Volunteering: a good career move

Anna Scott

Last week, 100 companies were honoured in London at an awards ceremony for employers judged by their employees to provide great workplaces. Recruiters fared well in the Best Workplaces 2014 list; 13 of them made the grade.

Among the factors that employees rate as making their workplaces great – alongside the usual perks, good line managers and an atmosphere of trust – is the opportunity for charity work and volunteering. A corporate social responsibility programme is not just something employers are implementing, it’s something employees desire, too.

Next week is the thirtieth national Volunteers Week, which highlights the ways people can become involved in volunteering and the contribution made by volunteers.

Volunteering can also be a smart career move, providing individuals with new skills and experiences which, according to one recruitment firm, can make people more employable, particularly if they have been job-hunting for a long time.

According to Amy Tingle, director of Sheffield recruiter Benchmark, volunteering enables people to enhance their contacts book and gives an insight into different jobs.

But it’s not just good for employees to volunteer, it also provides a way for employers to develop their staff in skills and experiences, boost their profile and contacts and improve corporate responsibility.

With the increasing number of employers giving their staff time off to volunteer, or setting up volunteering programmes themselves, it’s fast becoming the norm.