Internal corporate social responsibility is important. The messages you send, actions you take, and examples you set for your employees, stakeholders, and vendors can be just as beneficial or detrimental to your success as the ones the marketing department is preaching to your prospects. And if the two don’t match, you’re in for a rude awakening. In an earlier post, Why corporate responsibility is more than just a brand promise, we explored why it’s so important to consumers that brands take action on social issues. In this post, we’re exploring why corporate social responsibility (CSR) can’t stop at the marketing department door.
The difference between internal CSR and external CSR
Before we dive in, it’s important to define the difference between internal CSR and external CSR. External CSR refers to the actions that corporations take to satisfy the expectations of their customers or prospects. Internal CSR programs seek to add satisfaction, happiness, and fairness to the lives of employees and internal stakeholders.
While external CSR programs usually have some sort of corporate profit-building motive (impress customers, gain more followers), internal CSR programs should value employee well-being over corporate interests. That’s not to say corporations don’t benefit from internal CSR programs. In fact, the benefit of having a reputation for good employee relations can have a huge impact on profits and success.
Here are a few examples of internal CSR initiatives:
- Encourage employee volunteerism, either by offering time off for volunteering or by sponsoring events and encouraging employees to participate.
- Match employee donations to empower employees to make a bigger impact with organizations they care about.
- Offer employee wellness programs like bringing in a yoga or meditation instructor or paying for membership at a local studio
- Encourage continuing education by offering courses on your campus or providing fee reimbursement.
- Start a recycling program and encourage employees to bring in hard-to-recycle items, then deliver them to the proper place for disposal.
Authenticity and consistency influence employee perception of CSR
More than three-quarters of consumers are interested in engaging with socially responsible brands, and there is pressure on all organizations to make their external marketing promises match internal actions. From procurement to employee advancement to volunteer hours to PTO allowance, everything is under the microscope of public scrutiny. In an uber-connected age, consistency is key. When the marketing message doesn’t match the way employees and vendors are treated, word gets out quickly and your marketing initiatives fall flat.
Authenticity is crucial to successful CSR. Extensive research has been published on how employee perception of CSR programs influences organizational health. One study found that good CSR can reduce employee turn-over by 50 percent! Some other research-based findings include:
- When employees attribute CSR as substantive rather than symbolic, it has greater benefits for the organization as a whole
- Egoistic-driven motives negatively impact salesperson trust in their company; however values-driven motives positively influence salesperson trust
Once your internal CSR programs are values-driven, authentic and place employee wellness over corporate interests, what’s the final missing piece of the puzzle? Getting the word out.
Effectively communicating your CSR program
What good is a stellar internal CSR program if your employees are not engaged with it? Companies, where employees feel connected, see an increase in productivity of 20 to 25 percent. Engagement requires a strategic plan for internal communication that is fueled by creativity and impactful messaging.
Ideas for how to engage employees in CSR programs:
- Launch internal social media platforms with channels dedicated to your CSR goals or topics.
- Hold regular goal-setting sessions for charitable work and publish a report on the company’s progress.
- Distribute a regular email newsletter dedicated to internal communications and highlight your CSR efforts.
- Ask internal influencers to help spread the word about your programs.
To generate employee engagement with your internal CSR program, you must put as much time and thought into internal communications as you do your external marketing messaging. This is a tall order for many organizations, especially when most marketing departments are already stretched thin.
If you are looking for support or new ways to enhance internal communications and promote internal CSR programs, Content Matterz can help. Reach out to us here.