The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been banded around for many years and whilst some have taken it seriously, for many it was seen as a “box-ticking” exercise. However, as the UK labour market continues to battle against a perfect storm of tight candidate availability and levels of demand that have not been seen before, employers are having to think long and hard about how they attract and retain talent. The factors that candidates take into consideration when making a career decision have moved way beyond just salary and benefits, and this notion comes in to particularly sharp focus when one looks at millennials and the generations that have followed. Individuals are now interested in the “Why” of a company, what is it that they stand for, what are they here to achieve, what is their mission?
A 2021 McKinsey report stated that about two-thirds of millennials take a company’s social and environmental commitments into account when deciding where to work. Developing and delivering a coherent CSR strategy is more than ticking a box, instead is has become a key part of an organisation’s approach to recruitment and workforce planning. Furthermore, there is the real need for this strategy to be authentic. The sheer volume of information online and the immediacy of the way in which social media can make a story “go viral” means that people quickly figure out if a company is acting disingenuously.
Every business, from SME to multi-national conglomerate, can act on CSR and use it to engage and retain employees – and interestingly customers too. It doesn’t have to be a chore, it just has to be genuine. Choose something important to the people in your business and allow them
to embrace how it becomes part of your culture moving forwards.
For more information on developing a CSR strategy as part of your approach to recruitment and workforce planning please get in touch on 01905 613413 or ben@hewett-recruitment.co.uk.
