Your business can give back to society. Whether it’s through your high standard of environmental ethics or engaging in programmes that benefit vulnerable people, you’ll discover that helping out helps you too. Corporate social responsibility might sound rather grandiose, but even the smallest businesses can make a positive impact. In this article, we’ll discuss all of this in detail while offering you an opportunity to make a difference.
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility): A Definition
Beginning with the basics, here’s a simple definition of CSR. Companies can benefit society in many ways. This includes:
- Launching or supporting projects that benefit society.
- Being kind to the environment and supporting organisations that do important work to safeguard it.
- Actively working to further human rights or supporting human rights organisations.
- Giving a little of your and your employees’ time to help others. This could be volunteering, running your own fundraisers, and even providing free training to marginalised people.
- Running your business with environmental and social ethics as non-negotiable principles. This includes responsible sourcing, reducing your carbon footprint, recycling, having an inclusive business culture, and more.
Some definitions of CSR say it’s a case of people and planet over profits – but the beauty of CSR is that you can do a lot with a little – and it can even boost your business. More on this shortly.
Corporate Social Responsibility Examples
At RSVP, we’re doing our bit with an exciting project that helps people nearing the end of prison sentences to launch a new career in customer service. They’ll earn a little money as they work, and we help them with job offers, making it easier for them to reintegrate into society without re-offending. While we’re excited about this project, we’d love to highlight some other examples of CSR in action that might inspire you.
- BT supports SOS Children’s Villages, an organisation that helps rural African children improve their lives and break free of the cycle of poverty. It also raises funds for other worthy causes.
- Besides supporting a variety of children’s charities, Greggs has created the Greggs Foundation, which supports community projects. The bakery also offers a range of programmes that make it easier for people to find employment.
- What if all you have to give is a little of your time? There are many opportunities to help others with this gift. For example, Cancer Research UK runs multiple fundraising events. Volunteers make it possible.
Naturally, businesses with a great CSR reputation are working to keep their operations and supply chains as environmentally appropriate and people-friendly as possible.
How CSR Benefits You
Although it might feel odd to think that your giving means you’ll also get something back, there are tons of benefits for companies that make CSR an integral part of their businesses. There’s an old-fashioned notion that you should keep quiet about the good things you do, but going public inspires others to follow your example. Here are some of the direct benefits your CSR initiatives bring back to you.
- Boost your company’s image and inspire customer loyalty and trust. 70 percent of people would like to know how your business benefits society. They’re proud to support organisations that work for a better world.
- Inspire and engage your employees. If they care about the causes you support and feel proud to be part of the initiatives you undertake, they will have a strengthened sense of purpose.
- Team-building is an additional benefit when you make the right CSR choices. Participating in activities that support a good cause can be fun, bringing your employees closer together as a team.
- Attract the best job applicants by sharing your CSR initiatives publicly. Jobseekers want to work for businesses with a positive culture.
- You can reduce costs through CSR, too. Simply cutting down on waste, pollution, and emissions has a positive impact – and it can save you money at the same time.
Corporate Social Responsibility: What to Avoid
There are ways to do “CSR” that will actually damage your company. Here are a few examples of CSR gone wrong.
Greenwashing
So-called “Greenwashing,” trying to make your business look better than it really is, can be terribly offputting and have the opposite effect of what CSR should achieve. The truth will come out. Consumers will see greenwashing as the hypocrisy it is, and brands can suffer irreparable harm.
Lesson learned: be sincere and never try to mislead anyone.
Not Considering Your Customers and Employees
Before you embark on a well-intentioned CSR programme that falls flat, do your homework. What matters to your customers? What matters to your employees? Consult them to help you shortlist ideas that they’ll support. Give them ongoing feedback. They’ll feel valued and involved.
Lesson learned: Never assume an idea you think is great is going to get support. Listen to others.
Treating CSR as a Publicity Stunt and Nothing More
People can spot hypocrisy a mile off. While you can and should benefit from positive publicity for your CSR, don’t do it for that reason alone. When you focus on benefitting others, you’ll automatically benefit yourself. But if you have nothing but selfish intentions, it’s just smoke and mirrors and everyone will see through it.
Lesson learned: Focus on long-term benefits for others.
Not Working to Address Your Own Shortcomings
Emissions, waste, child labour in your supply chain – whatever your negative impacts on the world, don’t try to sweep them under the carpet. Walk the talk. Show what you’re doing to make things better. Do your utmost and be open about any challenges you still face.
Lesson learned: Clean up your own backyard before trying to claim kudos as a responsible company.
Trying to Do it All Yourself
You can make a tiny difference on your own – or you can get more and better results by working with others. Partner with your customers, suppliers, local government, and charitable organisations to maximise your positive impact. RSVP’s Restart Programme is a great example of partnerships that make a positive difference.
Lesson learned: No organisation or business is an island. Work together for the greater good.
Expecting Your Employees and Customers to Do It All
Add a little extra to the price of specially labelled products to support a cause. Expect your employees to “volunteer” in their free time. Rake in the goodwill.
Wake-up call: this doesn’t work! Match that donation that’s included in a product’s price and tell your customers how it works. Involve employees during work hours. Bring your share to the table and let your customers or employees get the recognition they deserve.
Lesson learned: If you involve customers or employees, always match or exceed their efforts.
See some inspirational Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) examples here.
Corporate Social Responsibility UK: How We Can Work Together
Putting our heads together, the RSVP team realised that it has much to give – including skills development to a group of people who need our help. Once prisoners have served their terms, they may be eager to make a fresh start – but society and circumstances can make this hard to do.
Partnering with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and G4S, our Restart initiative offers Enhanced Status Prisoners training, paid work, and the prospect of longer-term employment after their release. These are people who have demonstrated their commitment to rehabilitation. More than anything, they want an opportunity to prove themselves as valuable members of society. We’re helping them do just that.
Through training, qualifications, paid real-world work before their release, and offers of employment afterwards, they’ll step out with everything they need to start anew. Adding to our contribution, we’ve made our Restart Customer Service offering a very competitively priced service your company can subscribe to. Our call centre trainees at HMP Five Wells are trained and equipped by RSVP, one of the UK’s leading customer service agencies. You get a premium service for less while helping others.
There are potential benefits to the prisoners we help – but our work benefits society too. With employment, released prisoners are far less likely to re-offend, so helping them “restart” benefits everyone. If you’re interested in working with us to make all of this possible, get in touch with RSVP. By working together, we can do so much more.