Earlier this fall, I attended the 6th Annual Edelman Change and Employee Engagement Summit, which explored the critical and evolving relationship between employee engagement and innovative programs that both make a positive impact on society and drive the business.
In a brief interview post-conference I talked with Edelman’s Keith Hodges about the intersection of employee recruitment and purpose – the idea that many job seekers are drawn to mission-driven organizations where through their work they can also make a difference. Expectations of employers are now much higher when it comes to values and citizenship, so a CSR program or strategy needs to be firmly embedded into how a company is run.
At PepsiCo, Performance with Purpose is not just a motto but provides the foundation for business decisions and has become wholly part of the culture; as proof, globally 94% of our associates are aware of Performance with Purpose, and 91% agree that PWP is the right direction for PepsiCo.
Whether on the job, volunteering, or active in our employee resource groups, associates have endless Possibilities to cultivate their passions and live Performance with Purpose. Take, someone like Meagan Smith, who through working on our employee Green team transitioned from marketing to leading PepsiCo’s Dream Machine recycling initiative.
Or PepsiCorps, in which employees from around the globe use their diverse skills and expertise to take on a critical societal challenge; hear from the volunteers who recently returned from their one-month trip to Ghana leading clean water and eco-tourism projects – a unique market immersion experience providing mutual benefit to PepsiCo, our talent and the communities served –a PWP assignment at the core.
Or our Food for Good teams in Dallas and Chicago – made up of over 700 employee volunteers – who this summer delivered over 525,000 meals to underserved kids in community locations, and have found a way to break even. Food for Good was started in 2009 when employees in the Frito-Lay division, inspired by Performance with Purpose, wanted to create a sustainable business model that increased access to nutritious food and would make a meaningful impact in urban communities. Watch a video about Food for Good below.
As a company we firmly believe that what is good for society is good for business. Now consider the experiences, competencies and perspectives our people gain while pursuing a Purpose agenda that may help them to develop and advance. Surely, it’s good for careers too.
