Corporate Social Responsibility in 2012 (and Beyond)
Posted January 23rd, 2012
Currently, corporate social responsibility, although certainly a concern for most organizations, is not among the high priority issues. But one business executive argues that cultural and social changes may push the matter into the forefront of business planning – and so human resource departments need to be aware of it.
As consumers become savvier, as social media brings more transparency and accountability, and as resources become more scarce, all of these things will conspire to make corporate social responsibility more significant, says Susan McPherson, a business executive.
She sees this initiative taking several different forms.
One is with employee engagement. She predicts that companies will become more involved with non-profit organizations through employee volunteer work. This will be even more prevalent if the economy continues to struggle, she says. About 80 percent of all businesses are planning to do some type of employee engagement effort in 2012. These efforts also help with the productivity and effectiveness of employees – engaged employees report being happier at work. Also, the profits at companies where the employees were more engaged grew three times faster than for other businesses.
McPherson also believes that companies in the future will partner with non-profits to help grow the business and to improve image and exposure. A 2010 survey showed that two-thirds of brands are involved in some type of non-profit partnership, an increase of almost 10 percent over the previous year. Almost every marketing manager believes this is an effective business strategy.
Another trend that will drive these partnerships is the rise of social media, which will increase the pressures for more transparency from organizations. Consumers will have the means to communicate their feelings directly to businesses and non-profits. Businesses and non-profits that engage with consumers will come out ahead, McPherson says.
Corporate boards will be faced with corporate social responsibility issues more and more, McPherson says, with investors more concerned about environmental issues, with risks to business reputation, with political spending, with natural resource management, and with diversity issues. These issues will of necessity become part of business strategic planning.
With the depletion of global resources, things such as supply chains involving scarce resources and how they are handled will become more significant as well, McPherson adds.
Human resources professionals have a lot on their plate today: sourcing, hiring, planning benefits, employee engagement…and now social responsibility initiatives. Let Bayside Solutions help lighten your load by allowing us to help you find terrific workers for your San Francisco-area company’s temporary staffing needs. Contact us today!
