Want your employees to be happier at work? Let them volunteer.

When Deloitte released it's Volunteer IMPACT study last month, the response was overwhelmingly positive. The study showed that Millennial workers who frequently volunteer through or with their jobs are overall happier with their own careers, more loyal to their employers and generally maintain a more positive perception of corporate culture than those who do not participate in volunteer programs. All of this is yet one more way that Millennials are shifting the dynamic in the workplace - but are companies keeping up and what might they take away from Deloitte's findings to help them do so?  

Using indicators such as workplace satisfaction, pride and loyalty, Deloitte compared the responses of employed Millennials, ages 21 to 35, who regularly volunteer against those who volunteer less frequently. Based on survey results, volunteerism is a critical factor for successful engagement of the Millennial generation in the work place. With approximately one-third of Millennial employees considering a career/job shift, increasing on-the-job engagement and satisfaction is becoming increasingly important for both employers and employees.

According to the survey, "Millennials who frequently participate in their company’s volunteer activities are:

• Two times more likely to rate their corporate culture as very positive as compared to Millennials who rarely or never volunteer (56 percent versus 28 percent)
• More likely to be very proud to work for their company (55 percent versus 36 percent)
• More likely to feel very loyal toward their company (52 percent versus 33 percent)
• Nearly twice as likely to be very satisfied with the progression of their career (37 percent versus 21 percent)"

- 2011 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey

“The data shows that, on many levels, employees who regularly volunteer are much more connected than those who do not volunteer,” said Joseph Echevarria, chief executive officer, Deloitte LLP. “This is a strong argument for making volunteerism a business priority, because employee engagement and organizational culture are inextricably linked to organizational performance. What’s more, engagement and a sense of ownership are essential to leadership, and we recognize the need to cultivate leadership qualities in all our people, and celebrate responsible leadership.

So what can you as an employer or an employee do to maximize your workplace volunteer situation? Deloitte synthesized the survey findings and provided a few suggestions:

• Take an inventory of your volunteer opportunities. Review your existing volunteer program and ask yourself whether your corporate culture places a value on volunteerism. Not sure? Consider the following questions: Are the activities being offered ones in which employees want to participate? Do they produce a meaningful return for the community and is their purpose well-communicated? How are people encouraged to participate? Do senior leaders get involved? Do employees receive any time during the workday to participate, or must they volunteer after hours? Are there rewards or recognition in return for participation?

• Tie volunteerism efforts to another strategic corporate initiative. The data show that Millennials who frequently volunteer are more engaged than those who do not, so look for opportunities to align volunteer initiatives with other business priorities, such as recruiting, leadership development and training. Invite the community involvement staff and the talent managers to the same strategic planning table so together they can explore how to use volunteerism options to achieve other top business goals.

• Create policies that match business philosophy, when it comes to encouraging volunteerism. Explore pro bono service and skilled volunteerism, contributed by the company. Deloitte created a new volunteerism model in 2008—establishing the procedures that treat pro bono engagements just like paid client engagements. This means the professionals who are selected for and staffed on the engagements complete the projects during the work day. This is just one way we respond to the number one barrier to millennial volunteer participation—lack of time.

We want to hear from you - do you agree with the survey results? Does your workplace offer volunteer programs and opportunities? If so, do you take advantage of them or do issues such as “lack of time” prevent you from engaging?