Corporate volunteering is a simple and effective way for businesses and their employees to contribute to the community.
Companies give their employees an allowance of paid time off annually, which they use to volunteer at a charity of their choice. Although corporate volunteering is, for now, voluntary, more and more businesses are introducing it and are recognising the hugely beneficial effects on the employee, the business and the community.
Corporate volunteering is not only a powerful way for businesses to give back and create a positive impact on society, research indicates that it also positively impacts employees and employers. It can increase employees’ job satisfaction and boost their pride in the company for which they work.
Accenture in the UK has offered paid volunteering since 2001 and is committed to providing their employees with opportunities to make positive contributions to the communities in which they work and live. We had the pleasure of welcoming the Women in Technology Hub (WITH) Give Back team to the Baytree Centre, our partner in London, for a volunteering day.
The challenge set for the WITH team was to establish ways to improve the data storing and manual practises currently used within the Baytree Centre, as well as improving the overall experience for women and girls who attend the centre. The team kicked off the day by getting to grips with the current processes in use, including the CRM system used for creating attendee profiles and scheduling classes, as well as the user journeys for the registration processes.
Working with the Baytree staff, the WITH team pinpointed the main drawbacks of the current practices in use and commenced a workshop to define these problems and suggest shorter- and longer-term solutions, as well as obstacles around their implementation. The Accenture volunteers were all from different project backgrounds and specialities, therefore they had a range of insights and perspectives to offer.
We are keen to keep collaborating with the Accenture WITH team through follow-up sessions and workshops for the women and girls at Baytree. Please get in touch on engagement@wonderfoundation.org.uk if you would like to volunteer with WONDER Foundation.
