CareerVillage and HPE team up to make an impact while connecting with coworkers
For Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), it’s not just about business; it’s about giving back to the community and making a difference in the lives of others. HPE leverages key dates and celebratory months, such as We Are HPE Day and Global Volunteer Month, to join forces with CareerVillage.org to facilitate remarkable events that encourage team bonding while empowering the next generation of professionals.
Making an Impact While Connecting with Coworkers
When planning the annual We Are HPE Day, a day focused on HPE’s culture and commitment to giving back, HPE wanted to create an event that prioritized making a difference, while also providing an opportunity for members of the global HPE community to get to know each other. Working with CareerVillage was the perfect fit. CareerVillage works to democratize access to career information and advice for underrepresented people using an open-access Q&A-style career advice platform, crowdsourcing from a vast network of real-life professionals with a vision of creating an equitable career landscape for young people.
To strike a balance of volunteer impact and employee connection, HPE volunteers were put into randomized breakout rooms where they took part in a quick icebreaker activity and chose a leader for their room to screenshare and select a student question to work on. From there, the breakout group collaborated to write a piece of advice for students, combining their collective experiences to craft the best answer possible. Volunteers shared advice on topics ranging from “how to build a resume” to “how to improve technical skills?” to “what courses should I take to prepare for a career in marketing?” and many more.
Building on the momentum and driven by the overwhelming enthusiasm of volunteers following We Are HPE Day, another similar event was planned during Global Volunteer Month. The event resulted in 43 team members across 10 countries, coming together throughout Global Volunteer Month to support students and respond to questions about different career fields, interviewing, resumes, work life, and more.
Through both of these experiences, HPE colleagues had the chance to not only provide students with valuable insights, guidance, and inspiration but also learn more about their coworkers’ lives and experiences.
These events, along with other individual engagements throughout the year, resulted in 300 pieces of advice being posted on the platform by groups of volunteers. After participating, HPE employees expressed their enthusiasm about having the opportunity to volunteer and having the option to continue with this flexible volunteer activity on their own:
“Loved the experience! Will certainly be back on CareerVillage to volunteer on my own time.”
“Very easy to participate and great to do small group setting!”
“Loved collaborating with other HPE’ers to create the answers!!!”
“”It was great to express our point of view and share knowledge with students based on our experiences.”
Student Impact
By writing advice on CareerVillage, HPE volunteers can expose young people to careers they may never have dreamed existed. An investment in career guidance at the individual level is of utmost importance in providing opportunities for marginalized individuals. From increased labor market participation to decreased unemployment to optimizing individual skill sets, the career guidance HPE volunteers provide is essential to inspiring the next generation.
“All the advice I was given made me feel more confident and reassured. It made me realize that the professionals have been in my shoes before, and I can make it through as well. CareerVillage shaped where I am today and where I want to be tomorrow.” – CareerVillage student
HPE’s continued support of CareerVillage.org
HPE’s support continues to grow, with an impressive total of 788 HPE volunteers who have signed up to CareerVillage to offer their expertise and mentorship. In addition to hands-on, high impact employee engagement, the HPE Foundation sees value in the continued growth of CareerVillage and has expanded support to include an investment in AI Career Coach, which utilizes AI and technology to provide transformative support students at scale. CareerVillage is so grateful for HPE’s dedication to creating a sustainable and inclusive future where technology plays a pivotal role in addressing global challenges.