"Most companies will do it for a mixture of reasons: because they recognise the value to staff and society, because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it is expected and adds to their social responsibility approach.
"It's also good in terms of recruitment. In my time in CSR, graduates and interviewees asked about it a lot at interview. Social Impact was always one of the highest elements on their agenda."
She says it is great that companies shared their positive actions, but it was also right that they should be challenged to ensure these actions are authentic and meaningful.
Al Yafai adds: "Staff can’t really develop great products and initiatives for consumers if they don’t understand their lives and volunteering can enable them to see society differently.
"The modern approach brings value to staff and business in terms of customer and consumer knowledge and societal understanding.”
She considers how a changing work environment towards hybrid or even a four-day working week could free people up to share their skills outside of the office.
“It would be wonderful if, in the future, those who can could giving some of a potential fifth day off to loved ones, hobbies and to their communities. That may have a powerful impact on people’s connection to place and environment.
“Companies are increasingly having to demonstrate an authentic role in society, as part of their social contract, and community engagement has changed from being ‘giving back’ to ‘being two-way based on skills-sharing and a sense of equality about being joint partners working together on a societal issue.”
According to Al Yafai, the most powerful volunteering is a two-way partnership, where the business and charity get real value and joy out of it, but she has seen how volunteering helps with innovation and creativity.
She adds: "This is something I’ve seen more and more. Companies are often identifying ‘skills-based’ volunteering that taps into staff skills or into core areas of product and business.
"In turn, this helps their staff understand more about societal and customer needs and bring challenging and fresh new ideas back to the business.”
2) All-round benefits
Peter Hamilton is head of market engagement at Zurich and is well-versed in the company’s volunteering activities and programmes.
He says: "Our flagship volunteering programme, ‘Challenge’ is an annual team volunteer event. It brings together employee teams from Zurich offices across the country to complete a one-off project which benefits a local voluntary organisation or school.
"Every member of staff is given three days of paid volunteering, to use for whatever cause is close to them – it could be a big national charity or a small local one."
