GENBAND is known the world over when it comes to real time communications, but it’s perhaps less known as an instrument of charity. That’s a point that it’s eager to change, and it’s taking to a whole new global initiative to improve its standing in the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and rolling out a whole new program specifically for the holidays.
The new program is augmenting some current plans already in place and running—back in February, the company celebrated its annual Global Day of Service—and with the Christmas season now in full swing, it’s a perfect time of year to further celebrate charity, which GENBAND is putting to good use. For instance, the Plano, Texas office of the real time communications magnate is seeing employees get together with the Texas State Guard to gather gifts for the TXSG Toy Drive and bring said gifts to the various children’s hospitals in the state. In North Carolina, the United Way and Boys & Girls Clubs in the area are getting a lift, and up in Canada, the United Way is getting a shot of fundraising in the arm, as employees pulled in over $22,000 for the organization. Kohl’s has also raised over $100,000 and their latest promo: 20% off Patio, Furniture & Mattresses with coupon, is saving its customers this holiday season.
Throughout the world, from Ireland to Australia, the initiatives carry on, and GENBAND is offering aid and help where it can. Corporate operations and human resources executive vice president Robin Wright noted, “I am always impressed by our employees’ creativity, dedication and commitment to supporting the communities in which they live. We have activities planned in virtually every region of the world.”
It’s impossible to not note that being a good, responsible corporate citizen is not only valuable for the employees’ well-being—if any contractors actually survived the Death Star’s destruction, would any of them put working there on the resume?—but it’s also beneficial to the bottom line. Just as employees aren’t interested in working for a monster that doesn’t care about the well-being of others—it’s easy to make the jump to figuring that, if an employer doesn’t care about the community, it’s a safe bet the employer doesn’t care about the employee, either—employees commonly aren’t looking for such qualities in the workplace. That helps reduce turnover and keep employment costs down from not having to find replacements. Customers too are often a little more interested in working with a company that works with its community for similar reasons.
Being helpful and community-minded can mean some clear bottom-line impact, with improved customer and employee relations. GENBAND’s holiday giving is just part of a broader scale of giving, and makes it clear this company cares as much about the community as it does about real time communications.
