How to Increase Employee Engagement with Corporate Social Responsibility


In today’s chaotic business environment, you rarely get time to focus on anything other than work. Successful organizations understand the importance of corporate social responsibility and pay back to the community instead of just benefitting from them. This also sends a positive message to both employees and other stakeholders that the business cares about the people around them.

According to statistics, CSR initiatives increase employee engagement and productivity by 13%. In addition to this, it also reduced employee turnover by 50% by keeping employees engaged in corporate social responsibility initiatives. Even millennials value socially responsible organizations and are even willing to take a pay cut to work for an organization that is socially responsible. Employee volunteering programs and CSR initiatives are also adapting to the changing times.

With data showing a handful of employees fully engaged at work, businesses can use CSR initiatives to increase employee engagementOpens in a new tab.. Want to know how? In this article, you will learn about seven corporate social responsibility ideas to increase employee engagement.

1. Select the Right Cause

One of the first things you need to identify as a business that is looking to engage employees through CSR initiatives is the right cause. Ask employees what they are passionate about and choose the cause accordingly. Reach out to employees and start discussing issues they care about. It might not be easy especially if your organization has hundreds of thousands of employees but you can still achieve that goal by sending a pulse survey to collect data about cause your employees are willing to support and donate money to.

You can hire a third-party organization that can help you identify your employeeOpens in a new tab. preferences when it comes to donating to charities and supporting causes. Choosing a cause that your employees are not interested in or are passionate about or are willing to donate money for will push your corporate social responsibility initiative down the drain. That is why you need to take the first step in the right direction. No matter how good the cause might be, if your employees are not interested, they won’t show their support or donate for it.

2. Designate Specific Days For Employees Volunteering

Do not expect your employees to make a difference in a week. Give them time to bring a positive change in society. In fact, you can give them some time off from work or designate a few days when they can go out and support the cause. You can start off by encouraging employeesOpens in a new tab. to volunteer for different nonprofit organizations that support good causes.

You can also ask them to support initiatives such as cleaning beaches, highways, parks, and famous tourists’ spots in your city. Arranging a bake sale or a garage sale and then donating all the earnings for a good cause. The good news is that employees who like to work solo can also participate in these CSR initiatives. Companies that offer paid time off from work to employees for volunteering give them the opportunity to contribute to causes they are interested in, which sends a clear message that you not only care about your own employees but also the causes they support.

3. Respond to Local Events

Natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, cyclones, and more can create an emergency in communities located near you and create a lot of distraction. People need urgent support in time of need and if your company can respond quickly to their calls by facilitating relief efforts in areas destroyed by natural calamity, it would create a positive company image in front of the world. You can mobilize your employees, identify, and deliver relief where needed and establish a strong community or network in the process.

4. Provide In House Volunteering Opportunity

It is not difficult to find volunteering opportunities in your country but to take advantage of those opportunities you have to travel hundreds of miles. Secondly, there are time constraints that force you to think twice about these opportunities. You can get over all these challenges by giving in-house volunteering opportunities to your employees.

You can ask your employees to collect funds, food, clothes, books, and other useful items and distribute these items to the needy people who desperately need them. You can also raise funds for providing nourishment, medicine, and relief goods for people who are injured or disabled. Not only are these in house activities easier to join for employees but it is easier to execute for employers.

5. Explore Skill Based Micro Volunteering Opportunities

Another great way employees can support corporate social responsibility initiatives is by sharing their knowledge, experience, skills, and expertise with others. Ask employees to dedicate some time to share their skills with others and help them learn new things that they did not know. Irrespective of what skills you have, you can teach others and help them propel their career to the next level. It could be anything from digital marketing, software development, etc.

6. Compare Employee Donations

How do you feel when your boss openly appreciates your efforts in public? You will feel proud of yourself, right. Every employee wants to be appreciated and employers can do that by matching the contributions they are making to causes. This will encourage them to actively participate in events and even donate money to support good causes. In fact, a millennial impact report found that almost 70% of millennials are more likely to donate money if they know that their efforts will be matched and their donations and contributions will be compared.

7.Tell Your Story

Most people will think that you are showing off when you publicize your charitable contributions. There is nothing wrong in sharing your story with others until you don’t go overboard with it. You can document volunteering events your employees participated in or contributions they made to great causes. This not only sends a positive message to the world but also appreciates employees on their efforts to make your CSR initiatives successful.

How do you keep your employees engaged with corporate social responsibility initiatives? Let us know in the comments section below.

Author Bio:

Irfan Ak is an experienced digital & content writer at Branex. A pro software development companyOpens in a new tab. He is a regular contributor on various websites. He has worked with several brands and created value for them.

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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