Handling Pro Bono Work

One of my employees approached me earlier this week asking me if they should do some pro-bono work that someone had approached them about in one of their other jobs. They were interested in the work that was offered, but hesitant to take it down because they felt they deserved to be compensated for their work.

I agree wholeheartedly - and it got me thinking about pro-bono work.

I offer free consultations in my coaching service that I do not get paid for, which is considered pro-bono work. I see that as worth it - 20 minutes of my time for free may lead to a client-coach relationship that lasts YEARS. However, for my employee, this pro-bono job would have taken almost a week’s worth of effort, and it was 50/50 as far as future opportunities. In my eyes, that’s not worth it - a week of time for free for potentially nothing in return isn’t worth it.

I find the idea of pro-bono work interesting - it’s an opportunity to prove yourself and gain potential future jobs, but it can also lead nowhere except for sunk cost.

What are your thoughts? How do you feel about pro-bono work?