Best practise | CSR drives 'engagement, morale and teamwork', expert says

Organisations are starting to recognise the benefits that corporate social responsibility (CSR) can have for a business. For example, among the largest 250 companies in the world, 92% produced a CSR report in 2015, which informed shareholders and the public about the firm’s activities.

According to Harvard Business Review this number is an increase from 64% having such a report in 2005, meanwhile today’s Fortune Global 500 firms spend around £16billion ($20billion) a year on CSR activities.

While these figures are encouraging, employees have also indicated that they want employers to do more, as a study shared by the Huffington Post found 94% of Generation Z think companies should address critical issues. Similarly, in 2017 Cone Communications published a study that discovered 78% of people wanted companies to address social justice issues.

Last year also saw large numbers of protests take place by the Extinction Rebellion activists, who continued to champion sustainability and fight against climate change. With this in mind, how exactly should HR be driving a change when it comes to CSR, particularly during a pandemic?