2016 Deloitte Impact Survey: Building leadership skills through volunteerism (Deloitte USA)

01/09/2016

This article could be valuable for any volunteer organisation seeking to encourage businesses to develop a corporate volunteering program.

This Deloitte USA survey explored the opinions of over 2500 people across 13 US cities who undertake hiring or who directly influence those undertaking hiring. It aimed “to examine how they define leadership, how volunteerism drives leadership skills, and how volunteerism impacts the perception of job candidates during the interview process.”

Summary

The hirers reported that volunteer experience was listed on only 30% of resumes received but 82% of hirers said they were more likely to choose a candidate with volunteer experience. Volunteering activities which build leadership skills was favoured. There was a strong view that volunteering can develop professional and leadership skills to prepare the employee for leadership roles.

“And when it comes to skills-based volunteering, the majority of respondents believed that it improves communications skills, strengthens accountability and commitment, and helps individuals develop strong character, all traits that respondents identified as leadership “must haves”:”

However nearly half of the respondents indicated that their organisation did not offer a workplace volunteering program.

The staff development benefits of corporate social impact are explored more in:

“The purpose-driven professional,” William D. Eggers, Nate Wong and Kate Cooney, Deloitte University Press, September 8, 2015. (http://d27n205l7rookf.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/DUP_1286_Purpose-driven-talent_MASTER.pdf )

 

Reference: 2016 Deloitte Impact Survey: Building leadership skills through volunteerism. Deloitte Development LLC, June 2016

Available at: http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/us-deloitte-impact-survey.pdf

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