Corporate Social
Responsibility Part Two

Design a policy that will make a difference

SERIES by Jennifer Kiwala

In the October 2007 Issue, Jennifer Kiwala highlighted the benefits of integrating corporate social responsibility into the workplace culture. She outlined five key steps to ensure program success:

1. Overview of corporate social responsibility (Oct ‘07)
2. Create a CSR policy (Nov/Dec ‘07)
3. Make the structure flexible (Jan/Feb ‘08)
4. Focus on long-term projects (March/Apr ‘08)
5. Communicate (May/June ‘08)
6. Give employees time off (July/Aug ‘08)

Worldwide interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) has accelerated rapidly, with reports indicating that business leaders have more faith in the positive benefits of CSR, are increasing funding for projects, and nearly a fifth are employing an individual to manage their program.

For the CSR program to see long-term success and ensure “buy-in” from staff, companies need to be honest and open with their intentions. “Corporate social responsibility is gaining traction as a strategic corporate initiative,” according to Jack Wiley, Executive Director of the Kenexa Research Institute, whose organization recently conducted a study on employees’ perception of organizations that support social responsibility. “Those organizations that have a clear CSR policy set themselves apart from the competition in terms of employment brand.”