About PULSE

What is PULSE?

The PULSE Volunteer Partnership is GSK’s skills-based volunteering initiative. Through PULSE, motivated employees are matched to a non-profit organisation for three to six months full-time, contributing their skills to solve healthcare challenges at home and abroad. When PULSE volunteers return to GSK, they act as catalysts to change the company for the better.

PULSE facts:

Since GSK launched PULSE, there has been significant growth in the programme’s strategy and portfolio on several parameters, including:

  • Social Impact : In our pioneering year, we worked with 29 non profit partners donating approx. £1.1Mn worth of skilled services. Since then we have worked with 127 non profit partners and donated approx. £27Mn worth of skilled services.
  • Inclusion & diversity : Back in 2009, PULSE volunteers primarily came from the US & UK, whereas in 2018, over half (58%) of our volunteers came from outside of the US & UK. Also, in 2018, volunteers were from 20 countries, while in 2009 they came from 11 countries. This peaked at 30 different countries in 2014.
  • Sustainable change: In recent surveys (conducted 6 months after the volunteer’s assignment finished), 90% of non profit partners stated that their volunteers had a lasting impact on the organization as they are doing things differently due to the work completed by the PULSE volunteer.
  • Personal development: 29% of volunteers moved to a different position in GSK within 12 months after their PULSE assignments (compared to 15% of total GSK population in the same countries).
  • Business Impact: 90% of volunteers say they are doing something differently back at GSK as a result of their PULSE experience. 97% of GSK line managers of PULSE volunteers feel sure that PULSE was a development opportunity for their employee.

Our impact:

infographic 2018

Find out more:

Visit the GSK website to find out more about our commitment to employee volunteering.

Read our 2017/2018 Employee Volunteering Annual Impact Report.