Get to Know NetSuite, Finalist for 2016 Employee Volunteer Program of the Year

In this Q&A series, get to know the finalists for VolunteerMatch’s 2016 Employee Volunteer Program of the Year Award. Winners will be revealed on October 25, 2016 at VM Summit 16. Get your VM Summit 16 ticket today. Today’s featured volunteer program: NetSuite.

What makes your volunteer program so successful?

Our success comes from our outstanding employee ambassadors who lead our SuiteImpact Traditional Volunteering program around the world. These employee leaders work closely with our corporate social responsibility (CSR) team to develop, design and launch volunteer opportunities for their offices that align with local interests and social issues. They are our eyes and ears on the ground and the best way to understand what types of community events would be relevant for our local offices.

What is the most unique aspect of your volunteer program?

Our Pro Bono program is very unique, in that we’re supplying ongoing assistance to social impact organizations who are using our software through our product donation program. It’s a virtual volunteer engagement where teams of volunteers take on bite-sized projects for these organizations – improving their capacity to use the software and improve their back office functionality. Over 100 employees participate each quarter and these projects give them a unique view of how our products work in the nonprofit sector and how their professional skills can make an incredible difference for the organizations using our software!

What recent accomplishments make you proud?

In our recent employee survey, we found that 90% of employees who were familiar with our volunteer programs would recommend NetSuite as a great place to work — and were very proud to be a part of the company! Additionally, we had launched our first ever annual week of service in October 2015 called Global Impact Week. It was a huge success with over 1,000 employees participating in 80 volunteer projects in 24 global offices.

What advice do you have for others managing an employee volunteer program?

Two keys: First, one size does not fit all – you’ve got to adapt to what works for and engages each office, employee department, and team if you want your programs to be truly successful. Second, your programs should always be reinventing themselves. We constantly look at what we’re doing and reassess the things that work/don’t work. We think of our programs as never “done” — there is always something more we can improve, add or subtract to make them even more engaging for our employees, impactful for our communities, and simplify the amount of effort they take our team to execute.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Here are a few blogs that highlight a few of our passionate employees and the ways they are giving back to their local communities through our programs and during their personal time:

NetSuite employee Roman Bukary uses his Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to perform search and rescue missions

NetSuite employee Rick Gutlon is a pilot with a purpose, using his pilot’s license to help rescue dogs get new homes

How pro bono volunteers and a software donation are helping BRCA Foundation tackle the back-office in the fight against cancer

Will NetSuite win VolunteerMatch’s Employee Volunteer Program of the Year Award? Find out at VM Summit 16 – get your ticket today.