7 Skills Employees Learn from Volunteering

People seek ways to make differences in their community – even at work. They want to work for companies that make a positive impact. Providing charity and volunteering opportunities to team members benefits employers as well by boosting employee engagement. Companies that offer volunteering experience are able to recruit top talent, retain employees longer, and create an environment of collaboration in the work place.

Company sponsored corporate philanthropy and corporate giving programs also offer benefits to the employees themselves. These volunteering opportunities help employees master new skills, prepare to take on greater responsibility, and contribute to the community beyond the office walls. By committing to a cause, companies can provide valuable services to the community while strengthening and uniting their workforce.

Here are seven valuable lessons employees learn from community service:

1. Problem Solving: When employees volunteer for nonprofit organizations, they face obstacles that are different from those they tackle on the job. Through volunteering experience, they learn how to adapt quickly to overcome these challenges.
2. Career Exploration: By participating in volunteer activities, team members may have the opportunity to try new roles and responsibilities. Service can be an invaluable avenue for professional development. Volunteering impacts team members by helping them discover talents, strengths, and interests they may not have known they possessed.
3. Teamwork: Community service requires collaboration, and team members may need to partner with colleagues different other than those they’re used to working with. Teams may need to brainstorm for solutions or compromise in order to agree on the best course of action.
4. Communication and Listening: Corporate philanthropy projects are a great opportunity for team members to improve their communication and listening skills. Dealing directly with other members of the community also improve workers’ abilities to provide excellent customer service.
5. Leadership:Team members who participate in community service are often placed in roles of great responsibility. They must learn to delegate, give clear instructions, and motivate their team. As team members master these skills, volunteer events can become the perfect training ground for up-and-coming leaders within an organization.
6. Advocacy: Uniting behind a community cause helps team members learn how to motivate others to take action. They learn to communicate the benefits of giving. While encouraging others to make charitable donations they must overcome objections to help change minds for the greater good. These skills are highly valuable, especially to employees whose roles include sales, marketing, or public relations.
7. Planning and Organization: Community service projects are complex, and team members must manage them correctly to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. As volunteers, employees may be asked to manage budgets, gather supplies and resources, meet tight deadlines, and execute multistage action plans. Involvement in these projects can force team members to hone organization skills they may be lacking.

Service projects are growth opportunities for employees, because they teach valuable lessons and skills employees can apply to their daily work. Volunteer activities unite teams around causes that are important to them and the community. Employer-sponsored volunteer work helps assure them that the work they do serves a greater purpose. Committing to a cause by donating money or time simultaneously benefits communities, companies, and the employees who work there. Companies who sponsor volunteer opportunities also boost their bottom line by building a workforce that is building new skills, happier, and more engaged.

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We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services located in Agoura Hills, Calif. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor takes pride in having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.