Engagement Technique: Volunteering
Many companies view volunteering as a Corporate Social Responsibility activity.
That’s because it is. But it can also be a powerful employee engagement initiative.
When done well, volunteering helps employees build relationships, develop new skills, connect with company values, and make a positive impact beyond the workplace.
In EVP terms, volunteering often sits within Purpose, Culture, and Growth. People increasingly want to work for organisations that contribute positively to society, and volunteering can help bring that to life.
How it works
The simplest approach is to organise volunteering days where employees can participate together.
That could be:
- Supporting a local charity
- Helping at a community event
- Environmental projects
- Food bank support
- Mentoring young people
- Fundraising activities
The magic isn’t just in the cause, your employees are doing something meaningful together.
You’ll often find people from different departments, levels, and backgrounds working side-by-side in ways they never would in the office.
It can improve team relationships, wellbeing, connection to company values, cross-functional collaboration, and pride in the organisation.
It’s also a great initiative for an Employee Resource Group (ERG) to own. Many organisations find their ERGs become a driving force behind volunteering activities, fundraising, and community partnerships.
(If you’ve not read it already, see our Engagement Technique on ERGs.)
Skills-based volunteering
Volunteering doesn’t always have to involve painting fences or litter picking.
Many organisations now encourage skills-based volunteering, where employees use their professional expertise to support charities and community organisations.
Examples include:
- Marketing teams helping charities with campaigns
- Finance teams supporting budgeting and forecasting
- HR teams helping with recruitment advice
- Sales professionals teaching presentation skills
- Technology teams supporting digital transformation
This often creates a win-win situation, where employees develop skills while helping organisations that may not otherwise have access to that expertise.
What to watch out for
It shouldn’t be a box-ticking exercise, and shouldn’t feel forced. Make sure people are able to take part in things they feel passionate about.
It might sound obvious, but try to ensure people go in teams or at least two people together if it’s about engagement!
Useful UK volunteering resources
If you’re looking for opportunities, these organisations can help:
- Good Deed It – a platform that connects employees with local charities and volunteering opportunities based on skills, interests, and location. It also helps organisations track and celebrate impact.
- Goodera – provides structured volunteering programmes and charity partnerships for organisations of all sizes
This post is part of our Engagement Techniques series of practical, low-cost ideas to bring more connection and meaning into work. Find the rest here
👉 Want to explore techniques like this in more depth? I run interactive employee engagement workshops where we bring these ideas to life.