HR Professional - February/March 2009 - (Page 38) COVER STORY to participate in the company’s are nuances, like if you ask someabout it, and every one of them new Corporate Service Corps. has said, ‘Wow. I’m so glad one in Davau to print a one-page This corporate version of the U.S. document, they will only put a I work for IBM.’” government’s Peace Corps helps single sheet of paper in the printIBM employees develop leadership er because paper is a precious skills while addressing socioresource. “You don’t pick that up in economic challenges in emerging a conference call,” she says. markets. Shaping a city’s future far Phee Vania was among the few exceeds the scope of job training selected from more than 5,000 for the average Canadian. Since high-performing applicants. A being chosen for this elite group global program manager at IBM’s and working in Davao, Vania has Toronto office, she spent a month been invited to several high-level in Davau City in the Philippines meetings within IBM. And as she with seven other IBM employees spreads the word, no ad campaign from different countries. In those could ever produce better retention, branding and accolades 30 days, Vania mentored the HR director of the University of Minfor her employer. danao, organized a career day “When people [at the attended by several hundred stucompany] find out I was in this prodents and staff and worked with her team to boost the city’s tourism gram, they and lead a disaster preparedness are so keen initiative for its citizens. to know “One of the best things I learnmore ed is the importance of building Select high-performing employees to impart business capacity and sustainability,” Vania skills to communities in need, whether abroad or at home. says, adding that she learned as much from the locals as they did Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR) offers Seeing is from her. Believing (www.cbsr.ca/seeingisbelieving.htm)—a program where For a company to become executives take half-day study tours of community organizations that deal t r u ly glo b a l, Va n i a in the areas of poverty, homelessness, youth at risk or the environment, and believes there is no meet with agency staff and interact one-on-one with people who are living substitute for meetin these conditions to get a sense of what is happening in their own community. ing people faceto -face in Host a company-wide day dedicated to volunteering in the community. their own country. Support “volun-tourism” vacations (vacations spent doing volunteer work, such as building houses, There CLOSER TO HOM E 1 2 3 4 usually in developing nations) by offering bonus vacation days. 5 Feature do-gooders in company newsletters and/or websites. ‘‘ 38 F e b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 9 Today’s socially responsible companies donate more than funds to needy causes. ’’ HR P ROF ES SI O N AL http://www.cbsr.ca/seeingisbelieving.htm
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