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Employee Engagement - Unity Trust Bank
By Gordon Carson, Third Sector, 6 July 2010
Staff from Unity used volunteering days to paint the Acorn Children's Hospice in Birmingham
For the company that has done the most to engage its workforce in helping a charity
HIGHLY COMMENDED
- GVA Grimley
- Visa Europe
FINALISTS
- ExxonMobil
- National Grid
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
At the heart of Unity Trust Bank's business model is a commitment to social responsibility, which might place it at odds with today's perception of banking. In 2009, Unity sought to highlight its support for community involvement with its Unity in the Community scheme, which offers all staff five volunteering days a year.
The process started by allocating all staff to one of six teams, which then selected the charities to support. The team that gained the most points, based on the number of hours volunteered or fundraising activities, was given a day of pampering or sport at a luxury hotel. Awards judge Richard Evans, chief executive of headhunting company CfA, said the judging panel was impressed by this measurement and recording of contributions.
The success of the project in enthusing staff was key to Unity's victory in this category, against competition from global businesses including ExxonMobil and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Almost 80 of Unity's full-time equivalent of 94 employees took part in some form of activity. This ranged from cleaning, painting walls and hanging pictures at Acorns Children's Hospice in Birmingham, to planting trees and collecting rubbish in a local wood.
David Moir, head of policy at the Association of Charity Shops, who helped to judge this category, said Unity's entry stood out in all aspects, but the influence and input of staff on the project's future direction was particularly impressive.
"Staff have real 'ownership' of the scheme through, for example, team rewards and voting on future projects, and there is a very good participation rate," he pointed out. "There is significant buy-in, in terms of volunteer hours and the projects supported. Volunteers use their areas of expertise to good effect in targeting support where it is most productive. The scheme has real potential to be increasingly successful in the years to come."
Evans said the diversity of organisations it supported gave Unity an edge over other entries: "They are not frightened to support causes their employees think are important."
In 2009, staff helped more than 30 organisations, ranging from national charities such as the Salvation Army, Children in Need and the NSPCC, to local organisations, including Bromley Community Engagement Forum.
Input from staff has enabled Unity in the Community to continue this year, albeit with some minor changes. Events will no longer be concentrated on summer, outdoor activities, and this year staff will work with a charity to collect for, pack and deliver hampers to disadvantaged families before Christmas.
Award sponsored by Charities Aid Foundation
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