Article: Voluntary community service with corporate strategy a win-win approach

Employee Engagement

Voluntary community service with corporate strategy a win-win approach

When CSR is integrated with business plans in terms of social values without reference to figures, the CSR drive, by default, will be in-built in the system and make it a sustainable business model.
Voluntary community service with corporate strategy a win-win approach

My Service To Community (MS2C) is a voluntary connect, devoid of compulsion, to CSR Strategy, wherein employees are encouraged to participate in community service aligning to overall Corporate CSR objectives with a well-structured route of PDCA cycle with rewards and recognitions with a conspicuous disconnect to KRA. 

A crucial soft aspect of corporate citizenship is the ability to motivate its employees for voluntary service to community and other "responsible" programs from the core of heart and desire to serve the community emanates from the family or institution, which not only enhances the corporate image, but more importantly, the loyalty, motivation and a feel of satisfaction through such self-less service. 

Traditionally, CSR in any organization is driven by a single source with support coming from cross-functional teams and designated projects are executed in a time frame, while in MS2C, it covers the entire fabric of organization and encourages voluntarily one and all to participate as per their convenience and choices of CSR projects planned. HR  works here ideally by communicating and implementing the CSR ideas, policies, cultural and behavioral changes across the organization and plays a role in influencing attitudes and links with line managers and top team. 

As a key strategy, HR can really motivate people for a larger purpose, by inculcating CSR practice right at the time of induction and build a unique culture of socially responsible citizen. Besides, when CSR is integrated with business plans in terms of social values without reference to figures, the CSR drive, by default, will be in-built in the system and make it a sustainable business model.

Such engagement measures provide opportunities to employees as volunteer partners and get connected "outside" of their immediate responsibilities. Such alignments with corporate strategy usher in a win-win situation: employees feel more engaged and connected due to using their specific skill set in an altruistic setting, and companies reap the rewards of an enhanced public reputation and employees who are more excited to work for them. The benefits of this relationship can be seen live in many of the organizations who apply the CSR-corporate goal alignment strategy. Felicitations, rewards and recognitions give further impetus to boost employee morale and commitment. This slowly and steadily bring a change in employee’s attitude towards service to have-not communities in the field of health, education, imparting skills to enhance lively hood, community service and host of other CSR  services.

On measurement of CSR engagement score, employee voluntary connect is encouraged and such a initiative is put in PDCA cycle highlighting engagement curve of every employee. 

Here is how it works:

  • Planning: An employee, desirous of volunteering, blocks his convenient dates against any of the projects available and reports to designated CSR Project Head after confirmation
  • Do: He reports at the field on the chosen dates and carry out the CSR assignment as directed by designated CSR Project Head vis-a-vis Operational Control Procedures (OCP) designed for the same
  • Check: This is audit stage, where Monitoring & Measurement Reports with evidences of field photographs/videos are analyzed by CFTs and report on deviations, if any
  • Act: Deviations are eventually closed by concerned employee with root cause analysis, corrective & remedial measures
  • Rewards & Recognitions: These are bestowed on employees through a felicitation ceremony applauding their social and community service, which boosts morale, motivation and sense of achievement
  • Continual Improvement: Continual Improvement runs across the length and breadth of PDCA, where improvements are checked with previous assignments executed, at planned intervals and positive changes are measured

Thus is the cycle continues. This eventually boosts the retention power.

This model is a voluntary connect of employees aligned to Corporate CSR objectives, laying roads to innovative motivation and satisfaction. Even assuming that an organization has 400 employees, 4 hours per annum of engagement per employee gives 1600 hours or 66.67 days (or say two months) for CSR activity on weekly-off days chosen as per their respective convenience. This is an "engagement with a difference & convenience" - a 3 step strategy: Connect-Embed-Improve, which can create a culture of social engagement and empower employees for personal and organizational success. This will eventually harness shared values of all employees vis-à-vis company’s culture, vision and mission, and will not only lead to greater business success, but have inspired, productive and highly impactful people.

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Topics: Employee Engagement, Benefits & Rewards

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