What employees really want from a CSR Programme

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We know Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is good for business. It’s also great for employee wellbeing and for supporting a cause you and your customers love.  Additionally, CSR offers great opportunities for collaboration with other businesses. We’ve even discussed how you can create the perfect CSR Strategy

But, what do employees want from your CSR Programme? And how can you give them a CSR programme they will love?  

Give them purpose. 

Employees want to feel that their efforts are making a difference. Set clear fundraising targets and explain how this helps your chosen cause. Give tangible outcomes, such as ‘£100 raised will feed 20 homeless people’. If you have multiple offices, create friendly competition between branches. Giving your employees a purpose pushes them to achieve.

To help your staff understand the meaning behind your CSR programme, bring your charity partner in to talk to your employees. They can give an overview of both the cause and how their support helps. This is a very real and credible way to give your employees a greater sense of purpose, as they’ll be able to see just how much of a difference they’re making. Here at Simon on the Streets, we’re  always more than happy to talk to businesses and their employees, and it is something we always encourage our corporate supporters to take advantage of.

Make it authentic.

Employees don’t want to take part in a CSR programme where the only focus is your company’s image. They'll be able to tell if your CSR programme is inauthentic or not, so your only option is to keep it real. Authenticity is important, particularly among millennials, a whjopping  64% of whom have said that they won’t take a job with an employer who doesn’t have strong CSR practices. Given that millennials are forecast to make up 75% of the workforce in the not too distant future,  ignore this at your peril. 

Not only does authentic CSR make for happier employees, but it also builds trust between the employee and the company. Research has shown that employees are more likely to trust their company if they view the CSR programmes as values-driven rather than egotistical. They have more pride in their company, and therefore view their work in a more positive manner. 

Communicate effectively.

You could be supporting a great cause and run an authentic CSR programme with purpose. But, if you're not communicating this with your team regularly, how will they know? 

Staff will connect with your CSR programme through regular communication. This can be external press coverage or updates on the staff intranet or at team meetings. Don’t forget to shout about it on your social media channels and website too. By bigging up your staff’s efforts and showing them how proud of them you are, the more they’ll engage  in your CSR efforts. 

Recognise their efforts

Recognition of your staff’s efforts doesn’t just have to take the form of communication. The gesture doesn’t have to be huge - it could be a thank you email from the boss or a shout out on social media. It could even be a mini-awards event! 

Match-funding your employees fundraising efforts is hugely motivational. It  demonstrates that the company takes their staff’s efforts seriously. Your staff want to feel like their work on the CSR programme is recognised, taking the time to show them  that it is, is likely to bolster staff motivation.

Your employees really want a CSR programme that’s got purpose, will make a difference and is authentic. Recognising and communicating your staff’s efforts is a sure-fire way to give your employees a CSR programme they really want. 

Is your business based in West Yorkshire? Do you care about supporting the homeless and vulnerable in our community? If that’s a yes, get in touch with us to find out more about becoming a corporate partner and making Simon on the Streets your chosen charity! There’s no time like the present to start your CSR journey!

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