I used to skip that part of the agenda.

As a leader, I hosted several team off-sites where we'd lock ourselves in a room for days—building strategy, aligning on mission and vision, setting goals. We'd always weave in the usual: dinners, lunches, team-building activities. Sometimes we'd bring in consultants to lead us through personality assessments and workshops. These activities had value—they helped us understand each other's working styles and communication preferences.

And then there was the volunteer component—going out into the community to give back wherever we were hosting the off-site. To be honest, I used to skip that part sometimes when I was a team member. It felt like one more thing on an already packed agenda. Another obligation.

Until I finally showed up. And I realized what I'd been missing.

The assessments and facilitated team-building exercises had taught us important things about how we work. We learned our communication styles, our strengths, our blind spots. That knowledge mattered.

But what I discovered was that the most profound connection—the kind that actually changed how we showed up for each other day to day—didn't come from learning about each other in a conference room. It came from working alongside each other in service of something bigger than ourselves.

When we volunteered together, we were working side by side toward a collective impact on things that were outwardly focused. It got us out of our heads—away from thinking about ourselves, our tasks, our priorities, the pressure. It made us think about what's happening around us and our impact on the world.

And in that shift of focus, something remarkable happened: we connected in ways that complemented everything else we'd learned about each other.

It turns out my experience wasn't unique. The research on volunteering—both for individual wellbeing and team cohesion—is compelling.

Nearly half of respondents who participated in workplace volunteer programs indicated it helped them build connection with their colleagues Deloitte. Volunteering together with fellow employees creates stronger bonds within the organization, fostering teamwork and people skills for 92% of volunteers and building stronger relationships for 77% Bonterra Tech.

But the benefits go well beyond just team connection. A randomized field experiment found that participants who engaged in a one-day CSR activity demonstrated a 50% reduction in turnover after a year, and male employees reported approximately 30% less stress several weeks after participating IE.

The mental health benefits are equally significant. People who volunteered at least once a month reported better mental health than participants who volunteered infrequently or not at all, and people who started to volunteer became happier over time Greater Good. Volunteering activates the reward center in the brain and releases serotonin, dopamine and endorphins, decreasing stress levels, depression, and anxiety while boosting overall health and satisfaction with life Cleveland Clinic.

"Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in." – Author Unknown

What makes volunteering so much more effective than traditional team building? Several factors are at play:

On a team volunteering day, your corporate hierarchy is effectively ignored. The entire team is working on an even playing field, typically all working towards a common goal and facing common barriers Wearematchable. When you're packing food boxes or painting a community center, your title doesn't matter. Your tenure doesn't matter. What matters is showing up and contributing.

Many companies have internal identity-based communities—employee resource groups, affinity networks, and culture-specific communities. What we've found in working with these employee-led groups is remarkable: regardless of identity, all of these communities share a common desire to give back and work within their broader community.

When an organization has a mission to give back, it creates a unifying thread that aligns communities across all identities. Volunteering becomes the common ground where diverse groups come together—not despite their differences, but in service of shared values. It's where the veterans' group and the LGBTQ+ network and the women's leadership circle and the cultural heritage groups all find common purpose.

This matters deeply in today's workplace, where we often talk about diversity and inclusion but struggle to create authentic connection across difference. Volunteering provides that bridge—a shared experience of contribution that transcends the boundaries we sometimes create internally.

Unlike manufactured team-building exercises, volunteering connects you to something genuinely meaningful. When people volunteer together, they break down silos, build trust and often gain a renewed sense of meaning in their work. It humanizes the workplace in a way few other activities can.

This is especially important for younger generations. According to a 2024 Deloitte Report, 86% of Gen Z and 89% of Millennials say having a sense of purpose is important to their overall job satisfaction and well-being Common Impact.

Volunteering or doing an act of kindness can distract you from some of the problems that you might be having, so you might be a little bit less reactive yourself. It may help to give you more perspective on what your own problems are NPR.

When you step outside your organizational bubble and engage with real community needs, the workplace pressures that felt overwhelming suddenly feel more manageable. You remember that you're part of something bigger than quarterly targets and project deadlines.

So how do you move volunteering from a one-off activity to a genuine part of your culture?

The top three drivers for companies investing in employee volunteering programs are boosting employee engagement, increasing community impact and fostering culture and connection. Companies see a 52% lower turnover rate among newer employees who participate in corporate purpose programs including volunteering Benevity.

Don't just volunteer once a year at the company picnic. Build it into your rhythm—whether that's quarterly team volunteer days, monthly opportunities, or paid volunteer time off that employees can use throughout the year.

When there are more options available to employees—like company-created and employee-created volunteer opportunities—participation increases on average 12x Benevity.

Some people are passionate about education. Others care deeply about environmental causes or food insecurity or animal welfare. When you give people autonomy to support causes that matter to them, engagement skyrockets.

49% of individuals state work commitments are their biggest obstacle to volunteering, and 67% of survey respondents say having paid VTO would make for a positive volunteer experience 360MatchPro.

If you want volunteering to be more than lip service, remove the barriers. Give people paid time to volunteer. Make it clear that this isn't something they need to squeeze in around their "real work"—it is part of the work.

While individual volunteering is valuable, there's something special about team volunteering. When you work side by side with your colleagues in service of others, you see each other differently. You build trust in ways that no trust fall ever could.

This is especially powerful during off-sites and team gatherings. Instead of another dinner or another consultant-led exercise, go into the community together. Make an impact together. Connect through service.

Here's what's remarkable: Nine in 10 respondents say their participation in workplace volunteer activities led to them participating in additional, independent volunteering activities, whether through the same organization or with other organizations within their community Deloitte.

When organizations prioritize community engagement, they don't just build stronger internal teams—they create a ripple effect of generosity that extends far beyond the workplace.

I'm grateful to the leaders who taught me this lesson—who insisted that wherever we gathered, we'd give back to that community. Who understood that building a strong internal culture meant looking outward, not just inward.

This isn't about choosing between traditional team development and community service. The assessments, the facilitated conversations, the structured activities—they all have their place in helping teams understand how to work together effectively.

But don't stop there.

So here's the challenge:

If you're a leader: Make volunteering a core part of how your team operates, not an afterthought. Integrate it alongside your other team development efforts. Give people paid time. Create opportunities. Lead by example. And watch what happens when your team balances internal development with external impact.

If you're a team member: Advocate for volunteer opportunities. Suggest it for your next off-site. Organize a group activity. Don't wait for permission to build connection through service.

If you're planning an off-site or team gathering: Include volunteering as part of your agenda, not as a replacement for other development work, but as a complement to it. The connection you build through service will deepen the insights you gain from more structured activities.

Because here's what I learned: The strongest teams aren't built by looking inward alone. They're built by balancing self-awareness with service—by contributing to something bigger than themselves, by working side by side for others, by remembering that business exists within communities, not separate from them.

Traditional team building helps us understand each other. Community building helps us connect with each other. Both matter. And when you bring them together, you create something that lasts far beyond any quarterly goal or strategic initiative.

If you're ready to build volunteering into your culture and strengthen both team connection and community impact, here are resources to guide your journey:

The journey toward building community isn't about abandoning traditional team development—it's about expanding it. When teams learn about each other and serve together, they don't just work better—they become better. And that transforms everything.