Work/Life Balance
Volunteering boosts professionalsFor Morgan Stanley equities trader Andres Garcia, mentoring a high-schooler twice a week provides a break from chaotic 12-hour days. And collecting pledges for a charitable 5K race is helping him develop a new job skill -- raising money. JONATHAN DREW |
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Andres Garcia, a Morgan Stanley equities trader and a volunteer through Big Brothers Big Sisters, right, participates in a class at Scratch DJ Academy with Alin Ursu, 16.
"Fundraising in itself is an art, and I had never done something like that before," says Garcia, who volunteers through Big Brothers Big Sisters.
During National Volunteer Week, which begins Monday in the U.S. and runs April 27 to May 3 in Canada, communities are benefiting from what analysts describe as an increase in employer-supported volunteering. Rewards for the companies range from boosted morale and good public relations to customer loyalty and help in recruiting socially conscious college grads.
"Individuals that come to us to volunteer typically want to help others. But what volunteers tell us time and time again is that they come back because of what it does for them," says Ariel Zwang, executive director of New York Cares.
The bottom line: It's OK to be a little bit selfish about your altruism. Here's why:
IMPROVED ATTITUDE
Volunteers frequently report that their work boosts self-esteem and relieves stress, which can make a pressurized workday easier to bear.
To illustrate how important of a stress break mentoring can be, Big Brothers Big Sisters New York City executive director Allan Luks cites the charity's chapter at Bear Stearns Cos., which was recently forced to accept a buyout from rival JPMorgan Chase & Co. When Luks received news of Bear's troubles he assumed it would be the end of the charity's program there. Instead, the bank called to say employee volunteers would continue to the end of the year.
"They have no idea if they are going to have jobs in the future. A lot of them have lost the value of their retirement plans," he says. "Yet they are continuing this program ... You don't do that unless a program really, really makes you feel good."
Morgan Stanley's Garcia echoed that sentiment when he describes how his protege's visits to the trading floor cut through daily stress: "He seems very excited. That kind of thing is very uplifting."
NETWORK/TEAMWORK
One of the most frequently cited benefits of corporate volunteer programs is the chance for employees to meet and interact with people they might not see on a daily basis.
Credit Suisse Group adopted a philanthropic model in 2004 in which it requires organizations it supports in the U.S. to accept its employees as volunteers -- along with its dollars. Among the chief benefits of the arrangement is building a sense of teamwork and camaraderie, says Eric Eckholdt, executive director of the Credit Suisse Americas Foundation.
Sabiha Jivanjee, a university relations manager at insurance company American International Group Inc., says she plans to ask the director of her mentoring program for a list of contact information of her fellow mentors.
"No one else is from AIG," says Jivanjee, who volunteers at Streetwise Partners, a New York-based mentoring program. "I've made some really great networks there."
HONING SKILLS
Volunteer work can be a good place to hone existing skills or develop new ones without your boss standing nearby.
Jivanjee, who recruits recent college grads and co-ordinates summer associate programs in her day job, recently coached a Streetwise participant on interview skills and resume-writing. Helping the woman, who eventually landed a job, fit well with the talent for evaluating prospective hires Jivanjee uses at work.
Charity work can also be a good place to add new tools. A Gap Inc. program offers charitable gifts to non-profit organizations for which its executives serve as board members.
The idea is to offer an incentive for workers to get hands-on experience with strategic planning and managing financial resources outside of the office, says Bobbi Silten, chief foundation officer for Gap Inc.
RESUME BUILDERS?
Of course, not all charity work is resume-ready.
Steve Miranda of the Society for Human Resource Management says including philanthropic work on one's resume never hurts, but how much it helps depends on the type of work done.
He also recommends that the information be tailored to describe specific work done and skills gained -- similar to how an applicant would describe for-pay experience.
He points out that a person doesn't need to work at a large corporation with a well-developed philanthropic foundation -- raising $1 million to re-sod an athletic field could be great project-management work.
"You'd be surprised at how many very responsible positions are available at your local high school," he says.
How many hours a week do you work?