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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/394777
mark atomos piloN November 2014 BCBusiness 39 their goals, their employees' skills and interests, and the opportunities in their communities. They need a business case for the time and energy, and sometimes money, involved. "They need to look at employee vol- unteering from a deeper business per- spective of what they can gain and give back," says Inspire Canada's Samson. "What's the biggest contribution for the business and the biggest for society? It requires effort in terms of time, brain power, dialogue." The commitment can be especially challenging for smaller businesses, where someone's absence is really missed. But for those businesses, finding partners where there is flexibil- ity or a longer window to complete a project is key. Samson says that while corporate support for volunteering is catching on, it's still early days. "It's going to increase," he predicts, as companies that establish effective employee volun- teer programs demonstrate the benefits in recognition from both the public and clients, in employee development and in the ability to attract and engage a com- mitted, loyal workforce. Massood Baqi, for one, points to Van- city's employee volunteer culture as a key reason why he's there. "I'd heard great things about Vancity and I wanted to be part of that," he says. His United Way opportunity brought new skills, new contacts and a chance to contribute. "That's important to the generation that's coming into the workplace now," he says. "It's all about the culture." ■ So You Want to Start an Employee Volunteer Program? Set your goals. do you want a quick team-building exercise? specific career development opportunities? community or client recognition? link the program to your business plan, as inspire canada's michael samson suggests. Identify your strengths and limits. if you have a hot social media team, look for a nonprofit that really needs those skills. How much time away can you allow people? Determine your employees' interests. a successful program needs commitment from the top, but it also has to be built around employees' passions. "to really have the most impact, build on the vision of employ- ees," says paula speevak of volunteer canada. Put someone in charge. Hr, community relations, the ceo—someone has to be responsible for running the program. consider an employee council. Pick the right partners. it's vital to find an effective nonprofit—one where volun- teer support from the company can make a real difference, and one that's aligned with the interests of the business and its employees. Tap existing information resources. learn from the experts—and others' mistakes. volunteer canada, inspire canada, com- munity volunteer connections, cuso international and the united way are keen to help businesses create effective employee volunteer programs.