Global Pro Bono Featured at American Society for Training and Development Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 30, 2014 /3BL Media/ – On May 5 - 7, PYXERA Global will feature immersion and action learning through the practice of global pro bono at the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Conference. ASTD is the leading US conference for the training and development community.
Increasingly, global pro bono, or international corporate volunteerism, is being used as an innovative and effective approach to accelerate talent development for tomorrow’s workforce. Multinational companies such as IBM, SAP, Pfizer, and PepsiCo send individuals and teams of employees to provide consulting services at no financial cost to nonprofits, government agencies, and social enterprises in emerging markets. The experience exercises leadership muscles, while building the competencies that leading multinational corporations have identified as top talent requirements, often at a fraction of the cost of other approaches.
As an exhibitor at ASTD, PYXERA Global hopes to introduce how the HR community can accelerate departmental goals through skills based volunteer programs such as global pro bono. While some companies are quick to adopt skills based volunteering as an integral leadership development strategy, the opportunity can sometimes be under-utilized by those in the HR community.
IBM, for example, which will have sent nearly 3,000 employees on pro bono consulting engagements by year's end as part of its six-year-old Corporate Service Corps program, released a survey of managers and returned participants. Ninety-two percent of IBM managers reported that the program increased their employees' cultural awareness, and eight of 10 managers noticed that employees came back to their day jobs with improved attitude and motivation. Meanwhile, approximately 9 out of 10 participants self-reported that the experience improved leadership skills, fostered relationships with key colleagues, and believed that it was IBM's best leadership development program.
GSK reports similar findings that corroborate this. According to the 2012 GSK PULSE Volunteer Partnership Annual Impact Report, 92% of employees can enable and drive change within GSK. 89% are more customer-driven after participation in the company’s global pro bono program.
Additionally, global pro bono is cost-effective. The cost of a three to four week assignment is roughly half the cost of a master’s degree at a public university and less than half that of executive leadership programs at Ivy League schools. At the same time, a George Washington University Capstone Research Project points out that global pro bono has a higher number of benefits than programs at Harvard Business School, Northwestern University, and MIT Sloan School of Management.
“Action learning through service is an incredibly efficient way to build global leadership capacity,” says Laura Asiala, Senior Director of Client Relations and Public Affairs at PYXERA Global. “We are excited to introduce this conversation to the ASTD audience.”
Contact: Katie Levey, Director of Media Relations
klevey@pyxeraglobal.org; 917.593.1989
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About PYXERA Global
PYXERA Global (@PYXERAGlobal) leverages the unique strengths of corporations, governments, social sector organizations, educational institutions, and individuals to enhance the abilities of people and communities to solve complex problems and attain mutually beneficial goals. With a quarter century of experience in more than 90 countries, the PYXERA Global team is passionate and dedicated to navigating challenges and pinpointing purposeful global engagement opportunities for its clients and partners. Initiatives include a wide range of services from local content development to global pro bono programs and integrated community development efforts that transform lives and livelihoods.
