Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is how a company manages its actions to create a positive impact on its employees and the community. A study published on Frontiers in Psychology shows that CSR can improve brand equity and corporate reputation as it helps them establish trust and credibility. This gives businesses a sustainable competitive advantage over those that don’t prioritise CSR.
Making donations is a common way for companies to show social responsibility — however, this doens’t quite cut it any more. The goal of CSR is to involve everyone in your organisation to help earn the trust of consumers and other stakeholders. If you’re trying to think of ways to improve your business’s CSR, below are a few tips to consider…
Decide on a social mission
The first step to making your company more socially conscious is to establish a social mission. This is different from your vision and mission statements; this shows how your company will play an active role in helping the community. When creating your social mission, keep it simple and specific to make it attainable. Michael Wylie-Harris lists a few examples of brands that offer products and start initiatives and campaigns that give consumers an idea of what’s included in their social mission. For instance, Under Armour launched the ‘Unlike Any’ campaign in 2018, which was made to celebrate and support women in sports. Meanwhile, The Body Shop has made it a foundation of their brand to be against animal testing.
Make sure your story translates to executions
Being eco-friendly has become a way for businesses to stay relevant while also saving the planet. After all, Bulbshare’s customer communities show that 76% of people are now taking sustainability more seriously. Aside from growing their own food and using reusable face masks, this also means consumers will be supporting eco-conscious businesses.
One thing your company can do is utilise renewable energy, such as solar and wind energy. As seen on Hoymiles, there are companies that cater to businesses that want to switch to greener energy. If you’re looking for solar energy, for instance, you’ll need a solar power system that’s specially made to support a business rather than just a home, complete with power storage banks and inverters. The good news is that the UK Government is providing £235 million a year to fund low-carbon technology, which will help businesses take advantage of solar and wind energy.
Implement ethical labour practices
CSR isn’t only about what you do outside of your company — the job market is changing too, and employees and applicants alike now want a company that makes work sustainable as well. Thus, ethical labour practices – like ensuring your employees’ well-being and creating a safe and healthy work environment – will help you attract top talent and boost morale. You should offer competitive perks that will make employees feel valued.
Netflix, for instance, gives 52 weeks of paid paternal leave and employees can use this perk at any time during their child’s life. Ethical labour practices give your business a competitive edge, which also improves your brand confidence.
Train employees
You should educate your employees with regards to your company’s CSR as well as in terms of upskilling and reskilling. First, it’s important that you educate your employees about the issues your company wants to address, may it be going green or fighting racism, why you’re doing it, and how. The more your employees are involved in your cause, the better that consumers can feel that your company is taking your cause seriously. Meanwhile upskilling and reskilling employees are also a part of CSR. For one, we’re already in the ‘Age of Automation’, and not everyone has the skills needed to adjust — they run the risk of being left behind the times. Because of this, companies should help close the gap by investing in educational opportunities. For example, the Reply UK Technical Apprentice Programme, is helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds get a foot in the technology sector by offering a 16-week bootcamp.
Social responsibility is now a fundamental part of running a business. If you looking to improve your company’s CSR, we hope the above tips help.
