For years many organizations believed that acting responsibly meant turning a profit and paying employees on time.
Now that’s no longer enough.
Corporate social responsibility means more than properly discarding plastic bottles or turning off lights in the evening. It has grown to encompass behaviors such as donating unused products or contributing in kind services or charity work.
The initiative forces organizations to think before they act, something they were less inclined to do in years past whether it meant donating goods or monitoring the practices of their suppliers. As large clothing and shoe manufacturers discovered in the 1990s, the behavior of your business partners reflects back on the parent company.
The potential advantages to mature initiatives are numerous. Organizations can contribute at little cost, preserve valuable resources for later generations and present an image that is favorable to future generations in the workforce.
As recent research indicates, more and more graduates are seeking employment with organizations that demonstrate some kind of regular social commitment. They are even willing to take a pay cut if it means working for a socially responsible employer.
Learning professionals are players in this arena. Beyond sending staff to a soup kitchen annually, a successful initiative should occur regularly and include the entire staff. Organizations should select an initiative that is linked to its expertise. When an activity is completed, participants should meet with their beneficiaries, a great opportunity to witness how their efforts are benefitting the community.
In the end organizations should not adopt socially responsible practices because it reflects well along the bottom line or improves retention. They should do so because it’s the right thing to do.