COMPANIES THAT WALK THE CSR TALK ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE, RETAIN, AND ATTRACT TOP TALENT

Attempts to improve employee engagement and motivation are nothing new. But since the global lockdowns of 2020 and nearly universal personal and professional introspection, a war for corporate talent is being waged. Across the globe, competition for diverse, highly-skilled talent has become intense.

It’s no secret that engaged and motivated employees directly impact corporate success. So, I base my observations on the efforts we’ve taken at Capgemini to maintain consistent interaction and mutual information sharing with our 290,000 team members in nearly 50 countries.

Throughout the past 18 months ? as COVID-19, economic upheaval, social justice protests, and climate change converged ? I’ve seen Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) take the global limelight. It’s no wonder, as employees (and high-net-worth investors, market-dominating millennials, Gen Z, and others) demand values-driven business behavior.

Like other lead-by-example organizations, we take CSR seriously ? and enthusiastically support causes and actions that are relevant and beneficial to society, our communities, clients, stakeholders, and employees. Before pandemic-sparked epiphanies, we implemented CSR initiatives to make our communities, hence the world, a better place by communicating our organizational values and vision in our workspaces, intranet, videos, all-hands meetings, public announcements, and social media. And we stay tuned in to what matters to our global teams.

CEO Mary Barra didn’t need to ask her employees if General Motors should pivot its assembly plants to?make ventilators? during the pandemic shortage. Unilever and Coca-Cola didn’t conduct a poll before pulling their social media?advertising budgets? because of hate speech and misinformation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. They just did it .

During COVID-19-imposed remote work scenarios, studies found some employees feeling disconnected or out of kilter with their employers’ larger purpose.

Employees want to be part of a high-impact force for positive change

• As a result, 81% of companies anticipate a near-term rise in employee activism. And 46% of employees view CSR activities centered around environmental issues and climate change as a priority, according to New York-based workforce advocacy platform Sociabble .

In short, employees want to be involved, and they want to work for organizations that strive to make the world better. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t too surprised by an early 2021 Gartner survey that revealed that 68% of employees would consider quitting their current job and working with an organization with a clearly articulated viewpoint on the social issues that matter most to them. Gartner also found that employees who work for a company that takes a strong stance on current societal and cultural issues are twice as likely to report?high job satisfaction.

Great Place to Work

Then, you can imagine how proud I was in May when I learned Capgemini America was recognized as a great place to work with an overwhelming 20% more employees than typical US-based companies voicing satisfaction!

Delivering on CSR objectives

In addition to CSR efforts such as diversity and inclusion, we have outlined net-zero carbon ambitions. As a result, we’re on track to be net-zero by 2030 and achieve operational carbon neutrality no later than 2025.

And we are not alone. Private sector organizations worldwide are working to tackle social and environmental challenges as part of their corporate strategy. And that means companies must demonstrate the ability to deliver on their CSR objectives. Failure could result in a backlash from investors, policymakers, and customers. But, beyond bottom-line threats, sustainable transformation is a powerful lever for growth and opportunities, as detailed in Capgemini’s report,?Why purpose-led organizations are winning consumers’ hearts .

How does your company walk the CSR talk among employees and stakeholders? If you are interested in sharing best practices around organizational values, I encourage you to reach out. Corporate Social Responsibility is poised to be a long-term high-priority agenda item for global executives everywhere.

#STRONGERTOGETHER

Source: Unsplash

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The author would like to thank Tamara Berry for her contributions to this article.

PS: If you want to look for articles from the author search for #AmitChoudhary