Corporate Social Responsibility at TOPdesk: How we’re going to do better in 2022

The start of a new year is always a time for reflecting on what you’ve achieved and maybe even what you could have done differently. It’s also a time for making plans for the future, big and small.

And while Corporate Social Responsibility is a big part of TOPdesk’s DNA, we realized that we don’t talk about it much. And when better to start than now?

With this in mind, we wanted to share some of the things we’ve been doing to become more socially responsible at TOPdesk, and how we want to do better in 2022.

Sustainability

This year, we’re focusing on examining our direct (and indirect) impact on the planet. In other words, how we manage our waste, emissions and consumption of resources. Ultimately, it’s about looking critically at TOPdesk’s footprint and finding ways to make it smaller.

Where are we now?

We already made the decision to start hosting many of our customers’ TOPdesk environments ourselves, which significantly reduced our energy consumption. Now, multiple TOPdesk environments can be run via a single server instead of each customer having to run their own.

And at our head office in Delft, we’ve made the switch towards some more sustainable suppliers: As of 2021, all of our mail is delivered and collected by bicycle couriers, meaning that our packages to TOPdesk employees can get from A to B, CO2-free. And at lunchtime, our low-waste caterer Vermaat provides us with delicious meals, made with seasonal ingredients, sourced in the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands, we also actively encourage the use of public transport by giving every TOPdesker a free public transport card so they can travel to customers or to the office by train. And what if a TOPdesk employee still needs to drive from time to time? They can lease an electric company car.

What’s next?

These are just a few of the initiatives that have been set in motion at a grassroots level by TOPdesk employees. But we’ve still got a long way to go.

In the first half of 2022, we are working on establishing global sustainability goals across all 15 of our branches. These footprint reduction targets will provide us with a shared direction and vision, but also make us even more accountable for reducing our waste, emissions, and consumption, worldwide.

Community

TOPdesk employees have always had the freedom to take initiative when it comes to doing things for a good cause. And in 2022, we will continue to ramp up our efforts when it comes to volunteering, skills-matching, and fundraising at a local level.

Where are we now?

We trust our employees to identify the needs of the communities they live in and apply TOPdesk’s core values in ways that have the most positive impact.

At TOPdesk UK, employees ditched their pens for paintbrushes, teaming up with a local charity to make improvements to accommodations for vulnerable and homeless people in Manchester. And in the Netherlands, one colleague raised over $769 in 10.5 hours by hosting a charity Twitch stream, with all funds going to Able Gamers, an organization that aims to combat social isolation through play. With TOPdesk matching donations, the amount raised came to $1.538 in just a day. And these are just a few examples of some of the great initiatives TOPdeskers have taken part in.

What’s next?

We want to give all our employees the opportunity to give back to their communities. So, this year, TOPdesk is launching a pilot scheme which will enable employees in the Netherlands to dedicate a 2.5% of their working hours towards volunteer work. If successful, the plan is to expand this scheme to other TOPdesk branches around the world.

Diversity & Inclusion

Our culture is centred around our people, regardless of their background, identity, or circumstances. A major goal for TOPdesk is to establish diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels empowered to be themselves and supported at every level.

This year, we are focused on creating and maintaining a workplace that encourages diversity, inclusion and belonging for all.

Where are we now?

In 2021, TOPdesk hosted its very first Diversity & Inclusion week: 5 full days of interactive workshops and activities aimed at creating awareness around all aspects of diversity. The programme included talks from external speakers about the future of AI and diversity, workshops with our in-house recruiters about how they minimize bias in the talent-finding process, and more. The goal of the week was to start meaningful conversations and stimulate change while celebrating each other’s differences in an atmosphere of acceptance and safety.

What’s next?

As well as making the TOPdesk Diversity & Inclusion week 2022 even bigger and better than the first, we plan to establish aligned D&I targets across all of our branches, to ensure that we stay on track when it comes to ensuring that TOPdesk is a workplace in which diversity and equality for all is actively encouraged.

We’re proud of all the initiatives that our employees have taken to promote Corporate Social Responsibility at TOPdesk. But there’s still a lot to be done before we can truly call ourselves a socially responsible organization.

Ensuring that our goals don’t turn into forgotten New Year’s resolutions or empty promises requires commitment and transparency. That’s why we’ll be adding a dedicated CSR page to the TOPdesk website, where you’ll be able to read up on our goals, strategy, and follow our journey towards becoming more socially responsible.

We’ve got a lot more planned, so watch this space.