Industry
Professional Services
Summary
EY aimed to provide a volunteering program that was sustainable, effective, and could demonstrate strong community impact. The program engages employees meaningfully with social and environmental causes while aligning with the broader organisational and sustainability strategy.
Success Factors
Collaboration with charity and social impact organisations. The program communicates tangible community reach, with millions of lives positively affected. Employees engage in professional development through their participation while fostering connection with causes they care about.
About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, consulting, strategy and transactions, and tax services. At EY, the organisations purpose is building a better working world. The insights and quality services they provide helps build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over.The Challenge
EY aimed to develop a corporate volunteering program that was not only sustainable and effective but also demonstrated a strong community impact. The program needed to engage employees in a meaningful way, utilise their knowledge, skills and experience, and align with the company’s purpose and broader sustainability strategy.
The Solution
The result was EY Ripples, a structured and impactful global volunteering program with an ambition to positively impact one billion lives by 2030. The program focuses on supporting the next generation workforce, working with impact entrepreneurs, and accelerating environmental sustainability.
EY in Australia collaborates with community and impact organisations, and the EY Ripples portal enables EY people to find volunteer opportunities aligned to their knowledge, skills and experience as well as available time and preferred cause areas. This has enabled employees to engage in various volunteering activities, from mentoring young professionals, coaching impact entrepreneurs, to participating in environmental sustainability projects and delivering tailored pro bono professional services. This has not only allowed employees to give back to the community but also facilitated professional development through initiatives involving skills such as facilitation, presenting and mentoring, and enabling experiences beyond their core roles.
According to the Oceania Campus Talent Acquisition Leader, 'Young people of today are deeply motivated by the desire to make a difference in the world, and they actively seek out employers who empower them to do so. The EY Ripples program resonates with their values, offering a chance to contribute to society while developing professionally.'
The Results
The results of implementing EY Ripples have been impressive. In FY24, the Employee Participation Rate reached 28%, with a total of 21,670 volunteering hours contributed by EY Australia people. This represents a 10% increase in EY Ripples volunteering hours from FY23 to FY24. The program has also had a profound community impact, positively affecting 2.1 million lives in FY24.Business and team leaders within EY have noted that EY Ripples is an effective platform for developing teams' skills, particularly through initiatives involving facilitation, presenting, and mentoring. These metrics and feedback underscore the value of giving time and demonstrate the shared impact for both EY and the community organisations they support.
