When businesses picture their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment, they usually think about driving positive social, environmental, or governance changes.
But did you know that it can also benefit your staff team?
From acquiring top talent to preventing burnout, you would be surprised at the number of ways CSR can help you engage and motivate your team!
Table of Contents:
What is CSR & Why Is It Important for Attracting Candidates
A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plan is a well-defined strategy that businesses use to meet their social and environmental responsibilities. It often takes the form of philanthropy, responsible hiring, volunteering initiatives, and environmentally conscious practices. Although these strategies exist primarily to drive positive impact, they are also vital for your company’s recruitment strategy.
72% of workforce entrants are interested in jobs with socially impactful roles, and this number is likely to grow as Gen Z enters the workforce. For an interested candidate, working for a company with a measurable CSR impact leads to:
Greater job fulfillment: Employees are more likely to feel fulfilled by their work when their company makes a positive social impact. Alternatively, if an employee believes their work exists only to drive profits, fulfillment diminishes;
Lower burnout rates: Employees who feel their work has a tangible, positive impact on the world are less likely to burnout. Companies that encourage their staff to participate in CSR activities see higher job satisfaction and fulfillment;
Mission alignment: A CSR programme that aligns with the company’s values means that employees are more likely to identify personally with its mission
Data from the Harvard Business School supports this trend:
90% of staff at companies with a strong CSR mission statement say they are more loyal and fulfilled in their work;
70% of job-seekers claim to be unwilling to work for a company without a strong purpose;
93% of employees believe a company should lead with purpose, not with profit.
A robust CSR strategy goes beyond serving your community or leading progressive change. It creates a company culture built around its impact, not just on bolstering its bottom line, resulting in a staff team that is more loyal, fulfilled, and less likely to burn out.
Four Ways To Leverage Your CSR To Acquire Top Talent
To use your CSR to attract and retain top talent, your company requires more than just a strong mission statement. You should be prepared to demonstrate to applicants that your impact is a tangible part of what makes your company unique, including:
Cultural Alignment
Aligning your CSR strategy with your company’s mission statement and culture creates a common, meaningful purpose for your staff team. If there is a large disconnect between your company’s culture and your CSR activities, your employees are less likely to be engaged and motivated by them.
Consider what is important to your team, company and community, and build your CSR activities around these values.
Recruitment Marketing & Employer Branding
Highlighting CSR initiatives across all forms of recruitment marketing media can help you build a brand as a socially responsible employer. By incorporating your company’s CSR into its recruitment strategy, you can appeal to purpose-motivated applicants. You can do this by:
Including CSR efforts into your job descriptions;
Ensuring that all recruitment material includes information about your CSR projects;
Being transparent about compensation and benefits, including staff wellbeing initiatives;
Making sure your hiring team is aligned with your CSR strategy.
For example, Starbucks’ recruitment page is rich with information on how staff can benefit from working there. Its battery of health, education, and wellbeing initiatives demonstrates its commitment to its team and makes the company attractive to applicants.
Growing your reputation as a company with a strong social conscience will also attract like-minded applicants who align with your culture and mission, helping you build a committed and motivated team!
Diversity & Inclusion
Champion diversity and inclusion throughout all stages of your recruitment pipeline. Ensuring fair hiring practices reduces internal bias and helps you attract top talent to your company.
Building a diverse staff team improves creativity and decision-making, bolsters morale, and improves your employer branding. Utilise skills-based interviews, an equal-opportunity hiring process, and inclusive language in job listings to create a more diverse work environment.
Measurable Impact
Demonstrate your impact to candidates through case-studies and CSR performance indicators. This shows your commitment to CSR goals and the importance of their impact to your company.
Using CSR For Employee Engagement
The benefits of CSR extend beyond recruitment! A clearly defined CSR framework can help drive your team towards excellence. Here are ways to maximise its impact:
Recognising good work: Identifying areas where your staff make excellent contributions to your CSR encourages others to do the same. Integrate this recognition into your performance management processes to embed CSR directives into your company culture;
Creating equal opportunity: Similar to CSR, diversity and inclusion should not stop with recruitment. 81% of employees in inclusive environments report greater job satisfaction, resulting in higher productivity and longer-term retention. Fostering an open, respectful environment and should be a cornerstone of your CSR strategy;
Offering leadership opportunities: Letting staff take leadership in your CSR activities can help increase your team’s motivation and loyalty. 75% of employees are more likely to feel satisfied in their job when they are allowed to make an impact, so let your team lead;
Incorporating CSR culturally: Your CSR strategy should not be isolated from the rest of your company. Building your culture and procedures around your social, environmental, and governance goals helps you work towards them in all aspects of your company.
Conclusion: CSR for Recruitment and Engagement
To conclude, more employees than ever are interested in working for a company with dedicated and measurable CSR commitments. Building and representing your social and environmental impact is now a vital part of attracting a diverse pool of top talent.
A purpose-driven company is likely to see greater staff fulfillment and mission alignment, and they are less at risk of burnout or employee disengagement. Moreover, letting staff champion your CSR goals benefits your staff team and helps them create a sense of meaning in the workplace.
Greenmyna is committed to helping you maximise your impact by connecting you with important projects and helping you optimise your CSR budget. Contact us to learn more, connect with experts, and explore resources that can help you on your journey.
FAQs
Q: How does CSR retain top talent?
A strong CSR strategy makes your employees feel more connected to your business’s mission, reducing the risk of burnout, improving morale, and increasing productivity.
Q: How does CSR attract customers?
Q: How does CSR improve employee performance?
Q: How does CSR help a company?