How to launch a corporate alumni programme

Corporate alumni programmes are an increasingly popular way for organizations to keep in touch with employees who have moved on to new pastures. They can help companies continue to benefit from ex-employees ideas, connections and experience.

According to recent research, budgets for alumni programmes at many companies have risen from zero to more than $100,000 over the last ten years. This is not surprising since the same research showed that 18% of companies attribute more than $50 million in sales to alumni support.

So, if you’re interested in launching a corporate alumni programme, start by reading these top tips from some of the world’s leading corporate alumni programme practitioners.

Setting up an alumni network requires a clear understanding of why it should be established and which institutional goals you aim to achieve. It's essential to ensure the network is mutually beneficial, supporting organizational goals while offering value to its members. Management support is crucial; their backing can provide the necessary resources and legitimacy.

Capture the essence of your organization – what makes it unique – and incorporate this into your programme to foster a strong sense of identity and belonging. Additionally, devise a clear strategy with measurable metrics to track progress and ensure you remain on track. Regularly assessing these metrics will help you adapt and improve the network, making it a dynamic and influential community. Moreover, getting strong supporters on board to amplify your message and increase engagement is highly beneficial.

Successful alumni networks start with a thoughtful exit but, more importantly, a solid corporate culture. Before setting up your network, evaluate the current offboarding process and interview a diverse sample of your alumni base. If there are areas for improvement in the offboarding process, work with the respective teams within your organization to make those improvements before creating an alumni network. Even editing the wording of an exit communication can go a long way; you don’t want to give any departing employee a sense that “the door is hitting them on their way out”.

Additionally, asking your alumni questions – from “How did you feel at the point of your departure?” to “What do you think about the firm today?” – can help inform your alumni strategy and future communications or event ideas.

When we started building 6453 ALUMNI, a community for former Nike employees, we followed a human-centred design process. We set out to better understand our alumni community by conducting research to uncover insights or unmet needs. This work informed our strategy. Then we asked ourselves critical questions like “Why do we exist?” and “What is our mission, vision and purpose?”

The answer to those questions established our direction and goals. This process discipline also allowed us to develop our identity statement and have a dialogue with both members and the brand about what we stand for. Conducting ongoing research allows us to keep our finger on the pulse of our community through meaningful conversations. Those conversations foster trust and enable us to identify relevant, inspiring experiences and topics to explore for our community.”

At Starbucks, our employees are known as partners, and the company embraces the idea of "once a partner, always a partner." During the onboarding process, which we call First Sip, new partners share a cup of coffee with their manager and learn about Starbucks' mission, values, and promises.

We've also created a Partner Promise to build a bridge to a better future, extending beyond employees' time with the company and emphasizing a lasting relationship. From the beginning, this sets the tone that we value the relationship and don't expect it to end when it is time to move on. In the Starbucks Alumni Community, our goal is for members to maintain the same sense of connection to the company and each other that they experienced while working here.

As you develop your alumni network strategy, consider your alumni value proposition and how to engage them successfully. Identifying and embracing their interests is important because, by addressing their needs, you'll create a compelling reason for alumni to stay connected.

A strong alumni value proposition should highlight benefits such as professional networking opportunities, exclusive events, career support, and access to unique resources. I recommend always approaching your content or strategy with the question, "Do my alumni care? Does this matter to them?" If they see value in your offer, they will be more engaged and happy to stay connected with your alumni network.

Building an engaged alumni network requires a dedicated team to establish trustworthy relationships with community members. This will ultimately yield invaluable long-term results for your organization. Understanding your community and knowing how to integrate members into your organization’s operations are crucial steps in fostering strong alumni relations. Regularly presenting them with opportunities for involvement will make your community members loyal and your bonds stronger. Leveraging the expertise of bright alumni also benefits your organization and enriches the broader alumni community. Invite them to be guest speakers at events and facilitate collaborative alumni projects and organizational initiatives.

To maximize the impact of your outreach, tailor your efforts to your alumni’s needs and interests. A targeted approach fosters a mutually beneficial relationship that supports both their personal growth and your organization’s success and reputation.

Put relationships with alumni at the centre of all you do. Make time for one-on-one connections, create spaces for small-group engagements and slow down to develop thoughtful communications. While it may feel counterintuitive to do this when managing a network of thousands, we have found that investing in relationships makes scale possible. It allows us to listen to our community deeply, nourishes a culture of volunteerism, broadens our engagement, creates a continuous pipeline of relevant content and much more.

Building an alumni network can be complicated, but grounding it in this ethos makes it simpler. It’s about creating a welcoming space for people to come together, nurturing a sense of belonging and supporting one another to impact the world positively.

Creating an alumni network is about more than just maintaining connections; it’s about fostering a community of lifelong engagement and mutual growth. Focus on delivering value and staying relevant to your alumni's evolving needs.

At the Microsoft Alumni Network, now in our 30th year, we have a diverse community – not only in terms of skills but also where people are in life. My advice to anyone looking at building or strengthening an alumni organization is: tailor your offerings to meet alumni needs, provide a range of benefits including professional development opportunities, accelerate skilling in AI across industries, build networking events, highlight exclusive insights from subject-matter-experts and create meaningful ways to contribute back to the community. Finally, engage with your alumni regularly through personalized communication and ensure their voices are heard and celebrated.

A successful alumni network thrives on genuine relationships, a shared sense of purpose and continuous enrichment, making it a dynamic extension of your organizational family.