Corporate volunteerism builds workplace skills and community, YMCA leader says

TORONTO — The president of the YMCA of Greater Toronto says corporate volunteer programs are a powerful tool for developing employee skills and strengthening workplace culture.

Lesley Davidson, the organization's president and chief executive officer, said volunteering together allows colleagues to step outside typical roles and hierarchies.

"They collaborate in new environments, solve unfamiliar problems and connect around a meaningful, shared purpose," Davidson wrote in a column for Globe Careers' Leadership Lab series.

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She said the skills that will differentiate great employees as artificial intelligence handles more routine tasks are increasingly human ones like empathy, collaboration, communication and good judgment.

"Those skills aren’t developed through PowerPoint presentations and online meetings alone," Davidson wrote. "They are honed through hands-on experiences that give people opportunities to practice them in real-world situations."

She cited a recent example where a corporate volunteer group did maintenance work at the YMCA Cedar Glen Outdoor Centre.

"Colleagues who rarely interact found common ground. Emerging leaders stepped forward. And people discovered strengths in one another that wouldn’t normally surface in a boardroom or virtual meeting," Davidson wrote.

She said employees often return to work with stronger relationships and new leadership experiences, with quiet team members sometimes becoming natural project leaders.

Statistics Canada data shows volunteer participation has decreased since 2018 as Canadians face growing pressures on their time, finances and personal responsibilities.

Davidson said the need for volunteers remains as important as ever for charities, but companies have just as much to gain.

"At a time when employers are searching for ways to strengthen engagement, connection and purpose among employees, volunteerism is a solution hiding in plain sight," she wrote.

Research consistently shows that people want to work for organizations with values that align with their own and where they can make a meaningful contribution, according to Davidson.

"Volunteerism can help bridge the gap between the work employees do and the impact they want to have in their community," she wrote.

Davidson said the most successful volunteer programs become part of an organization’s culture, not just one-off events.

Some companies even involve employees’ families, giving children the opportunity to see community leadership and civic engagement modelled firsthand.

"Volunteerism is not a replacement for strong leadership, competitive compensation or professional growth opportunities," Davidson wrote. "But it offers something else employees value: purpose."

She said the benefits flow both ways, helping community organizations and the companies that encourage volunteerism.

"As volunteer participation declines across Canada, businesses have an opportunity to play a larger role," Davidson wrote. "Not because charities need saving, but because communities, employees and organizations all shine when people come together to contribute their time and talents."

She argued that giving employees opportunities to work together in service of something bigger can help build engagement, strengthen culture and develop future leaders.

"Volunteerism isn’t just about strengthening communities," Davidson concluded. "It’s a powerful way to strengthen organizations and the people who make them successful."

With files from The Globe and Mail