NetSuite held its Global Impact Week during 17-21 October. This is a week where NetSuite employees engage in helping charitable organisations with time and services. This is the second year it has taken place. Over 1,500 employees donated more than 4,100 hours of service. It is a substantial increase on the previous year where 1,000 volunteers offered more than 3,000 hours. It involved about one third of the company’s employees in a concentrated week of effort that saw an enormous amount achieved.
As reported in Enterprise Times the number of projects was diverse. It included a range of activities from mock Interviews to teaching code in San Mateo and Waterloo, Ontario. In Denver, Toronto and Chicago staff prepared meals for those in need. This was an activity that was similar to that achieved at SuiteWorld earlier this year.
In London the NetSuite team helped to repair one hundred and ninety two bikes. They then shipped the repaired bikes to Africa where they provide desperately needed transportation. There were more than 100 volunteer events supported across the globe, from the US, Europe to Asia.
Kathy Zwickert, Chief People Officer at NetSuite said: “I’m so very proud of the creative ways employees found to give back to their communities together during Global Impact Week. As a participant myself, I get as much reward out of these events as the organizations we are serving.”
Embedded in the culture
It is not easy getting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes off the ground in some companies. It is even harder to instil a culture of social responsibility throughout a global organisation. NetSuite has achieved an impressively high proportion of employees actively engaging in their CSR program. Global Impact Week is just one part of the SuiteImpact program. This program has seen more than 27,000 hours of volunteer work completed since its inception in 2013.
This is not about furthering the company and making it more attractive to customers. It is about instilling a modern culture in an organisation. NetSuite has been impressive in achieving this so quickly and completely. It will appeal to the next generation of employees. This is a generation that is wants to give back and research shows they like employers with this type of program. It also has a positive impact on the organisation running the program. As Lauren Webb tweeted (@webb_lauren405):
Being able to make an #impact in the #OKC #community is why I love being part of the @NetSuiteorg team #SuiteImpact #NetSuite @LightCMS.
This is the kind of tweet that was repeated many times both by employees and the recipients of help. Chief Security Architect and NetSuite Co-Founder Chris Blum said: “When I reviewed the Twitter feed, I was humbled and awed by the tremendous work of worldwide NetSuite volunteers on ambitious, generous, and often exhausting projects. I have never been more convinced of the greatness of the people who make NetSuite such a special place.”
Conclusion
Other companies deliver CSR programs. What is clever about the NetSuite one is that they engage at both a corporate and employee level. It is not just about the company’s chosen charities that can receive help. In addition the interests of an individual employee. This news brightens up the lives of many employees at a time when the acquisition talks are reaching a climax. If NetSuite does become part of Oracle next year, one hopes that NetSuite.org and these activities continue.
