nick Brown, Deputy Director at Volunteer Glasgow, explains: “Say you are a marketing executive looking to move to a managerial position. You could think about what skills you need to make that leap, like managing a budget or a team, and offer to work with a charity helping them to design and develop a marketing campaign where you'll also be able to contribute to and advise on managing the money, and to support staff members as they implement it.”
Samtaler's Director of Operations, Zahra Hedges, certainly feels that she gets more from her volunteering than she gives: "I was on the Board of Social Enterprise Scotland for three years. Having a voice at that level gave me confidence in the rest of my work and I also developed a breadth to my skill-set including budgeting and HR.”
Business benefits
If you are a business-owner, allowing your employees time to volunteer doing things they enjoy can also be a huge boost to productivity and employee happiness. Francesca adds: “Employees who volunteer doing something they enjoy and are passionate about will bring that positivity back with them to work which then benefits the wider team as a whole.”
What Now?
Now that you’re convinced that now is a good time to volunteer, here are our five top tips for individuals and businesses to get the most from volunteering
Tips for individual volunteers
- Be realistic about your time commitment and consider this carefully before signing-up. Nick says: “It is far better for you and for the charity/social enterprise if you start small and build up your commitment rather than jumping in head first.”
- Search and seek. You can search for advertised positions at your local Volunteer Centre or via national bodies like NCVO and SCVO but you should also consider approaching organisations directly. Nick explains: “An organisation may not have thought of recruiting someone with your skill set until they know you are out there looking to get involved.”
- Get it in writing. Whether you volunteer formally or informally you should draft a written agreement with the organisation. This helps clarify expectations and can prevent misunderstanding.
- Think laterally. Volunteering should be interesting and fulfilling for you too. Really think about the kinds of experiences that nourish you, decide on what you’re looking to get out of volunteering and find organisations that align with your values.
- Follow your passion. Volunteering can be a challenge, especially if you have a job or family commitments. Make sure you really care about the cause you are volunteering for and this will help you to enjoy the experience and stay committed.
5 tips for businesses with corporate volunteers
- Keep your team-building budget separate from your volunteer budget. If staff feel coerced into ‘volunteering’ it will cause resentment. Trying to find an organisation that will allow your staff to volunteering together all together on one day can also cause more of a headache than a helping hand, especially if it’s at short notice.
- Be flexible. Allow staff to decide how and when to use their time. Nick explains: “Think about the different personality types in your team. Some of your staff might love the idea of helping to plant a garden, but some might prefer to mentor a young person or offer virtual support from home.” Also, be prepared to engage with staff who are already volunteering for a cause or charity close to their heart and investigate if that can be accommodated.
- Lead from the front. Encourage your senior management team to share their own experiences of volunteering and make sure they are seen to use their own days.
- Embed volunteering in your appraisal and staff development systems. Nick suggests: “If you see a gap in one of your team's skills, is that something they can get experience in by volunteering?” Help them to find a volunteering opportunity that will help them to build the skills they need.
- Capture the benefits. If you’ve had a good policy for a while it can be easy for people to take it for granted. Don’t measure things for the sake of it, but asking your team to articulate what they love about having a workplace that enables them to engage with their community can really remind them of the benefits of working with you.
