Today (December 5) is International Volunteer Day, which is officially accepted by the United Nations as the day on which volunteers around the world are recognized for their contributions and dedication. I've just come back from London where I attended an Ethical Corporation conference focusing on engaging employees in sustainability. The fact that there is a strong link between bottom line results and engaging employees in corporate responsibility was the clear take-home message. But what does that really mean?
In today's changing business climate, more people are working for personal fulfillment rather than for purely economic reasons. They swap workplaces an average of three times during their careers compared to their parents who took a job and stayed with it for life. Employees today have many more choices than ever before, so it’s vital to keep them dedicated. But keeping the team committed to the company takes much more than just a nice pay check.
We at Intel are using corporate responsibility as a tool for leveraging the hire of the best employees and giving them plenty of encouragement to stay put. It's part of Intel's corporate cultural and has been ever since we began changing the face of technology in 1968. We actively encourage our employees to take their talent, passion and commitment and channel it not only into their work, but also into effecting positive and worthwhile technological changes in the communities in which they live.
Actions that speak louder than words
Sounds good, I know. But I don’t expect smart blog readers (that would be you!) to rely on a bunch of carefully worded catch phrases about Intel's “outstanding contribution to the community”. Rather, the facts speak for themselves:
-In 2006, 35% of Intel’s employees volunteered over 300,000 hours to their communities through the Intel Involved program.
-Intel’s Giving Campaign resulted in more than $16 million donated to the United Way and other non-profit organizations throughout the U.S.
-In-kind and monetary disaster relief support totaled upwards of $17 million.
-The Intel Foundation invested more than $102 million in cash and equipment in K-12 classrooms as well as towards higher education and to support non-profit organizations.
There are also many other educational programs that support children, young adults and our own employees to understand and appreciate how technology can impact lives for the better.
I could go on with statistic after statistic, but I think I made my point. Wrapped around all this is the proof that our employees are truly generous in volunteering their time and Intel clearly supports that culture.
The whole green movement is another way of engaging employees by connecting something they care for with the place they work. Intel promotes workplace safety and a "green environment" for its employees and for the communities around us. In fact, we set a global benchmark in this realm and we believe this cements the bonds among our business, our employees and the people and organizations with whom we do business.
As I said right at the start of this post, the type of focused, engaged and committed employees that corporate responsibility initiatives foster have a direct positive impact on a company's bottom line. In the conference real case studies from Cadbury, Shweppes and IBM revealed how the most innovative business ideas come from satisfied and fulfilled employees who, after all, collectively know exactly what's going on in the business.
A recent Economist Intelligence Unit survey reports that international risk managers see human capital risk as being the most significant threat to global business operations. At Intel, we value our human capital of nearly 100,000 talented individuals spread out over about 300 facilities in some 50 countries. We know that our people are at the heart of our brand strength and business success. So it's honestly no catchphrase when I tell you that we at Intel are constantly working hard to create an ever stronger network of human capital. We do it because we know that it has the power to help us improve our business and the world we all share.
So for the International Volunteer Day, let me add my voice: to all of you who volunteer personally and through your work… Thank you!