Employee engagement programme : why not you ?

The employee engagement programme, an essential part of Crédit Agricole’s Societal Project

The Crédit Agricole Group’s Societal Project is built around three main priorities - taking action on the climate and the transition to a low-carbon economy, strengthening social cohesion and inclusion, and successfully completing the agricultural and agri-food transitions.In addition to the transformation of its business line, which the Group strives to achieve on a daily basis, it also takes action for society by supporting associations that work to promote environmental and social transitions. In addition to financial donations, employee engagement responds to a concrete need in the non-profit sector in terms of human resources and skills. 

This is the conviction that the solidarity-based volunteer programme has held since its creation 10 years ago. Through this programme, all employees can become involved in social causes on the ground.

For employees, this involves a concrete experience of volunteering with an association. Putting one’s time or expertise at the service of a solidarity initiative can give new meaning to one’s job, an unexpected and enriching resonance, and create an opportunity to raise one’s awareness of current societal challenges.

Taking part in one-off actions

Short assignments are an excellent way of finding out about the employee engagement programme, or of fitting volunteer time into a busy schedule.

This is true of the Pro Bono days, regularly offered by the Crédit Agricole Group. Over the course of one day, a team of volunteer employees helps an association to address a specific issue. For example, a workshop was organised in April 2022 on the Evergreen campus on behalf of the association Le Sens de l’École. Committed to helping schoolchildren to stay enrolled in school, the structure - which is in full development mode - needed to align its ambitions with its human resources strategy. For one day, employees were mobilised to determine an HR roadmap and to optimise the management of the skills of the team in place.

Another possibility is to support a candidate in his or her professional reintegration. La Cravate Solidaire a partner of the Group, offers a “Helping Hand” workshop including half-day image coaching sessions, mock job interviews and clothing donations. Crédit Agricole employees regularly participate in these workshops.

Since the 2018 launch of the “Banquiers Solidaires” scheme, supported by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation, 33 employees have already carried out more than 28 missions in 16 different countries. Human resources, risk and compliance, digital, communication and marketing, performance and impact, financial management, business and strategy: these are areas of technical assistance that can be provided to microfinance institutions or companies with a social impact.

This engagement programme will be expanded in the coming months with the launch of a new platform on which employees can find all volunteer opportunities.

Going further with mentoring

Mentoring means supporting a person over the long term to help them build their career plan, while providing advice and knowledge about the business world. This journey, with a specific timeline, is a beautiful human adventure in which the mentor learns as much as he or she passes on. Numerous programmes aimed at people excluded from employment are available through the Crédit Agricole Group’s associative partners. 

For example, employees can extend their mission with Cravate Solidaire and become a mentor to a candidate on the path to integration and coached by the association.

They also have the opportunity to support a refugee for several months. In partnership with Kodiko, more than 30 of the Group’s employees have already committed themselves to the professional integration of their partner.

The association Entourage has created the LinkedOut network for people living in precarious circumstances. By becoming a coach, Crédit Agricole employees not only pass on their knowledge of the business world, but also establish a social bond of trust for people who have long lacked it. 

The association Télémaque, supported by Crédit Agricole Assurances and Amundi, is organising a mentoring programme for secondary school students and apprentices from vulnerable regions. Ten Crédit Agricole Assurances employees and 20 Amundi employees are each working alongside a young person to help them find their career path. 

Also working with young people, the association Nos Quartiers ont des Talents offers young graduates from disadvantaged neighbourhoods the opportunity to be sponsored by employees in order to open up new employment opportunities for them. The scheme regularly welcomes Crédit Agricole employees from the Regional Banks.

The employee engagement programme therefore has a wide variety of formats and missions, allowing each person to find what suits him or her best. 

According to the latest studies, 66% of French people think it is appropriate for companies to offer their employees the opportunity to get involved in the causes they support. Flexible, supportive, and committed, a driver of know-how and human values, the employee engagement programme has a bright future within the Crédit Agricole Group.

To find out more about the employee engagement programme or to take part in an initiative, contact contact.solidaires@credit-agricole-sa.fr