CSR activity is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’. Employees, prospective employees, and customers alike are increasingly expecting businesses to demonstrate a strong commitment to social and environmental causes, regardless of their size and maturity. Here, Tobin Murphy-Coles, CEO at Amba, a tech-powered HR consultancy with values at its heart, explores this shift and offers his advice on making real change, even when resources are limited.
Growing demands for a demonstrable commitment to CSR
We all know that there’s been a huge shift in workers’ priorities following the pandemic, and our research confirms this. In fact, a recent study by Amba amongst UK employees demonstrates that three-in-five now actively seek employers who share their values. What’s more, they are willing to walk if an employer doesn’t live up to these expectations. Almost two in 10 18-24 year-olds claim that they left their last employer because they didn’t share their values. With young people making up an increasingly large proportion of the workforce, this challenge is only set increase.
We’re also seeing a huge uptick in the number of clients interrogating future suppliers’ CSR policies during the procurement process and making decisions based on this factor. This comes as no surprise. From the carbon impact of travelling to meetings, through to unethical investments, business is one of the single biggest contributors to the climate crisis. So, it’s only right that business leaders, along with consumers, should be holding each other to account in this way.
Alongside the growing demands from customers and employees, there is also a strong possibility that the Government will introduce formal legislation around CSR in the not-too-distant future.
With pressure mounting from all sides, investing in CSR is no longer a luxury for those businesses with the time, budget, and resource available to invest, but a key issue for all companies, and one that has a very real impact on the bottom line.
Getting started with CSR
Whilst getting started with CSR initiative might seem intimidating, particularly for those businesses entering the space for the first time, the very worst thing to do is nothing. Any progress is better than none, and you can learn as you go.
Following a framework is a good way to get started and will offer much-needed guidance as you begin your CSR journey. There are a huge number of possible routes, from B-Corp and Net Zero, through to industry-specific options. Using a framework will also give you access to a strong support network, something that can be incredibly valuable when you’re starting out. For instance, B-Corp has a particularly strong community of businesses, all working towards a common goal. This makes for a great forum to ask questions and share ideas.
However, even with these frameworks, it’s important to be clear that there are no shortcuts when it comes to implementing a meaningful CSR plan. It will require time and commitment, and will never be a ‘one touch’ task. That said, the burden does not need to sit with one person or even one department. The responsibility can and should also be shared amongst the team. By its very nature, your strategy is likely to need support from HR, finance, legal, marketing and more. What’s more, it doesn’t require purely senior involvement. In fact, getting more junior members of the team is a fantastic way to get them involved and build strong engagement with CSR amongst the whole workforce.
Choosing a strategy
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to CSR strategies. The good news, however, is that there is a solution out there to suit every type of organisation. A good place to start is to consider what matters most to you and your organisation.
Taking Amba as an example: I have always been conscious of the businesses’ impact on the environment, despite our best efforts to keep our footprint low. It seemed natural, therefore, that one of our key CSR goals should be to offset our carbon emissions. To achieve this, we launched The Lumina Forest Project, a reforestation programme in Madagascar, designed to repair damaged habitats by planting upwards of 100,000 trees per year.
Similarly, social causes are also close to our heart. So, we choose a charity partner to sponsor each year, organising fundraising activities that the whole team can get involved in.
These initiatives work well for us and we are incredibly proud of them. I’d encourage other employers to try something similar, if they appeal. However, neither activity is ‘the’ answer. What’s important is that you choose something that matters to your business, and that you and your workforce are prepared to commit to whole-heartedly.
Whilst there is no shortcut to making a real difference, when the consequences of not committing to CSR involve a loss of revenue, staff, and irreparable damage to the world we live in, there really is no alternative.
To find out more about Amba’s Lumina Forest CSR initiative, visit https://lumina-uk.com/lumina-forest-reforesting-land-in-madagascar/