Jersey Community Foundation’s Post

"Productivity boost from volunteering ‘adds £4.6 billion to UK economy each year, new study finds" Exploring the effects of volunteering on those not in employment, the report gives a strong indication that engaging in voluntary service could also help people back into work. And it underlines the keen interest among jobseekers for supported volunteer roles that could prepare them for finding paid employment. Read more here in this HR News article 👉 https://lnkd.in/ethMhYBE #Volunteering #Productivity #UK #Economy

Volunteer Recruitment Challenges Our recent survey with the Volunteering Action Plan Cost of Living Task Group highlighted some pressing issues in volunteer recruitment: ➡ 76% of Volunteer-Involving Organisations (VIOs) are facing difficulties with recruiting volunteers. ➡66% of VIOs cite fewer people coming forward, and 59% report that people have less time to volunteer. ➡Challenges are particularly acute in sectors like Health & Wellbeing, with 43% of VIOs struggling in these areas. In response, the National Recruitment Campaign: ‘Volunteering for All’ aims to provide the resources and support needed to overcome these hurdles. https://lnkd.in/euZyHQqq Let’s work together to address these challenges and enhance volunteer engagement across Scotland! #VolunteeringForAll #NationalRecruitmentCampaign

Volunteers play a crucial role in filling gaps, supporting initiatives, and addressing community needs that may otherwise go unmet. However, when organizations begin to take undue advantage of volunteers, crossing the line between genuine appreciation and exploitation, it undermines the very essence of volunteerism. It is evident that with individuals such as job seekers, students, and expatriates  often engage in volunteering activities with the expectation of deriving future benefits. Unfortunately, many organizations and small boutique firms exploit this eagerness, capitalizing on the needs of these individuals. Thus, it is imperative to consider the implementation of proper contractual clauses within volunteering agreements, delineating specific timeframes and expectations. In essence, the incorporation of contractual clauses tailored to volunteering arrangements represents a prudent measure to safeguard the interests of all involved stakeholders. It ensures that volunteering remains a mutually beneficial endeavour characterized by clarity, respect, and fair treatment. #Volunteers #Jobseekers #Expatriates #Recruitment #HR #Organization Stay tuned for #FridayBytes: "Unlocking the Hidden Realities of Recruitment" Join me each week as I delve into intriguing topics that shed light on the often overlooked aspects of the recruitment process. #Comment if you want to discuss on specific topic.

"There will never be enough volunteers to fill this need, and it’s time to acknowledge that as a society, we rely on volunteers for things we shouldn’t."   I'm proud to share this op-ed by Volunteer Toronto's Executive Director Joanne McKiernan which highlights our recent research on the Meals on Wheels volunteer shortage - and the conversation at large about decent volunteerism. What better time than National Volunteer Week to investigate unpaid labour, exploitation and the realities of today’s volunteer engagement landscape?   The generosity of volunteers should not limit a person’s access to food. The vulnerability of newcomers should not be taken advantage of for "Canadian experience". A "shortage of volunteers" should not be confused with the real barriers potential volunteers face. And volunteer energy and excitement should not be squandered by a lack of capacity and support for volunteer engagement resources (from the article: “Yet as a volunteer centre, we’re hearing that potential volunteers are not hearing back regarding the roles they apply to, or that agencies are collecting information volunteers are not comfortable providing.”).   Read the op-ed, share with peers and leadership, and drop a comment with your thoughts!

Very interesting that at the Department of Rural and Community Development Civic Forum this morning, twice the issue of over-reliance on a few volunteers, volunteer burnout and struggle to recruit volunteers has come up. It’s a National and international trend that we’re very worried about at Volunteer Ireland. So what’s the answer? Where do I begin… 1. Resource government initiatives that rely on volunteers adequately. 2. Question if a volunteer role should actually be a paid job, especially if it used to be a paid job! 3. Support organisations to look at how they can introduce flexibility and break volunteer roles into smaller tasks. 4. Support organisations to be more inclusive in their volunteer programme, to cast their net wider and engage new people as volunteers. 5. Fund government initiatives and programmes that rely on volunteers, to properly recruit, support, train and manage volunteers.

#OnlineFirst Revisiting the Impact of Illegitimate Tasks on Volunteers: Does Emotional Labor Make a Difference? by Qing Miao, Chao Pan, & Gary Schwarz The article brings affective events theory to the investigation of illegitimate tasks in the context of volunteer engagement. Using a three-wave survey of 1,948 volunteers, the authors found that illegitimate tasks negatively influence #Volunteer #Engagement. It outlines, among other implications, that managers should prioritize the emotional well-being of volunteers. https://lnkd.in/dcbii5wy

Happy International Volunteer Management Day. We believe our future normal should be one where volunteers can rely on a good quality volunteer experience influenced and shaped by a proven successful quality standard like Investing In Volunteers (IiV). People want to make meaningful change and have the offer of their time rewarded with a volunteer role which is well designed and supported.  Investing in quality is the least we can do to repay the time they give. IiV also allows organisations to adapt to the ever changing trends in terms of how, when and where people want to volunteer. Through regularly renewing your processes and procedures and understanding how technological advances are impacting volunteering you can ensure you're supporting the maintenance of existing volunteer relationships and creatively support the recruitment and retention of new volunteers. #IVMDay24 #InvestingInVolunteers #VolunteerManagement

🔍 Human Capital: Employment Status and Volunteering 🧑💼 Employment status is another critical factor influencing volunteering. It provides financial means and helps build social networks. 🌟 Key Insights: - People with full-time employment are more likely to volunteer than those who are unemployed. - Busy personal schedules influence the likelihood of volunteering, while the number of hours volunteered is affected by the amount of free time. - Older people (retirees) are more visible as volunteers, though the percentage of people volunteering is higher among the active workforce. Source: New trends in the development of volunteering in the European Union, Study by the European Economic and Social Committee (2021) The map shows the unemployment levels by region in Europe. Blue shades indicate low unemployment, and orange shades indicate higher unemployment. 🔗 How can we leverage these insights to enhance our volunteer base? #VolunteerRecruitment #AssociationStrategy #CommunityEngagement #HumanCapital #Employment #Volunteerism #Europe

Employer-led volunteering is not only good for recruitment, retention and wellbeing, it actually boosts productivity and wages. A new report by Pro Bono Economics (PBE), estimates that employee volunteering leads to productivity gains worth at least £4.6 billion each year, or £4,551 per volunteer. This figure is based on the finding that when a volunteer is using or developing skills, their own productivity will improve, allowing them to command a higher wage. Chapter One UK has been working with leading UK companies since 2018 and now supports nearly 3,000 employee-volunteers, who read online with children each week. We provide a well-managed and flexible volunteering opportunity with measurable social impact. Please get in touch if you want to know more. You can read the report here https://bit.ly/49dEoXK #employeevolunteering #employerledvolunteering #volunteering #employeeengagement #productivity #employeewellbeing #socialvalue #socialimpact

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD - OCDE) has published an international comparison of volunteering trends and tools for local development. Among other findings, they note that national volunteer strategies can establish policies, programs and budgetary frameworks that help maximize the impact of volunteering on local development. While OECD found that national strategies remain uncommon across member countries, the report names Australia and Ireland as notable exceptions. “In some cases, countries have national youth strategies which include strategic objectives on youth volunteering, such as in the Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania and Spain,” they add.