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Time Well Spent: Why Employee Volunteering is Good for Business

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Employee volunteering has come a long way. What used to be a generally philanthropic, one-off activity is now increasingly being perceived as an opportunity for skills development. The most frequently quoted skills include communication, influencing and negotiating skills and project management. A report from YOUGOV states that, “Ninety-six percent of managers believe that workplace skills can be gained from volunteering. Fifty-seven percent of managers feel that skills gained from volunteering can help fill gaps in the workplace.”

By taking part in the Youth Career Initiative (YCI) hotel staff take time to mentor vulnerable young people on a voluntary basis for 24 weeks. One hotel property where employees are very engaged in the program is the Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo. Miguel Angel Bermejo, Area Director of Human Resources, Latin America, says, “We use YCI as a tool for the development of leadership competencies, since communication skills, influence and motivating people are key elements for leading a team. Keila Souza, a former YCI participant, volunteers as Programme Coordinator for YCI on top of her job. This responsibility is preparing her to become a supervisor in the hotel.”

The most effective form of volunteering involves matching skill sets with specific needs. YCI has a large network of organizations and businesses worldwide—in addition to the implementing hotels—that have contributed their time and expertise in order to help YCI students develop very tangible work and life skills. For example, volunteers from Accenture in India teach life skills including financial literacy, business etiquette, time management and negotiation skills; Manpower in Mexico provides training in CV writing and job searching skills; in Romania, Amway donated grooming kits and taught participants grooming skills; and manufacturing companies in Poland and Mexico have organized guided tours through their facilities and showcased job opportunities that may be of interest to YCI students upon graduation.

Pride in the Company Increases

Moreover, employee volunteering has a significant impact on staff motivation, which in turn is reflected in higher productivity rates and greater talent retention. Barclays has identified increased “pride in the company” amongst their employees after their volunteering experience. YCI host organization Business in the Community (BITC) finds: “Employee volunteering generates morale, motivation, commitment and performance, driving benefit straight to an employer’s bottom line. Employees actively engaged in community programs are more satisfied with their work, with 85 percent saying their perception of their company had improved and 71 percent of employees citing volunteering programs as key to improving personal well-being.”

Hotel businesses that are operating in emerging economies can face a challenge in finding appropriately qualified staff, and retention rates can be lower than in other markets. Therefore, employee volunteering can be a key component in forming and retaining talent. Hemma Varma, Senior Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility Europe at Marriott International, says: “[Through YCI] our employees get a chance to support their local communities, which is just as valuable as donating money. They want to be involved, help make a difference and change lives. This is immensely satisfying for our employees. They get a real buzz out of it.”

Employee volunteering also influences the way in which a company is perceived externally, both by existing and prospective customers, as well as by the communities that benefit from the volunteering schemes. Most locations where YCI operates have a great disparity in income levels. Participating properties are usually full-service four or five star hotels, which in many cases are very removed from the realities of the communities where YCI candidates are sourced. Miguel Angel Bermejo says: “Our staff feel very fortunate to contribute to society through one of the most important elements in the development of a person, which is employability. In a country like Brazil, where the difference between the social classes is so large, YCI gave our volunteers the possibility to learn about several environments that they have not been exposed to. This helps to build a society that is more socially aware.”

Volunteering Can Lead to Savings

The positive impact on society can be translated into a direct return on investment for a company. Volunteering England showcases some striking numbers from research which evaluated the impact of employee volunteering using saved unemployment benefits to provide a quantitative measure of social return on investment in the City of London: “When a business invests GBP in employability-related employee volunteering, the social return is GBP11.21 for society, saving the government and the public significant resources in the future.”

Particularly in emerging economies where YCI typically operates, hotels have a major role in the overall development of a particular location. The stronger the ties with the local community, the better the business environment for the hotel.

Employee volunteering has other benefits that are less tangible but that are equally as important. Increased self-confidence and self-esteem, higher levels of trust and making space for passion and fulfilment are some very powerful means by which a company’s culture can be changed. Ms. Hanh Ngo, Training and Talent Development Manager at the InterContinental Hanoi, says: “With YCI, [our staff] have a chance to transfer their knowledge and love for the job to the young people taking part in the program.” A positive work environment is also more prone to innovation and creativity. Miguel Angel Bermejo confirms: “Since we started with YCI, we changed the way we do things, because now we are more open to different discussions. We have a more participative style of management and the contact with young people allowed us to be more open to new creative ideas.”

Robust Framework Important

Employee engagement can be very challenging and time consuming in an industry with typically high staff turnover such as the hospitality industry. It is therefore key to have a robust framework that ensures continuity in the delivery of a scheme in order to build upon its initial impact. YCI has developed a governance structure for its quality assurance and regular needs assessment that involves senior managers of the participating properties. This governance structure provides strategic direction of the initiative and supports program planning and delivery.

The success of YCI therefore depends on a sustainable partnership structure overarching the operational aspects, and that takes into account both the needs of the businesses involved and the needs of the local market. Miguel Angel Bermejo says: “The biggest benefit for the hotel is that everybody understands that Hyatt has a strong commitment to our community, because we firmly believe that through our small actions we can build a solidary society. We believe that by making a difference for the youth, we are creating opportunities that go hand by hand with the vision of a better world.”

YCI makes business sense because it is embedded into our partners’ interests and business strategy rather than being set up like a philanthropic add-on. Ms Hanh Ngo says: “Through participating in YCI, our staff can understand the strategy and the right things that the hotel is heading towards and doing every single day. We are not just a hotel, we are a responsible business hotel, which means we move forward together with the local community.”

A flagship initiative of the International Tourism Partnership, YCI is a 24-week education program that provides disadvantaged young people with life and work skills. The purpose is to empower young participants to make informed career choices and to realize the options available to them. We enable them to improve their employability and to enhance their long-term social and economic opportunities. The initiative is made possible thanks to a unique partnership with the international hotel industry whereby participating properties provide the human, operational and training resources to deliver the program.

The author of this article, Emili Budell, specializes in the areas of social and community impact and volunteers as Membership Manager of the Net Impact London Professional Chapter in her free time. She is also a trustee for the Chiapas Children’s Project which provides educational support for indigenous young people in southern Mexico. In her day job, Emili mainly focuses on communications for the Youth Career Initiative as well as membership engagement and events for the wider International Tourism Partnership team. For more information, visit the YCI website or contact Alberto Canovas at alberto.canovas@bitc.org.uk.

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