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Engage Your Employees Through Skills-Based Volunteerism
BY: JACK HARRIS, PRESIDENT & CEO, JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF GEORGIA
The magnitude of what is
upon us with the opening
of the Junior Achievement
Discovery Center at
Gwinnett does not fall
short. Every middle school
student in Gwinnett
County Public Schools, no
matter their background,
will have the opportunity
to discover what it means to be financially
and professionally sound. They will be
equipped with the skills to budget, save
and invest, and armed with the confidence
and understanding to take control of their
financial futures, their careers and achieve
their dreams. On the other hand, what
may get overlooked is the impact this
center will have on Gwinnett’s corporate
community. In order to execute JA
BizTown and JA Finance Park, the center
will require 40 volunteer mentors each day
to help facilitate the programs by engaging
the students and giving them a point of
reference.
Reports show that organizations that
promote employee volunteerism result
in a happier and more skillful workforce.
As Millennials age we are
seeing trends towards
a workforce that values
a company’s impact
and contributions to
society. Encouraging and
providing employees with
meaningful volunteer
opportunities helps to
engage, develop and retain
talent. According to a study released by
PricewaterhouseCooper, employees most
committed to their organizations put in
57 percent more effort on the job—and
are 87 percent less likely to resign— than
employees who consider themselves
disengaged. How does it work?
Engages Talent
: Engagement equates
to greater connectivity to the company and
higher productivity. For a generation that
seeks to continually make an impact and
enhance the economic and social landscape,
volunteering is a vital aspect to longevity.
Volunteering is inherently relational,
giving employees a sense of belonging
and a commonality fromwhich to build
relationships while developing a sense of
pride for their organization.
Develops Talent:
By identifying
volunteer opportunities that are skills-
based you are not only able to support the
community, but also elevate the skills of your
employees. Through these opportunities
employees are able to utilize their current
abilities while developing additional skills by
being challenged to break out of their day-
to-day routine.
Attracts &Retains Talent:
Even with
all of today’s technology and outlets there is
still no better public relations than word-
of-mouth. By providing opportunities that
enable employees to make an impact on
their community while supporting a cause
that is valued by their employer, you create
a culture of success and admiration for your
organization. This equates to loyalty and
people positively promoting your company
internally and among their social networks.
The best leaders of any organization
continually search to identify opportunities
to enhance the culture of their
organization, which in today’s era means
being socially engaged. By taking the time
to identify nonprofits making the greatest
strides in your community while providing
opportunities to develop and maintain
necessary skills for professional success,
you will be able to gain the greatest return
on investment—your employees. Through
these efforts an organization can enhance
its value while also advancing the economic
landscape of its community.
The Junior Achievement Discovery Center
at Gwinnett is a partnership between
Gwinnett County Public Schools and Junior
Achievement of Georgia. The center will
open August 2015 and will serve all 6th
and 8th grade students in Gwinnett County
Public Schools. For more information on the
center and how you can get involved visit:
juniorachievement.org/web/ja-georgia/
gwinnett-location
Community
“Reports show that organizations that promote
employee volunteerism result in a happier and
more skillful workforce.”
THE EXECUTIVE – Q3 2015
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