Inter-Departmental Collaboration: Strengthen Your Brand and Employee Retention Through Working Together

By Tiffany Calderon
Mar 11, 2015 1:30 PM ET
Tiffany Calderon is Associate Manager, Community Relations at Best Buy

CSRwire

In many of our companies, silos exist between departments. Our challenge lies in breaking down those silos and growing synergies across business lines. We know that skills shared across functions strengthen the company as a whole. Inter-departmental collaboration, especially on community-based programs not only breaks down silos within a company, but also helps build your brand within the community.

I want to share an experience that we have had at Best Buy in which multiple departments worked together to strengthen a community and employee engagement program. The collaboration resulted in great publicity and increased employee satisfaction and retention rates.

History: For the past eight years Geek Squad Agents have traveled the country offering free two-day technology camps for girls and underserved teen populations. These camps, called Geek Squad Academy (GSA), bring cutting-edge technology and curriculum into the hands of youth who may never have the opportunity to otherwise touch, play, experiment and experience what technology has to offer. The goal of the program is to spark an interest in technology that will inspire youth to pursue future education and careers in the world of tech.

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Tiffany Calderon is Associate Manager, Community Relations at Best Buy Co, a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services. In this position, Tiffany manages field facing employee engagement and signature programs, including the annual Employee Giving Campaign, Community Grants, Geek Squad Academy, and Best Buy Teen Tech Centers. She is a seasoned leader with a proven track record in corporate community relations and philanthropy, employee engagement, public/private partnerships and nonprofit management.