Employees who regularly volunteer happier with career

Employees who frequently participate in workplace volunteer activities are far happier and satisfied with their career progression as compared to those who rarely or never volunteer, says a Deloitte survey.

According to eighth annual "Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey" reveals that 37 per cent of employees surveyed globally who frequently participate in workplace volunteer activities are more likely to be satisfied with the progression of their career.

This is against 21 per cent of respondent who rarely volunteer. Besides, 51 per cent of employees surveyed who frequently participate in workplace volunteer activities are even more likely to be satisfied with their employer also as compared to 32 per cent who does not volunteer.

The report said, employees who frequently participate in workplace volunteer activities are "more likely to be proud, loyal and satisfied employees, as compared

to those who rarely or never volunteer".

"The data shows that, on many levels, employees who regularly volunteer are much more connected than those who do not volunteer," Deloitte CEO Joseph Echevarria said.

Echevarria further said, "This is a strong argument for making volunteerism a business priority, because employee engagement and organisational culture are inextricably linked to organisational performance".

Interestingly, these employees views workplace volunteer programs as a two-way street and wants a return on their volunteer investment.

They want volunteerism to benefit them professionally. At a time when one-third of employees are considering other career options, these findings may offer new insights about a powerful way to engage workers among this age group.

The survey, which was conducted among 1,500 employees (ages 21 to 35), suggest a link between volunteerism and the quality of employee engagement, as well as favourable employee perceptions of organisational culture.