Want employees who are proud to show up to work? Consider volunteering benefits

Employees typically show up to work because they have to, not always because they want to.

But when they’re given opportunities that are voluntary, they may actually feel better about their day jobs, according to a recent report from The Cigna Group.

Some 80% of US adults who participated in employer-supported volunteer opportunities said they were proud to work for their company, according to the report, which draws on a survey fielded from June 2 to July 14. That’s compared to 58% of US adults who didn’t participate or weren’t offered the opportunity to volunteer.

Respondents with access to volunteering through their employer also reported higher levels of job satisfaction (70% vs. 55%) and motivation to help their workplace succeed (79% vs. 59%).

Despite the potential positive impact of employer-sponsored volunteering, just 27% of adults surveyed said they had the opportunity to volunteer during work hours over the past year.

Employers can prioritize access, choice, and ease when seeking to expand volunteer opportunities for their workers, Sara Quist, senior director of enterprise community programs at The Cigna Group, said.

Cigna’s approach to volunteerism. HR teams can consider various ways to incentivize their employees to volunteer, including granting time off for such opportunities or setting aside days when members of the entire company can participate.

Cigna tries to offer volunteer opportunities that are well-suited to employees in a number of different environments, whether in an office, a pharmacy, or out in the field. “It’s important for us to be able to offer opportunities that reflect where they are and how they want to engage,” Quist said.

With these considerations in mind, Cigna offers a “turnkey” option that allows “teams to volunteer together, regardless of where they work from,” Quist added. Teams can select a volunteer activity on the company’s intranet, and then receive a package that includes talking points, materials, and shipping labels to send items back when the activity is complete. Workers have used this option to pack kits for the Boys & Girls Clubs in rural locations, Quist said.

Cigna also aims to “celebrate and reward our volunteers” for their participation, Quist said. For every hour of volunteering an employee logs, Cigna donates $25 to an eligible non-profit of their choice (up to 50 hours annually).

Skills-based opportunities. A more recent Cigna initiative provides a window into how employers might incorporate L&D strategy with volunteerism.

Employee volunteers put their skills to work over a period of 12 weeks, advising three different non-profits on areas such as data analysis, change management, and business development strategy.

After participating in this pilot program, called Impact Accelerator, employees returned to work “better equipped to navigate change, manage stress, manage ambiguity, be creative in their thinking and approaches,” Quist said.

Cigna also held a two-day “rapid impact challenge” that matched employees to non-profits based on their areas of expertise.

Companies like JPMorgan, PwC, and Salesforce offer similar programs that allow employees to apply work-related skills in volunteer settings.