Majority of volunteers say they have not significantly improved their skills, says survey report
Half of employees who volunteered as part of schemes run by their firms said doing so had improved their team working skills "a little" or not at all, according to new figures from social responsibility consultancy firm Corporate Citizenship.
The firm asked 546 workers about their experiences of employer-supported volunteering in the education sector for its report Volunteering – The Business Case, which was commissioned by the City of London Corporation.
The report showed that 25.7 per cent of respondents said their team working skills were not improved and 24.8 per cent said those skills had improved a little.
Nearly third - 32.6 per cent - said there was some improvement and 10 per cent said it improved their team working skills significantly.
Some 30.2 per cent said volunteering had made no difference to their problem-solving skills, compared with 9.3 per cent who said there had been a significant development in their skills in this area. Fewer than 30 per cent said there had been any development in their problem-solving skills.
The survey also asked employees whether the skills and experience they gained from volunteering made them better able to apply for senior positions. Forty-two per cent disagreed that it would, and 21.1 per cent said they agreed.
The report also says the average annual cost to firms of supporting each volunteer was £381 per person per year.
