Before you apply for a job, you’ll probably do a bit of research on the company and find out what it’s like to work for them. But how often do you specifically look at their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy? We think it’s one of the best ways to get under the skin of a prospective employer – both in terms of how seriously they take their role in the local community and how well they treat their employees.
In such uncertain and unstable times, people want to see their employers doing more than just turning a profit. CSR is a company’s sense of responsibility towards the community, environment and economy in which it operates.
Fifty-three percent of UK workers said that “a job where I can make an impact” was important to their happiness, and 72% of students about to enter the workforce agreed. Seventy-five percent would take a pay cut to work for a company with strong and prominent CSR policies, and two-thirds wouldn’t even consider joining a company that didn’t have effective CSR activities.
But why is it so important to consider a company’s CSR before you apply to work for them?
1. It shows you how they treat their staff
CSR initiatives have a positive impact on employee wellbeing and motivation. Some companies will overtly state their commitment to employees’ personal and professional development, while for others it can be implied through their CSR programme. A good CSR reputation may signal to job applicants that the organisation cares about the environment and the community, and therefore probably cares about its employees too. While, of course, it’s easy for any company to pay lip service to great employee support, if they are known to operate a successful CSR programme, the chances are higher that they genuinely look after their staff. Put simply - you can feel more confident that you will be valued as an individual.
2. It’ll help you work out if your values are aligned
CSR is all tied up with the values of a company. At Amber, our values are integrity, trust, responsibility, bravery, fun, citizenship and ambition. So you can be assured that our staff all share those values and you can make your own assumptions about what working for us would be like! Years of recruitment research demonstrates that applicants are more attracted to firms when they perceive a fit between the company's values and their own. CSR is one way a company communicates its values and can be the basis upon which potential applicants evaluate their fit with the firm.
3. It’ll tell you a lot about their credibility and reputation
We would all prefer to work for a company that is known to be a great employer, and one that has high and positive levels of brand awareness. Companies with solid and practical CSR policies are more appealing to jobseekers as they tend to be perceived as more prestigious and desirable places to work.
Being a good employer is more than just providing a salary and traditional benefits. It is facilitating a way for employees to make a difference socially and environmentally. Researching an organisation’s CSR commitment should be something every jobseeker does as standard – ideally, you want to be confident that the things you personally feel strongly about and want to commit your time to achieving are shared and supported by your company.
At Amber, we have recently reviewed our CSR policy and are launching a whole new programme in 2020 that better supports our employees and the local community. We have new initiatives in place for environmental, sustainable business practices, as well as charitable and philanthropic support. We are in the process of updating our website to tell you more about it all – so watch this space!
As always, you can find a list of all our current vacancies on our website, or you can call us on 01932 355000 or email hello@amber-employment.co.uk to tell us what you’re looking for and find out how we can help.