Employee engagement has long been a cornerstone of corporate impact. But in today’s environment, leaders are under growing pressure to show how these programs deliver value — not just for communities, but for the business itself.

On July 21, NationSwell hosted a virtual Leader Roundtable designed to bring corporate impact leaders together to explore how employee-focused programs — volunteerism, pro bono service, board service, and matching gifts — can be designed with greater intention and measured with greater rigor. Together, participants dug into what it takes to move from participation to performance by aligning programs to business priorities, strengthening talent outcomes like retention and skill development, and building the case for sustained investment.

Some of the most salient takeaways from the conversation appear below:

Key takeaways:

Anchor volunteer focus areas in the core company mission and values. Employees engage when a program feels like a continuation of the work they joined the company to do, consistent with the company’s primary mission, rather than a separate priority layered on top. Starting from that alignment supports employee engagement buy-in and participation, and makes programs easier to scale. 

Lean into skills-based volunteering as a professional development tool that supports the business, rather than as a service activity. Organizations are increasingly viewing ‘soft skills’ (e.g., empathy, critical thinking, and relationship-building) as essential human skills in the age of AI. Partnering closely with HR and leveraging organizational and sector-wide studies to position skills-based volunteering as career development strengthens the business case for employee engagement. 

Partner with HR and talent teams to study the relationship between volunteer engagement and talent outcomes. By comparing talent outcomes across multiple years between individuals who volunteer and those who don’t, companies can build a better understanding of the relationship between participation and key talent priorities like retention, engagement scores, and promotion rates. While the results of these studies often show a correlation and not causation, they serve to strengthen the internal business case and narrative around the shared value created by employee-related impact programs.

Segment your  workforce to offer tailored programs based on different employee archetypes. A single volunteerism or employee engagement strategy may not suit a diverse employee base that ranges from frontline to remote roles. Offering various impact opportunities that meet employees where they are – like fundraising opportunities, on-campus projects, virtual options, or local team-building – drives more participation than a one-size-fits-all approach. Providing flexible volunteer time off benefits and extended volunteer campaigns vs. single days of service is another way leaders are expanding opportunities for frontline employees to participate in organization-wide initiatives.

Engage every function from top to bottom, and reward efforts. When business unit leaders or C-level executives commit to volunteering or social impact goals, their teams follow and stay more engaged. Pairing that top-down participation with the same recognition systems used for business performance (e.g., awards, employee-nominated grants, or celebrations tied to volunteer milestones) signals that the work is equally valued across the organization and further encourages consistent engagement.  

Stay tuned into nonprofit partners to avoid drifting too far away from community needs. One risk of orienting employee volunteerism and other employee programs toward the business is that it can widen the gap with what nonprofit partners need most.  Select partners that are strategically aligned to the core mission and impact strategy of the business, and then put trust in them to help you design programs that activate employees in ways that are ultimately beneficial to the goals those partner organizations are driving toward. This will ensure strong outcomes through volunteer engagements and support mutual value between employees, partners, and the business.