Vox Pop

theHRDirector magazine (June 2022; Issue 212) have again kindly invited me to contribute my thoughts – this time upon issues surrounding employee voice being heard and acted upon in boardrooms and, more widely, employee engagement. For copyright reasons, I can’t post this article (“Vox Pop”) but, instead, wanted to share a few points on the importance and possible value of corporate social responsibility to engage with all stakeholders – including existing and prospective employees - that underpin my comments in this article.

 

Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, has become an important part of corporate culture for modern businesses. Companies all over the globe are looking closely at the impact they have on society and are putting ethical policies in place to support individuals, the local community and the environment. Corporations that listen or engage with their employees all recognise the need to make their people feel good about themselves and, importantly, the values of where they work.

 

Perhaps not surprisingly, CSR has become a crucial front line in the war for the best talent. This goes for both recruitment and retention. According to one study, 64% of millennials won’t accept a job at a company that doesn’t have strong social responsibility practices. More than one in ten would even take a pay cut to work for a company that has the right attitude towards charities. Since this group will make up three quarter of the workforce by 2025, it is a metric that can’t be ignored. Today’s talent only wants to work with organisations that both listen to them and understand their needs as well as being willing as an employer to make a positive impact on the world and that respond to the current pressures upon it following the pandemic.

 

When it comes to keeping people engaged – and therefore ensuring they stick around for the long haul – over half (57 per cent) of UK employees said they wanted their employers to do more for CSR. Fundamentally, employers need to better express the values and ambitions their employees hold in variety of ways in the workplace but also outside it via the work they do but also their corporate social responsibility activities. This isn’t just a tick box exercise but a way for more sensible business to attract and retain talent but also gain competitive advantage.

I was delighted to be featured in issue (212) of theHRDirector (“the independent, thought-led publication for Senior HR Practitioners”) and, as a courtesy, mention this offer from them: “If you find value in their content and would like to receive their print edition each month, they can offer you a £50 discount when you Subscribe in Print by using the  promotional code CONTRIBUTOR. Digital Subscriptions are also available.”