#NAFNext2014

Business Partner Engagement: Relationship Building Best Practices

Meghan Bracken, KPMG, Director, Corporate Citizenship Tanya Navas, NAF Regional Director, Northeast

#NAFNext2014

•Introductions & Welcome•Partnership•Business Partner Role•Business Benefits•Business Considerations•Role of Academy Directors & Advisory Board Members•Tips for a Successful Partnership•Benefits to You & Your Academy•Q&A

Agenda

•Introductions•Ground rules

− Ask questions− Share experiences− Have fun

Welcome

•A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. – Wikipedia•Response to Academy needs•NAF business partnerships:

− KPMG− Marriott− Verizon− Kelly− Capital One− HP− Others

Partnership

•Provide resources− Financial: National & Local− People

• Employee volunteers, Advisory Board members• Work-based learning activities for students• Professional development for teachers• Advocacy and support

Business Partner Role

•Strategic investment in Corporate Responsibility programs•Business must consider their Return on Investment (ROI)

− Make the best use of Time & Dollars− Business Considerations− Employee Interest

Business Benefits

•Fulfilling the company’s “mission”− Philanthropy− Diversity− Community Involvement / Employee engagement

•Giving back to the local community•Being an agent of change in education•Making an impact on local schools

− Working with underrepresented populations− Providing opportunities for work-based learning− Real world application of concepts taught in classroom

Business Considerations

•The “Bottom Line” – two ways to increase− Increase revenues

• Branding & PR• Networking• Increase market share

− Decrease revenues• Lower recruiting costs• Lower training costs• Decrease employee turnover

− Increase morale− Increase job satisfaction

− Increase productivity

Business Considerations

•You are the local “NAF Ambassadors”•Your local interaction affects:

− Your academy(ies)− All other academies− NAF National− NAF BOD companies− Prospective National partners

Role of Academy Directors & Advisory Board Members

•Be professional and “business-like” in your interactions− Remember the ‘ROI’

•Be proactive and creative in finding ways for corporate partners to add value to your academy•Be communicative

− Provide information in a timely fashion− Give plenty of notice of changes− Be responsive to emails and phone calls− Be mindful of different communication styles− Send a thank you note!

•Balance expectations

Tips for a Successful Partnership

•Develop a strategic action plan at onset of school year for how Academy and business partner can work together •Provide students access to business professionals at different stages of their career from new hires to seasoned professionals•Invite business professionals to speak in classroom coinciding with relevant curriculum topic•Leverage local University/College connections to expose students to higher education environment

Best Practice Examples

•Employee engagement•Financial resources•Advisory Board members•Professional development•Speakers•Mentors•Job-shadowing & office visits•Work-based learning & compensated internships•Deepen community relationships•Engagement with company’s other Corporate Responsibility programs

Benefits to You & Your Academy

Roundtable discussion questions:• What are some of your successes?• How have you aligned expectations?• What are some of your challenges?• How have you leveraged support to the greater

community?• How can you advance the goal of providing more WBL

experiences for students?

Facilitated Discussion

Q&A

•Meghan Bracken, mbracken@kpmg.com, 201-307-7370 •Tanya Navas, TNavas@naf.org, 646-723-2033

Contact Info