Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a company’s sense of responsibility towards the community, environment and economy in which it operates.
It means operating your business so that it has:
- A positive relationship with the environment
- A positive relationship with local and wider society I.E community projects and charities
- A positive relationship with staff
CSR should be seen as an integral part of your business and not just an added extra or a benefit, however if implemented correctly it can bring huge benefits to an organisation such as:
Comply with regulations
Develop the workforce
Increase revenue, lower costs and increase profit
Improve your relationship with the community
Improve your impact on the environment
Increase your reputation
Support staff wellbeing and motivation
Attract and retain great members of staff
Enhance trust among your stakeholders and customers
Provides opportunities for positive PR stories and case studies
Having a CSR strategy and plan, implementing CSR activity as an integral part of your operation will support your workforce motivation and development, increase revenue and reflect positively on your organisation.
If you are considering entering one of the local, regional or national awards, CSR is usually an integral aspect of most applications.
CSR is not just for large multinational companies and applies to all business sizes.
Jenna Wells HR Manager from RJ Power a Kent and Sussex based specialist electrical group providing engineering solutions to the power industry says ‘ CSR is a fundamental element of the RJ Power business strategy for a range of reasons. CSR activity is a key part of our employee engagement plans and we do this by choosing initiatives that are personal to our people, such as charities close to their hearts or activities that align with their interests and motivations. From a Business Development perspective, initiatives that support the environment, local community and charitable causes are becoming prominent within bids and tenders, so we need to retain momentum and be genuine in our efforts. Through close staff links last year we supported The Rough Runner obstacle course, sponsored waxing and other social events. We also keep our efforts relevant to our local community, choosing a person based charity and an environmental cause each year. For example, at our office locations we have Beach cleans, created Bee and butterfly gardens and worked with local schools. This helps to build our local profile, raises our profile as an employer and attract talented local individuals to help contribute positively to our local economy’.
If you would like some support, TA Barker Associates support businesses planning, and implementation, of a CSR strategy including identifying appropriate charities and community projects. For a free 30 minute consultation please contact us at info@tabarkerassociates.co.uk
See November/December 2019 issue
