Good2Give is at the National HR Summit for 2017 in Sydney and the big issues of managing people, talent acquisition and retention, engagement, performance, strategy, innovation and the workplace of the future are all on the agenda. Alec Bashinsky – Deloitte’s National Leader, People and Performance – spoke on the future of the workplace in an open interview with Key Media at the Summit, and many of the points resonated for the future of giving in the workplace. So we thought we’d translate his advice on human capital trends in the context of giving to our Good2Give community.

 

Be selective and focus

The key insight here is that many HR departments are trying to boil the ocean and be all things to all people – and that just isn’t possible. Aligning to key strategies is key to success, Bashinsky specified four as a good number.

For giving – that’s possibly a good plan too. Do you have a giving focus for your organisation? Do you have four key pillars for corporate community investment you are striving to kick goals on? How many charity partners are you working with for each program?

Key takeaway: quality and impact over quantity is sometimes a good framework.

Consider dynamics and communications for virtual teams

 ‘The Virtual Team’ – we’ve all heard the term, we all know what it means, and perhaps it still feels a little like science fiction and a virtual workforce isn’t necessarily an achievable reality. But it’s happening, more and more, and will continue to happen as fewer full time positions are in play, the workforce is more transient and project led, central location becomes less of a mandatory as flexible arrangements and remote working is more achievable with technology.

But as Bashinsky highlighted, that has an impact on culture, communication, alignment and performance. It also has an impact on mobilising your workforce to achieve your community goals.

The advice in the broader sense was to investigate and invest in the right technology, and to have communication as a paramount consideration. Yammer works for instantaneous exchanges, and Skype for business and video teleconferencing and VR is making a big difference. You can be there without being there. Bashinsky stated very plainly that email was not the answer. Generating dense documentation and a barrage of messages is ineffective.

So what does that mean for giving? How do you mobilise your workplace donors, staff fundraising campaigns, volunteering, foundation activities and grant initiatives?

You need to tech up – a one-stop-shop like Good2Give’s platform is a great start. We also have a platform for grants management. But you also need to review your communications channels and consider who is receiving which messages, when and how. What is their call to action? What is the mechanic for your teams to be involved – because if they’re not all in the same place or able to see it and feel it, will the program have the same outcome? How can technology facilitate that?

Key takeaway: investigate the best digital solutions and communications channels to make virtual teams engage in giving more effectively.

Data is the thing

Bashinsky reiterated, reinforced and repeated this like a mantra. Data. Data. Data. And not just dry spreadsheets that talk to turnover and retention – evaluated, insightful data that tells a story is the ticket for decision making and strategy in workplaces going forward. Senior leadership needs to know the ‘why’ – not just the ‘what’.

The crucial thing is understanding what analytics are needed, what systems are needed to provide the information, and of course, upskilling your teams to analyse, evaluate, report and communicate the data.

It’s the same for giving and corporate responsibility – only with more stakeholders. Stories of the impact of giving are crucial to ensure that community initiatives continue to be funded. Measurable outcomes means that people continue to donate, invest and give their time to social and environmental causes. The stories need to include quantified and qualified demonstration of what went right, and transparency on what didn’t deliver as the basis for a change in strategy. And that’s ok.

Key takeaway: Measure, evaluate and communicate

From Pexel, Creative Commons

Many world views

Diversity was always going to be a headline theme at the National HR Summit, and Bashinsky didn’t shy away from touching on it given the investment the firm makes in its diversity programs. However he was very focused in his response to Key Media on the need for multiple world views and diversity in thought. This drew on the need to think cross functionally and collaborate across teams, roles and age groups to ensure high quality input, but also to have a better understanding of stakeholders and their drivers.

Ensuring a culturally diverse perspective is also vital – particularly as Australia continues to engage more and more closely with our neighbours in Asia.

How this translates to giving? Consider the regional and national impact of your giving and engaging across oceans for perspectives if your organisation is global. Also consider that giving and CR strategies may serve to build relationships across your broader supply chain, partners and affiliates as well as your teams – and they may not all be in the same country.

Key takeaway: think globally.

2020 vision

Bashinsky urged his audience to think beyond a 12 month strategy and to consider the vision for the future, and to innovate and plan accordingly – consider structure and staff.

Corporate community investment and giving strategies also need bold vision when considering engaging emerging talent and changing workplace dynamics in their programs.

Key takeaway: futureproof with a long-term vision.

Upskill for digital

Bashinsky highlighted that leadership development programs are excellent and needed, however they’re not translating to effectively developing future leaders and succession planning. He stated that the focus for Deloitte will be on specific strengths development and not just broad leadership development. But also, that digital capacity will be key.

This will be true for community engagement managers, corporate responsibility managers, giving managers and corporate affairs teams going forward.

Key takeaway: capacity build for a digital future.

What is Deloitte doing?

Bashinsky outlined five key ways Deloitte is shaping their strategy, all of which have insights that translate to engagement for community investment, giving, corporate philanthropy and the social and environmental impact of business.

1. Workplace of the future: in the not-too-distant future 40 per cent of the US workforce will be contractors and transient. Open talent platforms will be needed, and alliances and partnerships for talent will be a trend.
2. A new set of skills: with the emergence of a virtual team, the systems required will need a new set of highly skilled specialists to operate them. We will need to rethink systems for performance management.
3. Wellbeing and wellness: a huge focus for the immediate future. Deloitte and Medibank are developing a wellbeing index which measures wellbeing across mind, body, purpose and place.

We know how giving translates to wellbeing in the workplace, and it’s vital that these insights translate to how giving is managed in the future to ensure this is sustained.

Key takeaway: giving = wellbeing.

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Good2Give is exhibiting at the National HR Summit 2017 – follow the conversation #HRSUMMITAU. You can read more about Deloitte’s analysis on Global Human Capital Trends 2017: Rewriting the Rules for the Digital Age.