Why community work can build a sense of purpose

By Jo Faragher on 28 January 2022

It’s no secret that “purpose” has risen to the top of candidates’ list of priorities, particularly among younger workers.

Research by BUPA recently found that 31% of Gen Z workers (between the ages of 18 and 22) would turn down a role or take a pay cut if it meant being able to work with a business demonstrating strong ESG (environmental, social and governance) credentials. More than two-thirds of workers in this age group are anxious about climate change and the same proportion seek out employees that act on these issues.

Getting employees involved in community programmes is one way to build their awareness of environmental and societal issues while helping charities or community partners at the same time. According to Circle Research, the top three reasons cited for involvement in employee volunteering or outreach are employee engagement, PR and reputation, and team building – so it can be good for business too.

Measuring impact

Consulting firm PwC grants its employees and partners up to six days per year to work on volunteering projects. “Our community programme isn’t just about giving something back, it’s about sharing our skills, time and talent with those communities that often feel marginalised,” explains David Adair, head of community engagement for PwC UK. “Last year, 59% of our volunteering was skills based, a figure we are particularly proud of, as we feel as a professional services firm this is where we can have the biggest impact.” On top of this, employees can vote for a PwC Foundation charity partner every three years.

This has particularly resonated over the past couple of years, he adds: “It turned out that our two main charity partners, Crisis and Hospice UK, have been at the forefront of the national response to the pandemic. Much of our volunteering effort in the last two years has served to help them meet the increasing demands being put on them. For example, we helped upskill their teams on desktop business tools. We supported and tested a gaming and streaming community dedicated to ending homelessness for Crisis, and our Learning Lab team provided Hospice UK with a training platform for staff.”

Over the past 10 years, the PwC Foundation has raised £70 million for charities and social enterprises, and committed 250,000 volunteering hours. But there has been just as positive an impact for employees as for those on the receiving end of support. “We know that volunteering helps our people feel more engaged, and builds their networks and their social awareness,” says Adair. “And we make an alignment between the firm’s purpose and our people’s by mapping our volunteering activities to PwC’s professional development framework. This helps staff to identify how volunteering can be part of their overall development, and to include it in the annual performance appraisal process.”

Mental wellbeing

Healthcare company BUPA has recently produced a guide to supporting employee wellbeing through ESG initiatives, reinforcing the idea that giving back to others can improve our mental wellbeing. “When people get involved in their local communities they tend to improve their social connections and have a greater sense of purpose, both of which contribute to positive mental wellbeing,” says Sally Pain, chief sustainability officer. “It’s also a great way to build strong social connections at work with colleagues who share similar values to you.”

In addition to providing paid volunteering leave, match funding, community grants and give as you earn schemes, the Bupa Foundation engages colleagues in Community Committees – forums for employees to connect with each other and support their local communities through volunteering and funding projects that really matter to them, she adds. Bupa employees can volunteer as student mentors in partnership with Career Ready, charity mentors in partnership with ELBA and as wellbeing coaches. Its research highlighted above shows the impact this can have: “Contributing to the greater good and making a difference has a positive effect on self-esteem and reduces the risk of burnout,” Pain says.

Often, community and charity partnerships are driven by employee affinity networks. This is the case at sales technology company MVF, where the women’s network chose the charity Bloody Good Period, which donates period products to people who cannot afford them. Network members use their marketing skills to raise money and awareness of menstrual equity. Steffi Schmidt, CRO Manager at MVF, explains: “I was positively surprised how many marketers wanted to be part of the initiative – so many that we had to do an application process to select two people from each marketing channel. Personally I think a business gets as much benefit from supporting a charity its employees care about as the charity itself, especially if employees can get involved in hands-on initiatives, creative fundraising events and educational awareness events. Despite being extra work on top of your day-to-day responsibilities, it’s energising and motivating to use your professional skills to support a great cause.”

Make it relevant

Over the course of the pandemic, many volunteering initiatives moved online. And while restrictions have now eased considerably, it’s worth considering that organisations work in increasingly hybrid ways, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. In its advice on employer-supported volunteering, it warns against creating “mismatched expectations” of the benefits on either side of the relationship, particularly when it comes to how relevant activities are to someone’s role. “Some voluntary sector organisations find that individuals are less likely to volunteer in their professional capacity and are keen to work on unskilled tasks such as painting and gardening as it takes them away from their day-to-day role,” it recommends. It cites National Grid, which has a portal so employees can directly see how different volunteering opportunities link to skills and their own development, as an example of good practice.

Finally, the CIPD recommends undertaking some research to see what employees feel passionate about before going into any volunteering initiatives. As some employees are already engaged in their own volunteering relationships, they may be able to make introductions or recommend further means of support.

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