1) When did your company realize that Social Responsibility is important to integrate into the company and why?
"It’s hard to pinpoint a firm date, but we really stepped up our game around 2009. CPG has always been the type of company to sponsor sports teams etc, but as a company that doesn’t sell to the public it was odd seeing our logo on the back of a jersey and explaining to people that we legitimately weren’t doing it for the publicity. Because of that we were pretty scattered with corporate sponsorships and donations until a family emergency in 2009. It was at this point that the whole CPG team realized we had a goal to strive for and were motivated for a singular cause. As Matt and I realized how passionate we were for specific foundations it dawned on us to see what causes our staff were passionate about and as a team see if we can help out. Our corporate culture changed a lot because of this and it united the whole team in a way I’d never seen before. The importance of having team goals outside of work, is not to be underestimated."
2) What Giving Back activities have been most effective with Employee Engagement and why do you think that is?
"The activity that has been our most successful for employee engagement has definitely been the Heart and Stroke “Big Red Bike”. It’s the one event that we can always get a great group together to enjoy the weather (and pouring rain occasionally). I think it’s successful for three main reasons. The first being that it’s a cause so many of us can relate too, which personalizes it for almost everyone. The second reason is that it actually requires teamwork. We can do a charity walk or toy/food drive which is realistically a group of individual contributions, but with the bike everyone starts and ends at the same time, and requires everyone to step up together. The third reason is of course because it’s a LOT of fun."
3) What other benefits have you seen through giving back with your Employees?
"It’s amazing that two of the benefits that likely ended up being the most important to the company are also things I never would have considered at the beginning of this journey. I remember reading stats like “employee engagement increases productivity by X%” years ago without any rationale behind why or how those numbers were attained. I still can’t pinpoint % increases but I can tell you they are there. When you discover what causes your coworkers are passionate about it brings everyone closer, and people who otherwise might have thought they have nothing in common are much more likely to help each other out and work well together when they realize just how alike we all are. The other benefit is that it’s a great way to differentiate you from your competition in business. All other things being equal, people will prefer to deal with other businesses they can relate to."
4) What advice would you like to share with other companies who want to start engaging their employees through Social Responsibility activities?
"Engage with your employees first and find out what they’re passionate about. It is far easier to work with a cause that people already care about than to share your motivation towards something else and expect them to get onboard. After that, show appreciation to the staff that participate and especially to those who take charge during the process."
ABOUT CPG AEROSPACE
CPG Aerospace is a collaborative, diverse, innovative and high-performing supplier of aerospace parts, specializing in structured plastics manufacturing and advanced composites
📷Founded in 1972, CPG has evolved from a general plastics fabricator into a world-class aerospace parts manufacturer. By focusing on producing high-quality aerospace components, we have earned a reputation for reliability and excellence. Today, CPG is active on over 40 different production aircraft models, as we proudly provide industry-leading aircraft manufacturers with cost-effective, precision-built components and accessories while adhering to environmentally friendly best practices and proactive safety measures. We are proud of our customer relationships, and we are pleased to be recognized as a strategic growth supplier to Bombardier Aerospace, and to be certified under their five-star continuous improvement program.
Learn more about them at: http://www.cpgaero.com
For more information about CPG Aerospace, please visit: http://www.cpgaero.com/