CSR & What It Means For Business

It’s not just the way it makes the company looks – offering a more human side to the starched world of business – but it can offer some real insights into employees, skills and assets.

Nowadays, there’s a great deal of pressure on companies – especially larger firms – to maintain a positive public image. With the birth of social media, there‘s ever more opportunity to put some humanity into the cold cut dealings of the business world.

Companies are all too eager to offer their support to charities, improving their social standing and proving that they do care. Business-people in the know are well aware that good CSR could be what a business needs to keep the public image in good shape.

In essence, CSR proves that larger companies are eager to support local communities and make important social investments.

Charity

One sure-fire way of keeping a good social image is a pure and simple donation.

Good CSR does not focus on how to make a company more money – instead, a good CSR campaign focuses on a commitment to build a better society.

On another note, companies can expect a boost in employee morale and engagement thanks to charity donations. Fund-raising activities give employees a level of involvement, leaving them with more to be proud of by the end of the day.

One example is Ladbrokes Bingo, which has supported Breast Cancer Research since 2008.

After getting its staff involved with activities during Breast Cancer Awareness Month – which raised £50,000 – Ladbrokes have raised and donated over £420,000 to the charity.

To reach this amount, Ladbrokes staff across the country organised quizzes, collections, sweepstakes and cake stalls.

Tesco has also played its part by supporting Cancer Research UK, and offering free information on the charity and ideas on how to get involved with the fund raising.

Good for business

The impact of good CSR can be measured accordingly. It reflects the company as a whole, and represents the company ethics, morals and actions. Good social standing is of interest not just to the community as a whole, but to business investors and shareholders.

While making a company more appealing to shareholders can be attainable by social responsibility, it is important to note that a strategy should be enforced beforehand in order to make sure all parts of the business are being properly addressed.

It’s always important to let the public know when something goes wrong. Businesses which have attempted to cover up failings, which are then uncovered, ultimately end up with a poor social image. And no matter how much money is given to charity on the businesses’ behalf, bad CSR sticks for a long time.

With social media and the power of the internet keeping large firms in the spotlight, it’s never been more important to maintain good CSR. It’s never been a better time to create a good strategy, and benefit both the business and local community.