Engaged Beyond Business: Making a Difference, Together

Written by the Hilti GB / Northern Europe employer brand team – sharing real stories and insights into life, culture and careers at Hilti. 

 

When people think about sustainability, they often think about carbon reduction, circularity or protecting the environment. But sustainability is also about people – how we support one another, strengthen our communities and create a positive impact beyond our day-to-day work. 

That's where Engaged Beyond Business (EBB) comes in. 

For Johanna Häyrinen, Head of Sustainability for Northern Europe, EBB is one of the most meaningful ways Hilti brings those values to life. As she explains, it's a way for team members to contribute to causes they care about while spending time together and making a tangible difference in the communities around them.  

Creating impact beyond our daily roles 

At its heart, EBB is Hilti's volunteering initiative, giving team members dedicated time to support local projects and charities. Whether helping people, supporting environmental causes or contributing to community organisations, EBB allows everyone to make a positive impact in a way that feels personal. 

We want to contribute positively to society and take initiative around it. There are many different ways people can get involved, whether that's helping people, supporting nature or working with local organisations.

The programme sits under the wider sustainability umbrella, reflecting Hilti's belief that sustainability isn't only about environmental responsibility. It also includes how we treat people, how we contribute to society and the role we play in helping communities thrive.  

 

Small actions, big results 

Across Northern Europe, EBB continues to grow in both scale and impact. 

In 2025 alone, team members across the region contributed more than 4,400 volunteering hours across 78 different projects. Together, 556 team members dedicated 552 volunteer days to causes that mattered to them and their communities.  

Behind every number is a story

Johanna reflects on projects that have left a lasting impression, including partnerships that improve outdoor spaces for children with additional needs and volunteering initiatives that directly improve people's quality of life. 

One project that stands out involved building a large outdoor deck for an elderly woman who had spent part of her life supporting others during wartime. For Johanna, it was a powerful reminder that even a single day of volunteering can have a meaningful impact on someone's life.  

The projects I have participated in always leave you feeling good afterwards. You get to know your colleagues better, you work together in a different environment and, at the same time, you are helping others. There are so many positive things that come from it.

 

An experience that stays with you 

Johanna has always been passionate about using her own volunteering days. One particularly memorable experience saw her join a global volunteering project in Romania, where volunteers worked alongside local builders and a family in need to construct a home. 

Over the course of a week, the team helped build walls, roofing and insulation, working towards creating a safe place for the family to live. 

"It was amazing to see how much everyone contributed and how grateful the family was afterwards. That's something that stays in my heart forever."  

Experiences like these demonstrate why volunteering remains such an important part of Hilti's culture. While the practical outcomes are significant, the personal connections and shared sense of purpose often prove just as valuable. 

Looking ahead 

As conversations around social sustainability continue to grow, Johanna believes initiatives like EBB will become even more important in the future. 

We can all contribute positively to society. The more people engage, the more awareness we create and the bigger impact we can have together.

That impact doesn't always require a large-scale project. 

For Johanna, creating positive change often starts with the simplest actions: helping a neighbour, supporting a colleague, caring for the environment or treating others the way you'd like to be treated.  

 

Three words that define EBB 

When asked to describe Engaged Beyond Business in just three words, Johanna's answer was simple: 

Teamwork. Smiling. Caring.  

And perhaps that's the best way to describe what EBB is all about: people coming together, supporting one another and creating positive change, one action at a time.