This may sound counterintuitive, but one of the most important things we do as a company takes place outside our offices.
As part of our ongoing to commitment to community, GSG team members around the world participate in quarterly volunteer events, giving back to the communities where we live and work.
These volunteer events let us spend time together away from emails, phone calls and cubicle walls. Most recently, we’ve prepared food for distribution to the homeless with Curry Without Worry in San Francisco, we’ve shared expertise with homeless job seekers at The Haven Night Shelter in Cape Town, we’ve donated shoes and time to disadvantaged children through Samaritan’s Feet in Charlotte, and we’ve spent time with the children at the Sri Chowdappa Geetha Ashram orphanage in Bangalore. Though the experiences vary, they have helped strengthen our team in an invaluable way.
At the office, everyone has a role that they more or less stick to. The recruiters recruit, the account managers work their magic, and the back office provides the critical support necessary to keep things moving. When we’re at a volunteer site, away from cubicle walls and computer screens, those roles are stripped away, which allows everyone to engage in a totally different way.
When we volunteered at a food bank, tasked with measuring and bagging rice, we formed an assembly line to complete the task. There was no hierarchy, and no predefined roles – everyone jumped and worked together until the rice was gone. At the orphanage, the team is able to relax, laughing and playing with the children, while serving them a warm meal.
And while all time spent as a group away from the office can foster community and camaraderie, there is something unique to the specific experience of volunteering. There’s a special feeling you get from helping others—from working to achieve something that provides you no direct benefit or gain—and sharing it with colleagues is truly a bonding experience.
We are grateful for the opportunity to support so many wonderful organizations around the world, and looking forward to more community efforts next year!
Granite Solutions Groupe has been providing people and solutions that deliver for our clients since 1998. Our consultants are diverse, experienced, driven and dynamic contributors who excel at getting things done. To find out more about how we can give your team support you’ll feel thankful for, reach out to engage@granitesolutionsgroupe.com.