Social responsibility is a voluntary means of enriching the community, but at the corporate culture at Cisco considers it important for business as well. The company focuses on three main areas: Employees, Environment and Social Investments.
Like many high caliber companies, Cisco realizes that it is only as good as its employees. Cisco is dedicated to “attracting and retaining the best and the brightest”.
Cisco has an “Employee Choice” program, which allows new hires to select their manager and the technology on which they will be working. Engaging employees means everyone is more productive and likely to discover innovative solutions to problems. Diversity is also important to Cisco’s employee culture, as well as a strong promotion of balance and wellness. Lastly, Cisco sees the need to help develop leaders at every level – from the lowest level to upper management.
Cisco is committed to finding solutions for achieving environmental sustainability. It uses Smart Buildings and workspaces, as well as efficient work practices to use less energy. Network sustainability and energy efficient data centers are ways Cisco allows clients and consumers to save energy and work more efficiently as well. Most impressively, Cisco launched its “One Million Acts of Green” campaign- an online community for people who perform “green” acts to connect and share their projects. The website even has a calculator that calculates the impact of each project completed.
This video is the Canadian take of OMAOG, but it’s representative of the work Cisco is trying to do.
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Cisco realizes the importance of building a strong community.
A strong community starts with education. They have developed several initiatives to help students acquire the skills they need. The Networking Academy program delivers ICT training to help improve career and educational opportunities for individuals in communities around the world. Global Education transformation engages multiple stakeholders in a global discussion to create a new paradigm of 21st century learning. Lastly, Cisco partners with NGOs, governments, and private organizations to promote socioeconomic development through education reform in the developing world.
Economic development is also important, and there are several initiatives to improve the well-being of people around the world. The Cisco Impact Cash Grant Program invests in community organizations that align with Cisco’s investment areas of education, economic development, and basic human needs. Cash grants for qualifying organizations are awarded at global, regional, and local levels. They also provide grants to support disaster response and relief. Cisco also donates donate Cisco products to help qualifying community organizations achieve significant gains in productivity, scalability, and cost efficiency through the strategic use of the Internet and related networking technologies. The Cisco Foundation awards strategic grants in support of programs that deliver lasting, measurable impact on a local, national, or global scale. Cisco supports the efforts of community organizations by investing a strategic mix of business expertise, employee engagement, product donations, and cash contributions to help build and strengthen programs that aim to empower underserved communities. Cisco also has a Leadership Fellows program, which allows employees to use their business smarts and Cisco resources to improve other program offerings. Perhaps most importantly, Cisco encourages employees to volunteer at least one day a year to a community organization.
Lastly, Cisco continues to develop partnerships with organizations seeking to provide basic resources to those who need them – both locally and abroad.
