How Does Volunteering Help Reduce Employee Turnover?

Problem

VisionY, a consulting firm made up of 550 employees, had a 27.6% employee turnover rate in 2021 (above the average turnover rate of 24.7%). As exit interviews were conducted, VisionY found that employees left the company due to the following reasons:

While compensation and management are two core issues that would take more time, research, and negotiation to resolve, there was a short-term solution to the other three issues contributing to employee turnover.

Solution

VisionY wanted to strengthen its existing company culture to facilitate career development, enhance recognition, and focus on the well-being of its employees to reduce turnover. After some initial brainstorming sessions, in-depth discussions, and external research, VisionY decided to implement an employee volunteer program.

VisionY knew that they needed some assistance with establishing and running a company volunteer program. As a result, they turned to Kambeo, a social impact platform that assists in helping companies effectively organize and execute their volunteer efforts.

The steps to setting up a company volunteer program were as follows:

1. Create a company page to host all company-wide volunteer opportunities.
2. Select nonprofits and charities to host volunteer events on behalf of (optional*).
3. Invite employees to the company page, giving them access to register for all volunteer events.
4. Educate employees on how to explore Kambeo at an individual level, finding volunteer opportunities they would like to pursue during company time.
5. Host two company-wide volunteer events a year.
6. Recognize and celebrate employee volunteer milestones along the way (i.e., announcements, verbal acknowledgement, company-wide dinners).
7. Monitor the results of company volunteer efforts month-over-month.
   
   
   

Results

January 2022 to December 2022

• Total # of employees who volunteered on company-led days: 176
• Total # of employees who explored individual opportunities: 97
• Total # of volunteer hours accumulated: 708
• Employee turnover rate in 2022: 21.5% (YoY improvement of 6.1%)

After a year of VisionY running its company volunteer program, they confidently concluded that volunteerism had helped employees adopt a clear mindset, learn new hard skills, and feel appreciated in the workplace—resulting in a 6.1% drop in employee turnover.

Whether your company is experiencing greater-than-average rates of employee turnover or is looking for an effective solution to improving employee engagement, consider starting a company volunteer program.

Kambeo specializes in helping companies organize and execute their volunteer programs to garner optimal results. Learn how volunteering opportunities can have a significant impact on improving employee morale.