CSR and Employee Engagement
Along with wellbeing, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is rapidly becoming a significant tool in the challenge to motivate and engage staff to ignite their passion in the workplace.
From Microsoft to Ben & Jerry’s, LEGO to Levi Strauss, many companies have incorporated (CSR) into the centre of their business values. And it’s not hard to see why. CSR has been found to increase a business’ market value by up to 6 per cent, increase employee productivity by 13 per cent, and improve employee engagement by up to 7.5 per cent (Project ROI).
CSR activities can vary hugely – setting up office recycling bins, organising beach clean up days and introducing more renewable resources into the supply chain all fall under the CSR umbrella. But all of these things can be used to boost employee engagement at your business.
Corporate Social Responsibility can be varied and include all sorts of activities. Here are three ideas on how you can use CSR to improve employee engagement levels at your organisation.
- Empower your staff to steer their own CSR course.
Employees who feel they’re just another cog in the machine aren’t going to be very positive about work. Employees who feel their opinions are valued and that they have a real influence on business decisions, on the other hand, are going to be much more engaged.
Giving team members a say in CSR initiatives either through creating a working group or organising a regular survey asking them what they want the company to focus on next. This will help employees know you value their opinion and that you want them to have an impact on the business’ direction.
- Combine CSR with skills development.
Most employees want to learn new skills, none more so than millennials. 87 per cent of respondents to a Gallup survey from this age group rated professional or career growth and development opportunities as important to them in a job. The figure was 69 per cent for non-millennials, still a significant proportion of the workforce.
To keep your best talent, you have to find new ways to incorporate skill growth. One such way is through CSR. Consider offering CSR initiatives that enable employees to learn new skills. For example, appointing a team to run a fundraising event provides them with event management and budgeting experience, two skills they may never have had exposure to even if your company offers formal training programs.
- Find ways to improve the working environment.
Employees spend at least eight hours a day at work. If the environment in which they’re working doesn’t appeal, it’s unlikely they’re going to feel very engaged. It’s a good idea, therefore, to use CSR initiatives to improve workspaces. For example, if you’re running a beach clean up day, consider also introducing more environmentally friendly measures in the office. Recycling bins, bike racks and plants are all easy changes to make that will have a huge impact on how your employees feel about the space around them.
CSR isn’t the only way you can boost employee engagement at your organisation. Whether it be Years of Service, Employee Rewards and Recognition, Wellbeing or Staff and Employee Benefits Programs, platforms such as Brownie Points have something to boost every company’s engagement levels.
Your employees work incredibly hard for your business. They are your only competitive advantage, so show how much you appreciate their efforts with a great recognition program with rewards that help them feel good while “giving back” through CSR .
Tony Delaney, CEO Brownie Points
