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VEGAS INC COVER STORY HELPING HANDS: Jeff Lalley, a public area manager at the Cosmopolitan, receives a hug from Opportunity Village client Clarissa while volunteering at the Opportunity Village Engelstad Campus on South Buffalo Drive. Client Amanda looks on at right. Also from the Cosmopolitan are Doug Filter, leſt, and Lorenzo Vierra. Experts say volunteering can boost employee satisfaction and help a company's bottom line. STEVE MARCUS COMMUNITY, FROM PAGE 14 exercises. They allow employees to take on new chal- lenges and find different ways to solve problems, said John Harvey, CEO of Harvey Innovations, a Hender- son business development and management company. "It gets people to think outside the box. By volun- teering, and especially doing it with other profession- als, you see how other people think and do things," Harvey said. At the Cosmopolitan, many department heads arrange team-building exercises outside the office dur- ing one of several monthly volunteer activities. action, and see that it's not all talk." Often, one of the toughest parts of establishing a workplace volunteer program is getting employees to buy in and take advantage of the opportunities being offered, the experts said. "There are going to be people who are more inter- ested than others," Hanson said. Rather than focus on less-engaged employees, business owners should direct their energy and resources on supporting workers who are passionate about volunteering, Hanson said. The hope is their enthusiasm spreads. "It becomes infectious when people come back and tell their stories, which helps it grow. It's so much different than writing a check. It's good for the soul. It's about being a part of something. " JOHN UNWIN, COSMOPOLITAN CEO "Normally a team-building exercise would happen in a meeting room somewhere," Cosmopolitan CEO John Unwin said. Instead, groups such as the one that went to Opportunity Village head out into the com- munity. Teaming with other professionals on philanthrop- ic projects is also a good way to build business rela- tionships without the pressure of a workplace setting. "We do it to help, but networking and trust comes as a part of it," Harvey said. "People can see you in 16 Managers also can set a strong example for employees. The more that senior leaders participate in volunteer activities, the more likely rank-and-file workers will join in, Sumberg said. At the Cosmopolitan, executives choose broad top- ics such as art, learning or food, then sponsor projects that fall into those categories to allow employees to get involved in activities they're passionate about. Work- ers' hours are tracked, and employees are rewarded with recognition and prizes based on how much time they give, Unwin said. Allowing employees to volunteer requires an invest- ment from a company. And like any other business investment, returns should be measured, Hanson said. "Businesses should set goals, track those and publi- cize progress," she said. Even so, business leaders should be wary of over policing programs and requiring so much documenta- tion that it kills the spirit of the effort. "You want to make sure that it's not too cumber- some," Hanson said. "In general, most people will do the right thing. You don't want to focus controls around the few people that aren't." Unwin said it's important for businesses to create a platform that encourages employee volunteering, then turn control over to workers. Employees at the Cosmopolitan are regularly reminded about volunteer opportunities at staff meetings and through internal communications, and workers are encouraged to share their volunteer experiences with their colleagues. "My belief is if you give people the opportunity to participate and you let them direct it, then it's going to be more efficient, more effective and contagious in a good way," he said. "It becomes infectious when people come back and tell their stories, which helps it grow." "It's so much different than writing a check," Unwin continued. "It's good for the soul. It's about being a part of something. It's more than a job; it's about creating community." co nor.shine@lasvegassun.com / 259-4059 / @conor_shine | 6 AUGUST 2012 |