Interview with Eva Sage-Gavin

Eva Sage-Gavin is Gap Inc.’s Executive Vice President of Global Human Resources & Corporate Affairs. In this role, she sets the strategy for the company's HR, communications, government relations and public affairs operations worldwide. Eva is active in her community and serves on a number of industry group boards including the Cornell Center for Advanced Human Resources Studies Board, the President's Council of Cornell Women, the University of Southern California's Center for Effective Organizations, and the Human Resource Policy Association. She holds a bachelor's degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University.

When was the first time you used your professional skills to help a nonprofit?  

I started volunteering early in my career over 20 years ago, becoming involved on the board of Emmanuel College in Boston. At the time, I was looking for ways to use my recruiting experience to help prepare students for their next steps after school so I volunteered to coach students on interviewing and resume writing. I’m still active at my alma mater, Cornell University, and enjoy speaking to students there.

What is one example of a pro bono project you have personally worked on?

It’s hard to pick just one! I’ve always been passionate about students, so that’s where I’ve focused a lot of my energy and time – speaking at colleges and serving on college boards. Lately, I’ve been sharing my experiences about how HR professionals can help shape a company’s culture to include values such as responsibility, giving back, fairness and equity. And of course, I love being in my position here at Gap Inc. where I have the privilege of helping guide our social responsibility and skills-based volunteering programs.  

How does your department at Gap Inc. engage in pro bono service?

We launched a program last year called the Gap Inc. Leadership Initiative that’s focused on building leadership capability in nonprofits. Nearly 40 employees, mostly in HR and Learning and Development, volunteered to create content and host a two-day seminar to help nonprofits with leadership and managing through change. More than 50 leaders from 25 nonprofits attended, and many are following up with peer learning groups, webinars and other programs. What inspires me about this program is that nonprofit leaders and our employees benefit, and it’s a great example of how we go beyond funding to support our communities.

How would you describe the state of pro bono in the fields of human resources and talent management?

We all know how the tough economy has hurt the bottom line for nonprofits, so this is an opportunity for us to help fill the gap with our time and skills in a lot of ways. For example, while the number of volunteers may be increasing, a lot of nonprofits don’t have the money to hire coordinators, so we can use our expertise to help them better manage people. The opportunities and responsibilities for us to help in our communities are greater than ever.

What have you seen to be the top needs of nonprofits when it comes to human resources support?

That’s one of the things we’ve asked nonprofit leaders as part of the Gap Inc. Leadership Initiative. Nonprofits are looking for leaders who can share their knowledge and experience about visionary leadership, strategic thinking, resource management, and people management, among other areas. Nonprofits get grants for programs, but rarely have extensive funding for people development.

How will human resources and talent management professionals be doing pro bono work in 2020?

We should start thinking differently about skills-based volunteering in the future. Volunteering enables growth and development beyond what traditional training offers, so companies should look at this as a creative way to develop their own talent. If more companies create sustainable volunteering, they’ll be helping their business, employees, nonprofits and communities at the same time.

Why is donating your professional skills important to you?

I get a lot of personal satisfaction from volunteering, and I always learn something that I can apply in my work or home life. But more importantly, when we share our skills with nonprofits, we help people and create change that truly makes a difference in their lives. It’s very rewarding and inspirational at the same time. And on a personal note, I’ve benefitted from nonprofit support and that experience also motivates me to give back to the community.