Empowering Teams: The Role of CSR in Employee Engagement
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July 23, 2024
Why is CSR relevant to employee engagement?
Today’s employee believes in more than simply getting the job done. Instead, employees search for organisations that prioritise corporate social responsibility within their business strategy.
There are many reasons why corporate social responsibility is relevant to employee engagement. Firstly, employees search for an employer whose values and ethics closely align with theirs. In addition, employees take great pride in their positive contributions to society. By engaging in these activities through work, these feelings will help to drive engagement in the workplace as they feel a greater sense of purpose.
The Evolution of CSR
Many people previously deemed corporate social responsibility activities to be PR stunts. However, these activities are becoming increasingly important for organisations to embrace their societal and environmental responsibilities. Above all, by engaging in CSR organisations can show their passion for issues such as poverty and homelessness.
Today, corporate social responsibility is viewed as an essential part of long-term business success as sustainable practices, diversity and inclusion are all key areas to consider. There now exists a level of recognition that these sustainable activities not only contribute to society but also to the organisation’s reputation.
What is Employee Engagement?
Employee engagement refers to the emotional commitment and level of enthusiasm that employees have towards their workplace. The idea of engagement goes beyond mere job satisfaction as engaged employees feel a greater motivation to contribute to their company’s success. Overall, they are willing to put in more effort to achieve goals. According to Gallup, employee engagement directly impacts productivity as highly engaged teams are 21% more productive than those with low engagement.
Why employees care about CSR
There are many reasons why employees care about corporate social responsibility when it comes to finding an employer.
Purpose & Meaning
As discussed, today’s employees are searching for more than just a paycheck; they want their work to have a meaningful impact. At Lightbulb Teams, our CSR programmes provide employers with the opportunity to allow their people to contribute to causes they care about and give them a greater sense of purpose in the workplace.
Company Culture
Corporate social responsibility initiatives are powerful in creating a positive culture within the workplace as they encourage teamwork and engagement within the team. Additionally, these activities will strengthen the relationship amongst colleagues, as each of our programmes is designed to encourage teamwork and contribute to a supportive working environment.
Professional Growth
In addition to social and environmental impact, employees are also concerned with whether their employer offers opportunities for personal and professional development in the workplace. By engaging with our CSR programmes, you can enhance your team’s leadership, teamwork and project management skills, contributing to their overall career growth and development.
Building a CSR strategy that works
There are several areas to consider when building a corporate social responsibility strategy that works.
Firstly, organisations need to speak directly to their employees to uncover what societal and environmental issues they care about. At Lightbulb Teams, our CSR programmes are focused on providing support to developing countries by building water filtration systems, sustainable toys and prosthetic hands. Therefore, those who interact with our programmes should be passionate about helping those in need.
A well-crafted CSR strategy is a powerful tool to drive positive change whilst also strengthening your brand and business. With a range of programmes available to choose from, our expert team will help you organise a corporate social responsibility experience that works for you.
Give a Hand
The Give a Hand programme is a rewarding team building experience which gives you the power to make a real difference to those in need. Following a keynote that is centred around your organisation, each team will be provided with a self-build prosthetic hand kit. Using this, your team will be tasked with constructing a prosthetic hand from scratch that will be fitted to a child or adult in a developing country who has lost a limb. The prosthesis will give them independence and the ability to feed and clothe themselves, a luxury we take for granted.
Water Works
Over 1 billion people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water, and each year approximately 4 million people die from water-related diseases. The Water Works programme was created to provide your team with a powerful, memorable team building experience. Each group will be given instructions, materials and equipment to build a water filtration system which will then be distributed to a developing country. Each water filter will provide clean drinking water for up to 300 people for 2 years.
Toy for Life
Every child deserves the opportunity to discover the power of play. Worldwide, millions of children do not have access to toys but instead resort to playing with harmful materials. The Toy for Life programme invites your team to solve, co-ordinate, strategise and build a robust, sustainable wooden toy which will be gifted to a child in a developing country.
The future of employee engagement
Overall, it is clear that corporate social responsibility activities are a crucial area of modern business strategies. By influencing not only reputation and profitability but also employee engagement and productivity, CSR initiatives contribute to society, the environment and our communities more than we know.
At Lightbulb Teams, we are proud to play a pivotal role in shaping corporate social responsibility strategies for organisations worldwide. With a range of programmes each focusing on helping those in need, we provide you with the tools to make a real difference in the world.