Companies that help their employees volunteer their professional skills to non-profit organizations could have a leg up when it comes to recruiting Gen Y talent, a new survey of 18-26 year-olds shows.

Nearly two-thirds of the respondents (62 percent) in the 2007 Volunteer IMPACT survey by Deloitte & Touche USA LLP (Deloitte) said they would prefer to work for companies that give them opportunities to contribute their talents to nonprofit organizations.

According to Deloitte's 2007 Volunteer IMPACT Survey, four out of five respondents (80 percent) identified themselves as volunteers. However, while 97 percent of Gen Y volunteers believe companies should provide opportunities for their employees to volunteer their work-related skills or talents, only 39 percent of Gen Y employees say their companies currently provide those types of opportunities. And fewer still—30 percent—found the existing volunteer opportunities to be compelling.