Between 2020 and 2021, Verizon mobilized 89,000 of its employees to volunteer over 1,000,000 hours, at an average of over 7 hours per employee. Far exceeding the industry average of 1.4 hours per employee per year and the average annual volunteer participation rate of 17%, Verizon’s success demonstrates how taking a human-centered and empathetic approach can tap into employees’ diverse motivations for Volunteering. This case study describes six elements of Citizen Verizon Volunteers that are critical to its success:
- Cascade volunteerism strategy from the organization’s broader societal purpose.
Verizon linked goals to the time and talents of its employees.
- Develop a volunteerism-oriented RFP that’s empathetic and transparent toward applicants.
Verizon designed a partner selection process that mitigates legacy deficiencies.
- Over-index to existing employee skills and organizational capabilities.
Verizon harnessed features intrinsic to the organization and its people.
- Use metrics to elevate the strategic importance of volunteerism.
Verizon actively promoted the strategic value of volunteerism to the business, its employees, and the communities they serve.
- Plan to tap diverse motivations among employees.
Verizon used a varied toolkit as opposed to relying on a single engagement lever to bring employees forward.
- Make participation as easy as possible for employees and partners.
Verizon lifted barriers to entry for participants and created opportunities for engagement that were highly responsive to the current environment.
