Bell Integration’s engagement strategy, rooted in CSR, charity and volunteering, DEI, and sustainability, is designed to foster a workplace culture where people feel connected, empowered, and proud to contribute to something meaningful. Bell Integration wanted their strategy to be intertwined with their organisational values, especially their core ‘Friendly and Inclusive’ value.

The organisation was determined to make use of their Talent Development and Engagement team at the heart of their strategy. They wanted to bring groups of employees together to create a heightened impact within the business and outside.

Not only did Bell Integration want to prioritise inclusivity, they were also keen on boosting sustainability efforts. Sustainability was a key pillar for them, guiding their environmental practices and long-term decision-making. From reducing their carbon footprint to promotion responsible consumption, they aimed to operate in a way that protects the planet for future generations.

Bell Integration’s volunteering policy enables employees to contribute 2 working days each year to the causes that matter to them. These initiatives provide employees with the opportunity to give back, whether through hands-on community service or skills-based volunteering. Not only does this strengthen Bell Integration’s social impact but also builds a sense of purpose and pride across the organisation.

Bell Integration’s DEI affinity groups also play a vital role in creating inclusive spaces where employees can connect over shared identities and experiences. These groups shape Bell’s DEI agenda, ensuring that their policies and practices reflect the diverse voices within their workforce.

The organisation also marks international awareness campaigns through the year, such as Pride Month, Neurodiversity Celebration Week, and International Women’s Day, to spark meaningful conversations.

By providing unconscious bias training for all employees and managers, Bell Integration builds awareness, challenges assumptions, and fosters a culture of equity and respect across the business. Likewise, a commitment to wellbeing (with trained mental health first aiders and a robust Employee Assistant Programme) feeds into their commitment to good wellbeing. 

Through regular employee surveys, focus groups, and executive meetings, Bell Integration has set a strong and holistic foundation for their engagement strategy, one that supports individual employee fulfilment and organisational resilience.

With a thousand-employee workforce, scaling engagement in volunteering comes with its challenges. In order to satisfy diverse, international teams, Bell Integration would have to approach these challenges with creativity, collaboration, and a deep understanding of what their people needed.

A key challenge was charity and volunteering visibility, especially for overseas employees. Despite partnering with OnHand, employees still weren’t aware of the full potential or capacity for this volunteering tool.

In order to create a strategy, Bell Integration needed their Executive Team to lead early engagement. This needed coordination and clarity, as well as a willingness to be early adopters for OnHand and Bell Integration’s wider engagement strategy.

Bell Integration also had to ensure their programme was internationally relevant. What mattered to colleagues in one location may not have resonated in another. The organisation needed to work closely with colleagues across regions to understand local priorities and tailor opportunities to suit. They also had to examine which activities were culturally aligned, to ensure the programme felt authentic and inclusive.

Another challenge was accessibility. Not everyone had the same time, resources, or flexibility to volunteer. It was important that Bell Integration’s volunteering policy allowed employees the freedom to volunteer and offered a wide range of activities, from quick tasks to in-person events.

To bring their volunteering policy to life, Bell Integration began by establishing a dedicated Talent Development and Engagement team responsible for aligning volunteering efforts with employee and community needs. This team worked closely with internal stakeholders to identify activity and make changes that resonated with employees and aligned with company values.

Bell Integration then launched a structured volunteering programme, offering employees paid time off to support local initiatives, participate in skills-based volunteering, or contribute to company-wide charity events.

In parallel, Bell Integration strengthened their DEI framework by building affinity groups, which provided safe, supportive spaces for employees from underrepresented communities. These groups also played a key role in shaping policy, advising leadership, and driving awareness campaigns.

Through unconscious bias training for all employees and managers, including yearly refreshers, the organisation was able to build inclusive behaviours and reduce systemic barriers. Additionally, they embedded international awareness days into their annual calendar, celebrating events like Pride, Neurodiversity Celebration Week, and International Women’s Day, to foster education, allyship, and cultural appreciation.

Bell Integration also trained a network of mental health first aiders across the business and enhanced their Employee Assistance Programme to offer 24/7 confidential support internationally. These resources were promoted through internal campaigns and manager toolkits to ensure accessibility and visibility.

Sustainability was also integrated through Bell Integration’s dedicated and newly formed CSR team and embedded into operational changes and employee engagement. Sustainable activities ranged from reducing waste and energy use to promoting green commuting and responsible procurement.

The rollout was phased and collaborative, meeting the business where it mattered most at the time. Each initiative was launched with deep thought, timelines, and feedback loops. Regular updates, storytelling, and impact reporting helped maintain momentum and celebrate progress through internal communications channels.

Ultimately, this strategy has helped Bell Integration build a more engaged, inclusive, and resilient workforce, one that is empowered to make a difference both inside and outside of work.

Over the past year, Bell Integration has made significant strides in building a volunteering programme that is visible, accessible, and impactful. While still early in their journey, the metrics we’ve gathered since launching their formal volunteering policy show clear momentum and growing engagement across the business.

Since the policy launch, Bell Integration employees have recorded 311 volunteering hours. These hours reflect a wide range of activities, from local initiatives to global responses, including support for international disasters like the 2025 Texas floods. This kind of responsiveness and flexibility is enabled through Bell’s recent volunteering programme changes.

Bell Integration’s partnership with OnHand has also delivered strong results. Nearly 70% of employees who have signed up to the platform have completed at least one mission, demonstrating the eagerness to get stuck in.

Likewise, financial contributions have also seen huge growth. Over the past year, Bell Integration has contributed over $6,000 to charitable causes, through a combination of employee fundraising matching and ad-hoc support. This centralised tracking of charitable giving is new to their policy; a year ago, they wouldn’t have had the visibility to report on this impact. Now, they’ve built the infrastructure to measure and celebrate it.

Bell Integration’s key lesson is that visibility, flexibility, and leadership examples are the levers that turn good intentions into sustained engagement.

When they first introduced their volunteering policy, the organisation saw immediate uptake from those already inclined to volunteer. However, the real growth emerged once Bell Integration actively showcased participation and impact.

Their Talent Development & Engagement team made storytelling a central part of the strategy by gathering personal accounts, photos, and highlights from employees across different geographies and sharing them on a monthly basis. After all, when employees see their peers’ experiences, they’re more likely to take part.

Likewise, flexibility proved just as important. By allowing employees to take volunteering time in smaller increments, team members with demanding schedules could still make meaningful contributions. 

Leadership participation has also been a powerful catalyst. When Bell Integration’s Executive Team volunteered together and shared videos from the day, employees received a clear message: volunteering is a company priority, not a nice-to-have.