What good CSR looks like

Good Corporate Social Responsibility is about placing responsible business practice at the heart of a company’s strategy and activity. Ensuring that there is a business benefit for CR activity makes good business sense and encourages a ‘sustainable’ approach to the agenda.

At board level, CR should form part of a company’s strategy, principles and policies. Corporate Responsibility can no longer be seen as a ‘nice to have’. It is now an expectation of your wider stakeholders, employees, customers, suppliers and the wider community. Addressing these issues not only adds to the social and environmental performance of your company, but also adds to brand value and helps position your company with its key stakeholders.

Good CSR should:

Be clear and concise
Link closely to business objectives
Identify your key social & environmental impacts
Engage your customers
Engage your employees
Add value to your brand

Business Partner of Choice

Monitoring and managing risk is key to a successful marketplace. Good CSR in the marketplace includes actively managing supply chains, seeking to treat customers and suppliers fairly and responsibly producing and marketing goods and services. Responsible business can foster opportunity and strengthen the relationship you have with your customers, adding value to the business relationship and reflecting positively on your brand.

Your performance on CSR can offer added value in the supply chain. Tender specifications are increasingly looking to establish company performance on Corporate Social Responsibility. Become part of your customer’s solution to these issues.

Employer of Choice

The ability to attract, retain and develop a diverse workforce is an important tool in today’s global economy.

From ethical people policies to tackling issues of inequality, if people really are your greatest asset reflect that in your approach to recruiting, training and developing them. People who feel good about themselves and their employer produce better results, each time, every time.

Being a Good Neighbour

Many companies are already intrinsically linked to their community through recruitment, procurement and sales. By understanding your communities and investing in them, whether through time or skills, your company can maximise its success and sustainability. The right community involvement can have major business benefits for your company as well as delivering key social impacts.

A ‘Duty of Care’ for the Environment

In a world of carbon footprints and climate change, the business world is under close scrutiny. Understanding your environmental impacts and looking at how it can be reduced is crucial in today’s business climate.

Establishing effective environmental management and monitoring systems and related Key Performance Indicator’s can lead to substantial financial, business and environmental benefits. Measuring your carbon footprint, for example, will allow you to see where your biggest environmental impacts are and prioritise accordingly.