Volunteer Programs May Afford Effective Training Solutions
Corporate volunteer program may be solution to developing cost-effective training programs, Deloitte says
-- SURVEY RESULTS
Corporations invest heavily in training and development. But as corporate America deals with a shaky economy, human resource
professionals are facing intense pressure to develop more cost-effective, high impact training and development programs that
quickly prepare the next generation of business leaders. New research from Deloitte suggests that corporations may find a
solution in an unlikely place their corporate volunteer program.
The 2008 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey indicates companies are overlooking the business value and talent development
benefits of skills-based volunteerism (the contribution of business knowledge and experience to help nonprofits increase their
capacity). Not only does skills-based volunteering provide much-needed support to local nonprofits, but it also helps foster
meaningful business and leadership skills among employees.
Survey respondents see value in it, but are missing the opportunity. HR professionals see significant business value
in offering skills-based volunteering as part of their training and development programs, yet most corporations do not offer
a comprehensive program and are missing the opportunity to boost learning in a way that offers substantial benefits. Ninety-one
percent of survey respondents agree that skills-based volunteering would add value to training and development programs, particularly
as it relates to fostering business and leadership skills. Only one out of six companies (16 percent) make it a regular practice
to intentionally offer skills-based volunteer opportunities for employee development. "It's the one area we are weak in,"
said one respondent. "I really believe that if structured, it can be one of the best management training tools we could
have."
Despite the fact that corporate HR professionals overwhelmingly agree that the incorporation of skills-based volunteering
into training and development programs would provide valuable learning tools, few companies intentionally leverage volunteerism
for this purpose. Among HR professionals who do offer skills-based volunteering for the purpose of cultivating leadership
skills, only 13 percent offer it to all employees. The vast majority of volunteer opportunities offered for the purpose of
leadership and skill development are offered to management and above. "We just don't have a system in place or a real program.
Volunteering is an excellent tool that we need to make a more integral part of our T&D," said one respondent.
Training budgets aren't increasing. Additionally, while training and development programs are under increasing pressure
to perform, many are also working with shrinking or flat budgets, making cost-effective programs crucial. Nearly 70 percent
of respondents indicated that their training and development budgets either decreased or remained flat over last year. The
vast majority of HR professionals are under pressure to do more with less, and to show a return for their work.
Only two percent of survey respondents believe that incorporating skills-based volunteering into talent development programs
would cost more than traditional training and development options. "We just spent six figures for a program that the staff
found very little value in, so bring it on," said one respondent. "I wish we had better relationships with more nonprofits."
Different learning methods have varying degrees of impact. One of the most effective for adult education is "action
learning," where adults develop new capabilities through challenging assignments, shared experiences, and role models. Studies
show that, to be effective, adult learning experiences should be engaging, personally relevant, with real world applications.
Consequently, people who volunteer their intellectual capital to a nonprofit organization are in an optimal learning environment
to practice and develop skills, given the authenticity of the work. "We believe that it's [skill-based volunteering] the
most important tool we have to teach our managers to manage. They learn more at a nonprofit than we can teach them here. It
s real life," said one respondent.
Moreover, there is a great need in the nonprofit community for professionals to donate their business skills. The 2006
Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey found that 77 percent of nonprofit leaders believe they could significantly benefit from
volunteers who help them improve their organization's business practices. Yet, only 12 percent of nonprofits actually work
with volunteers in this capacity.
Steps to leverage skills-based volunteering programs. Deloitte's research suggests that the intentional use of community
involvement for leadership and skill development represents a tremendous opportunity for companies as they continue to build
their training and development resources. In order to reap the full benefits, companies must: Acknowledge that community involvement
can be purposely leveraged to satisfy business needs; Intentionally integrate community involvement into business strategy
in a way that produces a measurable return; and Encourage these types of learning opportunities throughout the organization.
Source: Deloitte LLP; www.deloitte.com.
Reprinted with permission. © CCH
