Companies are increasingly aware of the importance of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). This brings numerous benefits to the organization, both externally and among its employees. It is also an essential part in creating an efficient employer branding strategy to help look after for target candidates and retaining the best employees. LinkedIn is one of the most effective tools for communicating CSR.
A company that adequately communicates its CSR improves its image and reputation; and increases the link (engagement) with its stakeholders. It is also a lever that drives its Employer Branding (the reputation and image that a company has as an employer, facing its current and future employees), as well as its Employee Branding (getting employees aligned with the values of the company) thus contributing to attract and retain the best talent.
Do you want to value the CSR of your company making use of one of the most effective channels? Keep reading.
What is CSR?
The CSR is “the voluntary integration of social and environmental benefits in business operations and interaction with their stakeholders by enterprises.”
A concept closely linked to CSR is that of interest groups. Edward Freeman (father of this concept) defines them as “any group or individual that can affect or be affected by the activities of a company.”
Errors around CSR
Before continuing, it is useful to clarify two misunderstandings that usually surround the CSR.
• The first one is to confuse it with the mere social action or philanthropy of a company. Corporate Social Responsibility is much more than that. There are those who do not understand it without being “integrated into the government, management, strategy, policies, and procedures of the company.”
• The second misunderstanding is to believe that CSR is only for companies. Although most of its definitions do refer to them, CSR applies to all types of organizations: also to third sector entities, public administrations, universities, etc.
The communication of the CSR
Communication is essential in CSR because an organization has to converse the impacts generated through its activity. There is always a great demand for companies to account for the so-called non-financial information, in its triple aspect: economic, social and environmental.
Likewise, communicating CSR is not only beneficial for the company that carries it out; it is also good for society since it serves as an incentive and stimulus for other organizations to do so too.
Benefits of CSR to a company
In effect, communicating CSR is enormously beneficial for an organization by:
• Improving its reputation.
• Creating confidence.
• Enhancing engagement with your stakeholders.
One of its most significant advantages is related to its employees, both current and future.
Employer Branding, Employee Branding, and CSR
Concerning the current employees, communicating the CSR enhances the pride of belonging; generates a greater commitment towards the organization; contributes to improving the work climate; to retain talent, and to turn workers into the best ambassadors of the company.
So the CSR and its effective communication are closely related to the Employer Branding and the Employee Branding.
Concerning its future and potential employees, the communication of the CSR contributes to attracting the best talent; especially among the younger generations, in which the ethics and values of the organization in which they work are becoming increasingly important.
CSR about communicating and not just informing
The communication of the CSR must be bidirectional: it is not only about informing but also about listening and dialoguing with the stakeholders. It is also very important to create relationships with them and generate engagement.
If this communication is to be successful, it must have a series of characteristics: it must be transparent, understandable, and close.
If you want to encourage participation, engagement, and dialogue, it has to be attractive, creative, and arouse interest.
Thus, in the communication of the CSR in social networks it is not only a matter of transferring the messages of the company; but also to create environments of relationship to listen and dialogue.
CSR and LinkedIn
Of all the social networks and platforms, LinkedIn is one of the most effective channels for communicating CSR, since:
• It is the main professional social network.
• It allows not only informing but also to establish a bi-directional communication and a dialogue with the stakeholders; interact with them; create links and generate an authentic community around the organization.
• It facilitates a creative communication of the CSR.
• It improves the reputation and contributes to humanize the image of the company.
Next, you will learn how to carry this out.
Your company page on LinkedIn
Your LinkedIn company page is the ideal place to publicize your organization’s CSR, and at the same time transmit your corporate values and connect with your stakeholders.
You have to publish contents that are in tune with the characteristics of successful communication of the CSR which are:
• Attractive: Do not forget to include multimedia content: infographics, videos, photos, presentations.
• Interesting and varied: You can and should talk about the social responsibility of your company. You can also include content that talks about more general topics, although without leaving the field of social responsibility.
• Closeness: A very effective way is to make use of stories (storytelling). You can also give value to your employees telling human stories related to them. By adding value to them, you are also building a good image for your brand.
• Directed to your interest groups: Think of all of them. There will be content that is valid for all of them but do not forget to also publish specific contents for each of them (both in themes and formats).
Your employees can be the best ambassadors of your CSR on LinkedIn
It has been demonstrated that the communication of a company has more credibility if it comes from its employees than if it comes from itself.
For it you have to:
• Formalize the use of LinkedIn.
• Help them to have good profiles in this social network.
• Provide content that speaks of your organization’s CSR (especially multimedia content); so they can include them in their profiles and their publications.
• Motivate them to get involved in your company page (follow it, share its content, etc.).
Author Bio:
Harnil Oza is a CEO of Hyperlink InfoSystem, one of the leading app development companies in New York, USA and India having a team of best app developers who deliver best mobile solutions mainly on Android and iOS platform. He regularly contributes his knowledge on the leading blogging sites.
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