See the 10 best corporate alumni networks and how leading enterprises turn alumni into measurable revenue, referrals and talent.
Employees are not looking to stay at one company forever. They're looking for opportunities that will support them in their careers and future endeavors.
That’s where a corporate alumni network shines. They rely on the deliberate decision to treat former employees as a measurable strategic asset, a source of revenue, talent, brand advocacy, and market intelligence, ras opposed to a contact list that slowly grows stale. That is the key to Corporate Alumni Management: staying connected to people who already know and trust your business, and turning those relationships into commercial results.
In this post, we look at ten of the strongest corporate alumni networks operating today, to show what distinguishes them from that basic contact list.
Corporate Alumni Management treats former employees as an active commercial network. The case starts with revenue: alumni already trust you, which is why 83% say they would buy from a former employer, and why alumni customers can be worth up to five times a non-alumni customer. It extends to business development, because 79% of alumni would refer business, turning former colleagues into warm introductions and account intelligence. And it reaches talent, where a well-designed program generates 17% of all hires. Run deliberately, an alumni network compounds.
The definition of 'alumni' is broad: anyone who has had an affiliation of some form with an organization. That covers full-time, part-time, seasonal, and freelance workers, and in many companies it extends to retirees, contractors, and former partners or suppliers.
For most corporate programs, though, alumni means former employees, the people who carry your culture, relationships, and reputation out into the market. For the full definition, see Who are Alumni?.
A corporate alumni program gives you a standing relationship with people who already know your business, and a reason to stay in touch for when it matters. EnterpriseAlumni frames the return across four use-case pillars: revenue and business development, talent, brand, and network intelligence. The benefits include:
To gain a more complete understanding, read Sadhana Bhide's introduction on how organizations can benefit from alumni networks.
Several factors were considered when compiling our list of the 10 best alumni networks. The volume of recruits returning to the organization is a great reflection of the culture, but that alone does not give the full picture.
We took into account the number of new business opportunities generated, the mentorship and collaborative programs or learning opportunities offered and how engaged the alumni community is.
We spoke to several individual alumni and employees of various organizations who participate in our annual surveys to identify the key strategies used to drive alumni engagement.
19,800 Employees | World's leading providers of investment, advisory and risk management solutions
The BlackRock Alumni Network, also known as #OneBlackRock, is a unique opportunity for former and current BlackRock employees to connect.
The platform promotes professional networking and learning across the BlackRock generations, uniting past and present employees so knowledge is passed down and shared. You can learn more about how they started their network in this video.
370,000+ Employees | The second-largest professional services network globally and a Big Four accounting firm.
The PwC alumni community, also known as #YourNetworkForLife, promotes building and maintaining lifelong connections throughout your career. With 52 alumni networks connecting people around the globe, PwC alumni are a diverse group of talented individuals that create friendships, relationships and opportunities.
A highlight of the PwC network is its alumni stories, which engage alumni by publishing stories of what alumni have accomplished after their time at PwC, and the PwC Alumni Live events held globally.
45,000+ Employees | Global management consulting firm, advisor to governments and leading businesses.
The McKinsey Alumni Center is built to support McKinsey Alumni in their future careers, growth and development, and is treated as part of the firm’s model: work at McKinsey and you are part of the firm for life. The network offers dinners, retreats, expert talks and referral-driven business opportunities, and runs series such as ‘Alumni Voices’ that spotlight alumni successes.
~400,000 Employees | One of the largest professional services in the world and a Big Four accounting firm.
The EY alumni network has over 1,000,000 members across 156 countries. Its foundation is connection: “EY’s alumni network is poised to connect you to more of the people you need to know.” Alumni go on to government, academia, business and entrepreneurship. Their alumni network is also a source of professional resources and industry insights that EY is happy to provide to their alumni to support them in their future careers and keep them in the loop on industry knowledge.
3000+ Employees | International Law Firm founded in London, with more than 30 offices in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
The Bird & Bird Alumni program has successfully built a close and engaged alumni community that is spread across the globe. The more events and activities the firm runs, the more support alumni offer back, to the firm and to former colleagues. That shows up as referrals and new business, and in a stronger employer brand. One alumna described previous colleagues referring new business to her as she built her own practice. We recently hosted the Bird & Bird alumni team for a webinar.
66,000+ Employees | Global British retailer bringing quality food, clothing and homeware to millions of customers.
The Marks and Spencer Alumni network, known as the M&S Family, is built on the idea that working at M&S brings you into a community for life. The network stays in touch through benefits and rewards on the M&S ‘Sparks’ app, rehiring drives that fill seasonal roles, and career fairs, learning and networking events. Read more about the M&S network.
14,000+ Employees | Partner and creator of luxury retail experiences in the Middle East with 8 owned brands and over 300 international brands.
The Chalhoub Group Alumni Program is open to employees who spent two or more years with the group or a partner brand. Alumni stay connected to a global network and unlock benefits including discounts of up to 25% at Chalhoub stores, access to the Chalhoub University digital library, ‘The Greenhouse’ knowledge-sharing space for start-ups, and personalized career updates.
19,500 Employees | The world's largest professional digital network.
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman co-authored The Alliance, on how the relationship between employers and employees is changing. In that spirit, LinkedIn decided to invest in its alumni, not asking for lifelong commitment but asking how it could help people get where they want to go. That mutual understanding, what LinkedIn can do for alumni and what alumni can do for LinkedIn, is the foundation of a strong community, visible in events that connect alumni worldwide.
81,000 Employees | New York's largest healthcare provider with clinical care, community health, education, research and entrepreneurship.
The Northwell Health Alumni Network launched strongly, reaching 1,000 sign-ups quickly and opening with an event that featured senior leaders including the CEO and CHRO. It offers career support across all stages, a community of healthcare professionals, and a full calendar of alumni events and meetups, with reported interest in boomerang hiring.
17,000+ Employees | Leading developer, publisher, and distributor of video games worldwide, including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush.
The Activision Blizzard King Alumni Network stands out for its narrative and voice. Playing on a gaming theme, it names alumni ‘heroes’ and keeps them engaged with storytelling and events, including a compelling sign-up experience worth studying.
We’ve discussed why alumni networks are now a vital component of workforce strategy and explored some examples of successful networks that deliver value to both the company and its members.
That leaves one important question – how do you build your own network?
The most effective way is to use dedicated alumni management software like EnterpriseAlumni. Our platform offers many standout features, including:
If you want to explore our Alumni Platform in more detail, head here.
There are many reasons to invest in an alumni network. It provides you with lifelong relationships with former employees, improved talent acquisition, the ability to generate boomerang hires, and, most importantly, a chance to show employees, present and past, that you care about their professional development and career progression.
When creating the kind of network that compares with these top examples, we'll leave you with a couple of tips:
For more tips on how to run a successful alumni platform, check out our full guide. You can read our blog, which offers insights on building a successful corporate alumni.
