Dear fellow HR Carnival comrades

Recently I’ve been meeting up with a lot of HR directors as well as not for profit, charities and third sector organisations to discuss CSR/CR (corporate social responsibility / corporate responsibility) and this continues to be a burning issue across the globe as we’re experiencing rising fuel prices, how to reduce the carbon footprint of an organisation to combat global warming, and how to extend CSR to effect change at local level (i.e. empowering employees to volunteer, act as mentors, set up work experience throughout junior/primary schools through to Universities).

For example, I’ve met some incredible HR directors who have won community police awards by teaming up their organisation with their local community to tackle gang culture and reduce crime on the streets that they walk.

Can you help to make a difference to others through the HR vehicle?

I’ve also met with a number of directors of small charities who are working hard to make a difference and save lives but need to enlist the help of the corporates, whether on a local or global level to aid funding, offer volunteers/manpower, or even marketing, PR support, training schemes, or plain and simple business advice. Can you help them? I'm going to approach some of my contacts in the next few days to get them to comment within a special HR Carnival challenge forum on the challenges they face and see how this resonates with you (see bottom of this post).

Collective power

I think we, as a collective voice, have a duty to help shape the CSR agenda by educating the HR industry that they really can make a difference. Tangible business benefits and ROIs include raising the employer brand (being seen as an ethical and progressive employer = employer of choice). Those employers who truly embrace CSR will attract the best talent and retain them, especially Gen Y, while maintaining high levels of employee morale as well as helping to create a healthier society and more ethical, productive and engaged workforce.

HR CARNIVAL CHALLENGE:

• Could you all write a posting to reflect your own thoughts on CSR / CR – is HR just using CSR/CR as a tick-box exercise where HR is just paying lip service to the green and sustainable agenda or fully embracing diversity, equal opportunities, volunteering?
  
• Do you have examples of where you, yourself have fully embraced this movement? I'd love for you to share your success stories.
  
• Should the title of corporate responsibility / corporate social responsibility be abolished altogether or rename it so that HR can integrate it fully into the core DNA of every organisation?
  
• There is a shift where HR directors or changing their job titles to corporate responsibility directors or even community affairs and internal relations director – what do you think?
  
• What CSR schemes / policies have worked for you?
  
• Is your organisation in a situation where you can offer further support or even set up a scheme to help meet some of these charities needs?
  
• Have you got demonstrable ROI results from raising your employer brand through the CSR route?

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