Team Building – When employees volunteer together, it helps build teamwork across departments within a business by giving employees the opportunity to collaborate with individuals they may not have had a chance to connect with in the workplace.
Personal Development – Employees gain valuable knowledge, skills and experience when volunteering that they can bring back to the office. Skills-based volunteering helps employees further develop their manage- ment, teamwork, communication, technical and leadership skills.
Increased Productivity – The sense of accomplishment that comes naturally with volunteering is motivat- ing which, in turn, can help increase productivity in the workplace.
While community involvement is full of benefits for both the employee and dealership, it may not happen without a push from you. What can you do to encourage employees to get involved in the community?
Be Flexibile – Give your employees the opportunity to get out and volunteer in the community, should they want to do so. There is no better way to show a dedication to volunteerism than to give your employees the flexibility to participate during the workday. Employees will appreciate the opportunity to do something re- warding outside of their daily work routine.
Provide Paid Time-Off – Offer a set amount of paid time-off for charity work, such as two hours each month.
Coordinate Group Activities – Look for opportunities where your employees can volunteer as a group, such as a fundraiser, the county fair, donating time at a local shelter or a cause that is important to your employ- ees. Let them choose, let them lead, support their cause and join them.
Offer Incentives – Provide incentives to employees who volunteer. For instance:
• Reward the employee with the most volunteer hours with a gift card or a day off with pay. • Offer employees who volunteer a minimum of 25 hours of their own time to a recognized charitable or community organization [and can document their hours] the opportunity to earn that charity $1 for every hour volunteered by that employee in a year up to $100 maximum from the business.
Lastly, whether your employees volunteer during the workday or on their own time, it is important to rec- ognize their efforts. A face-to-face “thank you,” an informal office social or publicity in a local newspaper shows employees that their efforts did not go unnoticed. These forms of recognition may also help your employees recall why they volunteered in the first place. An annual incentive program for volunteering is also another way to reward employees for their efforts.
18 | The Retailer Magazine | Sept/Oct
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