What Is The Purpose Of Corporate Social Responsibility?
As a business leader operating in the modern world, it is crucial that running a business goes beyond generating profits. Society has come a long way in the past few decades. An increasing number of organisations make a conscious effort to make a positive impact on the wider community. Implementing social responsibility policies as part of a core business strategy exhibits consideration of social and environmental development.
Put simply, social responsibility demonstrates good corporate citizenship and creates a positive image for businesses – giving them a great advantage over competitors.
Small businesses can take one small step at a time to becoming socially responsible. Rather than focusing on wider issues at play, small business owners should hone in on social issues that matter most to themselves and the community. Nobody expects a small local company to solve global warming!
Here at alldayPA, we build strong customer relationships between both our clients and theirs. Additionally, we help small businesses boost company morale by alleviating the stress of telephone answering, diary management and appointment scheduling.
By working with us, your small business can take one towards creating a happier, stress-free environment for your employees.
What is corporate social responsibility, and why is it important?
Once associated with large corporations, corporate social responsibility has now become a strategic component of the business models and plans of companies of all shapes and sizes. Employees at all levels should be educated about their social and environmental responsibilities by HR.
CSR involves the practice of self-regulating in the business environment in order to have a positive impact on society. Different businesses define it in several ways, but broadly speaking, it means operating ethically, sustainably, and responsibly.
Companies can take various practical steps to implement their CSR strategies into everyday business activity. The goal might be to formalise actions already taking place within a company. In other instances, business owners might plan to develop and implement policies to make an environmental impact or social change.
The values of the company should be aligned with CSR practices. The first step is to look at the business’ values, then seek sensible, practical actions that could have a real positive impact.
In what ways can a business become socially responsible?
In order to become socially conscious, it is important to take into consideration the nature of your business, the issues that affect your customers and employees, and the social issues that surround you. For example, if you are a small business in the hospitality sector, you may choose to contribute to sustainable development by offering reusable cups and sustainable coffee.
No matter what the size of your business may be or the industry you fall under, we can all make efforts to implement social responsibility initiatives.
- Promote Environmental Standards: Being responsible is often its own form of reward, but it makes good business sense to promote the actions that would be well received by your community and employees. Green marketing and the promotion of environmentally friendly activities have grown increasingly popular. You can use social marketing to showcase your elimination of paper processing and your embracement of technology. You can also make more efforts to reduce your energy usage. These policies and processes show broader concern for the environment that all citizens enjoy.
- Improve Employee Relations: Understanding the needs of your employees goes a long way in improving employee loyalty. A good place to start is looking at internal training programmes and the salaries of your team members. If you wish to attract and retain the best talent, you should improve your brand confidence. Ensure employees have competitive perks, provide an enjoyable work environment, and engage them in company activities. Taking care of employees can drastically reduce the employee turnover rate.
Why should you make an effort to adopt CSR into your small business?
It’s Good Business Sense – When you look around the world, there are many companies who do not think twice about their impacts on society and the environment. It is essential that businesses continue to strive towards making positive contributions to society. By adopting a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, you will not only help save our planet, but also earn goodwill from your customers and investors.
It Makes Your Company More Valuable – As mentioned above, being socially minded will go a long way in helping your company increase in value. For instance, Google has been widely regarded as one of the most socially aware organisations in the world, thanks to its emphasis on sustainability and the adoption of various measures such as recycling and carbon-neutral operations.
It Can Create New Opportunities – Some industries that have adopted a sustainable approach include agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, among others. This means that new opportunities may arise if you choose to pursue this route.
You Will Gain Brand Loyalty – Research shows that companies that are reported as being more socially conscious have greater chances of winning over consumers. In fact, it has been recognised that consumers are willing to pay more for a product or service if it is perceived to have social or environmental benefits. Moreover, there is a global willingness to purchase environmentally friendly products.
It Gives Back to Society – CSR gives back to society through various ways. One of these ways is through giving back to those who need help. For example, retail sectors could offer a charitable donation of a set percentage through every sale.
Could outsourcing your customer service improve your employee satisfaction? Let’s work together
In addition to employing CSR initiatives, you may be wondering how you could help ease the stress of your employees. We are dedicated to providing the helping hand you need in handling phone calls and managing incoming enquiries. By delegating these responsibilities to us, your team members could be given the time they need to improve their wellbeing and focus on training or self-development.
If you’d like more information on how we can help your staff members achieve a healthier work-life balance, talk to us today.