Article: How Hinduja Global Solutions created an impactful employee volunteering program: A case study

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How Hinduja Global Solutions created an impactful employee volunteering program: A case study

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With the help of its employee volunteering programs, HGS has been able to successfully live its vision, build a sense of ONE HGS and leverage the power to improve the lives of those in need. Here's how they made this possible.
How Hinduja Global Solutions created an impactful employee volunteering program: A case study

As a global leader in business process management, Hinduja Global Solutions optimizes the customer experience lifecycle. HGS operates a global network of 68 customer experience centers across the US, Canada, UK, India, Jamaica, UAE, and the Philippines. Rooted in the passion of their group founder, the CSR philosophy at HGS is Work to Give for a Better Tomorrow and they aim to create a better future through their CSR programs and are also putting a lot of emphasis on Employee Volunteering Programs.

For the working population of today, everything they do is all about the difference it makes. If you look at the scope of work, they want to do meaningful work. And if you look at their life outside of work, they want to make a difference to the society at large. Organizations too are going all out in their endeavor to serve the society in every way they as part of their CSR commitment. When the intent of the organization coincides with the intent of the employees to contribute to social causes and make a difference in the world, the concept of Employee Volunteering Programs comes into existence. With this initiative gaining so much credence in recent times, a large number of organizations are taking up different routes to ensure their employees are participating in their effort to create a better world for our future generations. 

This article reflects and highlights the case study of Hinduja Global Solutions’ Employee Volunteering Programs and their impact on their workforce and the business.

Employee Volunteering Programs: Focus Areas

As a socially responsible organization, HGS intends to fulfill its commitment of giving back to society by extending their employees’ time and skills to deepen their reach and enrich their engagement with all the stakeholders. HGS shares, “It is not only for an organization to be a charity partner to non-profit organizations but we also believe our 48000 people could actually be part of these programs and we could get their talent together and work towards a better tomorrow. All their volunteering programs are cause-based programs.”

As a company, HGS believes in making sure India moves forward in the areas of education, healthcare, and skills. The company’s volunteering programs are tailored to focus on 4 causes that resonate with the ethos of our company– Skill development, PwD Welfare, Health, and Education.

Reaching Far and Beyond

Through volunteering programs across all their offices, they aim to give their employees an opportunity to make an impact beyond their desks. Together, they build a sense of ONE HGS and leverage the power to improve the lives of those in need. In India, these programs are being executed at about 14 centers in India, covering 30,000 employees. It is part of their KRA and each employee has to give 8 hours of volunteering every year. The target for the first year has been 10 percent and the organization has met the number.  

In terms of the geographical spread, the EVPs of HGS cover almost all areas around their office locations. They have organized more than 450 events across 3 countries and 30 locations. HGS has also opened doors for volunteering at their Philippines and Jamaica offices. It has been a success story at these locations as well.

When Numbers Say it All 

The employee volunteering programs at HGS have received great feedback from the employees. There is a lot of engagement and teamwork on the floor. Going by the numbers, from August 2017 till date, HGS has organized more than 450 events, with 24000+ volunteering hours and participation from more that 75000 employees. For their employee volunteering programs, HGS has partnered with more than 30 NGOs. Over 5,000 volunteers participated in the first year and these programs have positively impacted over 50,000 lives across communities. These programs have increased brand recognition of HGS across tier II and tier III cities. 

Best Practices for Volunteering

To create volunteering opportunities for 30,000 employees was quite a daunting task for HGS. Their aim was to initiate volunteering activities which would appeal to the masses. “Our first problem for us was that the opportunities that we create appeal to everyone. It was about engaging people in a way that they come out of their shells. 

They adopted the following approach to create the best employee volunteering program for the employees as well as for the organization. 

Democratize: Volunteering opportunities tailored for all employees across all offices including tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

Decentralize: Central team governs volunteering program driven through location and account level teams to drive volunteering efforts.

Diversify: Drive cause based volunteering opportunities with activities spanning across multiple causes aligning to their CSR focus areas and employee interests.

Digitize: All volunteering efforts at HGS are directed through Goodera Volunteer platform with over 5,000+ active users. 

Data-driven: Volunteering goals set at an organization level – Volunteering hours, beneficiary reach, etc. Quantitatively assess and report progress at the department/process level.

Dissemination: Monthly mailers and reports shared across the organization. Liaise with volunteering champions/interested employees to provide volunteering opportunities. 

 

(Note: The article is based on the session delivered by Anthony Joseph, President  – Human Resources, Hinduja Global Solutions and Archana Dhakappa, CSR Lead & Corporate Communications at Hinduja Global Solutions Inc. during a roundtable, “Designing volunteering experiences for your workforce” by People Matters and Goodera.)

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Topics: Employee Engagement, #Employee Volunteering

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