In developed countries, skill based volunteering is fast becoming an ideal way to give back to the society. In fact, according to LinkedIn, in 2015, more than 4 million professionals registered with them showed their strong interest in opportunities for skills-based volunteering.
Today, with high levels of purpose individuals are extremely dissatisfied with a routine 9-5 job. Skills-based volunteering is the intersection of that passion and purpose; it’s a perfect avenue for professionals to work towards a cause that excites them and has a strong social impact.
In developed countries, skill based volunteering is fast becoming an ideal way to give back to the society. In fact, according to LinkedIn, in 2015, more than 4 million professionals registered with them showed their strong interest in opportunities for skills-based volunteering.
We, at Arch, are constantly committed to serving organisations where employee volunteers work on projects that we design through a structured program around the world. In a span of 10 months from April 2017 to December 2017 Arch has engaged more than 200 employees in 1500 man hours to benefit various projects and initiatives identified and developed by us.
We have organised soft skill training for differently abled, counselling sessions and school kit distribution, held lectures on personal hygiene and management and conducted art and craft activities for primary children where volunteers used their expertise in rendering service. We have successfully engaged engineers in various science based programs at school level and imparted vocational guidance to 11th and 12th grade student to name a few.
Benefits to Companies and Employees
Often, we develop a myopic view of corporate volunteering, believing that it benefits only beneficiaries of the project. But employees and in turn companies have lots to gain too.
Human resource is by far the most important resource that contributes to the success of an organisation in a competitive market place. Detached and disengaged employees are a strong financial burden to the company and one effective tool to keep employee morale and engagement high is skill-based volunteering.
This helps in the professional and personal development of an individual and fosters cross-departmental collaboration which adds to the company’s bottom line. It is also a great tool to build company loyalty and has proved that employee volunteers are less likely to change jobs. Besides, research confirms that 78% employees who take up volunteering feel less stressed and are healthier. About 87% develop excellent team building skills and have healthier relationships with contemporaries and peers.
At Arch we align employee volunteering interests to community needs to achieve maximum impact. We help identify, create, design, strategize and execute volunteering programs. We have the ability to engage employees across issues, geographies, skill sets and time availability.