4 ways to implement corporate social responsibility programmes effectively

The concept of “corporate social responsibility” (CSR) is starting to emerge in China, with privately-owned multinationals and state-owned enterprises increasingly engaging in philanthropy and volunteerism, which includes everything from organizing clean-up drives to educating the underprivileged children. The Sichuan earthquake in 2008 also sparked a significant change in Chinese CSR, during which time an unprecedented number of donations and volunteers have been generated. Indeed, corporate social responsibility can not only help build up brand identity but can also encourage a sense of camaraderie in the workplace. This begs the question: what exactly should HR teams and managers consider when enacting their corporate social responsibility policy?

In today’s Pacific Prime China article, we will shed light on what corporate social responsibility is exactly and what can be done to maximize its effectiveness.

What exactly is corporate social responsibility?

Growing evidence suggests that employees are placing more emphasis on how their companies are impacting the world and connecting to a larger purpose. And hence, whether it’s for the sake of benefiting the society as a whole or purely attracting future talents, businesses should enact their own corporate social responsibility policy. The more positive the employees’ perception towards their company’s CSR policy is, the higher their work engagement, which has a favorable influence on both employee health and organizational productivity.

4 ways to implement corporate social responsibility programmes effectively

In this section, we will highlight the keys to incorporating corporate social responsibility elements into the workplace culture.

Aligning CSR with employees wellness

Many employers are seeking to adopt a holistic approach to boosting and supporting employees’ physical, financial and mental wellbeing. By positioning CSR initiatives within this holistic wellbeing strategy, businesses can not only give back to the community, but also offer a fostering work environment.

Companies should provide CSR initiatives that involve physical exercises so that employees can get a chance to break away from the routine, sedentary, office-based lifestyle. This way, apart from the feel-good factor, employees can benefit from the initiatives physically.

Make CSR relevant

While many companies encourage their staff to participate in voluntary work in charity, employers should try to align the skills with the needs of the cause so that your employees can make good use of the skills they already have or are looking to develop.

Moreover, employees should get to choose, or at least have a say, in what CSR initiatives they get involved in, so that they would feel more connected and personal, and would much more likely obtain a higher sense of satisfaction. For example, if you would like to introduce a payroll giving scheme for employees to donate part of their salaries directly to the charity, you can allow them to opt for a charity they prefer, including local causes or those which hold a personal connection.

Another good example is Step on Board, a CSR programme that allows employees to become trustees of charity boards, thereby also providing staff with the opportunity to gain professional development and broad-level experience. All these initiatives offer the window for staff to re-apply hands-on experience into practice in a different setting.

Look for variety

While direct contributions is a no-fuss way of giving back to the community, if you are looking to get a wider range of employees engaged and involved in the CSR programme, you should have more variety. For example, Lego has introduced trained thousands of their employees to become “Play Agents”, who helped children engage in the kind of healthy play that encourages learning and develops young minds.

Get the message out

Not only should businesses publicize their CSR programme to the clients to build a positive corporate identity, but should also promote CSR initiatives within the workplace. You should also inform your employees of the social impacts you have brought about. For example, rather than saying “We have successfully raised $200,000 for Feeding China”, you can say “The amount of funds we have raised is enough for 240 children for 3 months.”

Corporate Social Responsibility at Pacific Prime China

Founded in 2000, Pacific Prime has grown from its humble beginnings to becoming the leading health insurance and employees benefits brokerage in Asia. Over the past years, we have been dedicating to simplifying insurance and integrating responsible business practices into our daily operations.

We have been an avid supporter of a number of non-profit organizations, including Room to Read Charity, which supported literacy programs to improve learning in Indian classrooms, as well as the construction of 8 schools in various Southeastern countries. Furthermore, our Pacific Prime Scholarships have also provided USD 1,000 bursaries to talented students from all over the world to help them reach their educational goals.

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Disclaimer: Pacific Prime China solely represents, operates and manages locally regulated insurance products and services in the territory of PR China. Any references to Pacific Prime Global Company or Group, the international services, insurance products or otherwise stated written or verbally, is for introduction purposes about our overseas network only as each entity is fully independent.