Organisations can use CSR to attract talent
9 July 2014
Organisations with a robust corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy can attract talent.
Wed, 9 Jul 2014 | By Nicola Sullivan
Organisations with a robust corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy can attract talent.
Speaking at a media briefing ahead of the launch of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (IRCS) at London’s Guildhall, Claudine Blamey, chair of the institute and sustainability manager at The Crown Estate, said: “Young people coming into the [jobs] market are quite difficult to recruit and keep.
“The things that they are looking for are organisations that have ethics that have corporate responsibility and take it seriously – it’s part of their strategy as a business rather than an add-on.”
The ICRS has been set up to establish standards for CSR professionals and create learning and development opportunities, which allow best practice to be shared. It has also developed a code of conduct. In the UK there are around 4,000 corporate responsibility and sustainability professionals.
Jennie Galbraith, director of ICRS and head of sustainability at British American Tobacco, said: “The profession has shifted to being quite a marginal activity, something that was on the periphery to being right at the heart of boardroom discussions.
“I think a few years ago CSR professionals were seen to be nice, a little bit ineffectual, a little bit of PR gloss going on for the corporate machine. Whereas increasingly now people working in corporate responsibility and sustainability are really grappling with the huge issues that are out there – human rights, population growth, resource scarcity, carbon management, all of those of those things that are core to business activities, not just a nice to do on the sidelines.”
Addressing more than 200 CSR professionals who attended the launch event, Steve Holliday, chief executive, National Grid, said: “Making sure we deliver returns to our shareholders is of course the day job but this is absolutely no longer enough. It is just no longer what businesses are about in the 21st century – we have to do so much more that.”
Also in attendance were Alderman Fiona Woolf, the Lord Mayor of the City of London; Nick Hurd MP, minister for Civil Society; and Stephen Howard, CEO of Business in the Community.
The issue of employment sustainability is also relevant for recruitment firms wanting to differentiate themselves as top employers. To find out more about Recruiter’s first Investing Talent Awards, visit the website.
Organisations with a robust corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy can attract talent.
Speaking at a media briefing ahead of the launch of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (IRCS) at London’s Guildhall, Claudine Blamey, chair of the institute and sustainability manager at The Crown Estate, said: “Young people coming into the [jobs] market are quite difficult to recruit and keep.
“The things that they are looking for are organisations that have ethics that have corporate responsibility and take it seriously – it’s part of their strategy as a business rather than an add-on.”
The ICRS has been set up to establish standards for CSR professionals and create learning and development opportunities, which allow best practice to be shared. It has also developed a code of conduct. In the UK there are around 4,000 corporate responsibility and sustainability professionals.
Jennie Galbraith, director of ICRS and head of sustainability at British American Tobacco, said: “The profession has shifted to being quite a marginal activity, something that was on the periphery to being right at the heart of boardroom discussions.
“I think a few years ago CSR professionals were seen to be nice, a little bit ineffectual, a little bit of PR gloss going on for the corporate machine. Whereas increasingly now people working in corporate responsibility and sustainability are really grappling with the huge issues that are out there – human rights, population growth, resource scarcity, carbon management, all of those of those things that are core to business activities, not just a nice to do on the sidelines.”
Addressing more than 200 CSR professionals who attended the launch event, Steve Holliday, chief executive, National Grid, said: “Making sure we deliver returns to our shareholders is of course the day job but this is absolutely no longer enough. It is just no longer what businesses are about in the 21st century – we have to do so much more that.”
Also in attendance were Alderman Fiona Woolf, the Lord Mayor of the City of London; Nick Hurd MP, minister for Civil Society; and Stephen Howard, CEO of Business in the Community.
The issue of employment sustainability is also relevant for recruitment firms wanting to differentiate themselves as top employers. To find out more about Recruiter’s first Investing Talent Awards, visit the website.
