All the steps to implement a CSR approach in your company

90% of SME, mid-cap and VSE-PR managers say they carry out CSR actions, but only 25% of them have adopted an approach structured around an action plan*.

However, it is essential to follow a rigorous process to implement an effective CSR approach within your company, and to ensure the sustainability of actions.

 

*Study ” SMEs and CSR” conducted by Bpifrance Le Lab in 2018 among 1,150 French managers of VSEs, SMEs and ETIs.

 

 

What is CSR?

CSR, or corporate social responsibility (sometimes called “corporate social responsibility”), corresponds to all the practices carried out within an organization to meet the challenges of sustainable development, on a social, environmental and economic level.

Since the adoption of the PACTE law on 22 May 2019, all companies must implement a CSR policy “taking into consideration the social and environmental issues of their activity” (Article 1833 of the Civil Code).

To find out more about what corporate social responsibility is and to find out more about CSR regulations, see our article ” What is CSR? Definition, main principles and regulations ».

 

 

Why implement a CSR approach in your company?

For the company, implementing a social and environmental responsibility approach has many advantages. This makes it possible to:

• Reduce costs through water and energy savings;
• Strengthen employee engagement and improve well-being at work;
• Enhance your employer brand and attract talent;
• Enhance its brand image with its customers and business partners;
• Strengthen your competitive advantage.

 

How to implement a CSR approach in your company?

Here are the main steps to follow to implement an effective and relevant CSR approach in your company:

 

1) Appoint a CSR manager

To optimize the implementation and management of your CSR approach, it is advisable to appoint a dedicated manager. This can be an internal employee who has the necessary managerial skills and interpersonal skills. In particular, he will be responsible for motivating the teams, supervising the implementation of actions and suggesting appropriate measures and strategies.

Many large companies even have a department dedicated to CSR.

Another very beneficial solution is to call on an expert to outsource the deployment of your CSR approach.

At WAYDEN, we can mobilise an interim CSR manager to support you in the implementation of your social responsibility strategy, and to help you ensure the sustainability of your commitment.

 

2) Carry out an inventory of the situation

Any CSR approach must be initiated by a detailed audit : Have CSR actions already been initiated? If so, do they work, or do they need to be optimized? What needs to be improved as a priority? What actions are being implemented by other market players? What are the potential obstacles? What are the most relevant metrics in relation to the company’s culture, positioning and industry?

This step will also make it possible to define the strategic challenges of a CSR approach and to evaluate the financial, human and material resources available.

The research phase is also essential to define the most relevant actions to be implemented. The government has created a CSR platform on which leaders and managers can exchange ideas, resources, and consult each other.

Finally, it is also important to be well informed about the ISO 26000 standard, an international reference in CSR, as well as the main CSR principles and the 7 central questions surrounding corporate social responsibility.

 

3) Define a CSR action plan

Establishing a CSR action plan is an essential step in the smooth running of your CSR strategy.

This action plan must define the social and environmental objectives, the qualitative and quantitative indicators of success, and the concrete actions to be deployed. These different practices must be prioritized, so as to give priority to the most impactful actions, but also to those that will generate the Most important ROI.

It will also be necessary to identify the various stakeholders (customers, employees, suppliers, service providers, shareholders, investors, etc.) to be involved in your social responsibility approach.

The action plan will serve as a roadmap throughout the deployment of CSR practices, and will have to be the subject of extra-financial reporting and regular monitoring, in order to ensure the sustainability of its CSR policy.

 

4) Engage employees in your CSR approach

The commitment and involvement of employees is a central factor in the success and sustainability of a CSR approach. However, in 2020, only 8% of employees were invited to integrate CSR into their business practice, while 70% said they were ready to invest more*.

This is why it is essential to involve the teams in each action carried out, to make them aware of the impact of these measures and to make them understand the importance of their contribution.

 

5) Train your teams in CSR

Employee engagement is first and foremost about a good understanding of CSR issues, hence the importance of training your teams in social responsibility, whether through training courses organised in-house, or with an external consultant. Managers must also be trained in responsible management.

 

6) Communicate on your CSR actions

According to a study conducted in 2020*, 71% of employees say they are “not or poorly informed” about their company’s CSR policy.

Communication is an essential lever in all social responsibility projects. The company must announce its intention to undertake a CSR approach, and communicate regularly, internally and externally, on its responsible practices and values.

For example, it is possible to produce a CSR report, on a periodic basis, to make one’s actions public.

 

 

What actions should be taken as part of a CSR approach?

Many actions can be put in place during a CSR approach within a company, both socially , environmentally and economically.

CSR actions on the environmental level

To help protect the environment and reduce their environmental impact, companies can:

• improve the energy performance of their premises,
• set up a travel plan, with less polluting transport, such as carpooling,
• turn to a renewable energy supplier,
• reduce waste production,
• Implement or improve waste recycling,
• reduce water and energy consumption,
• create ecological facilities (vegetable garden, beehives, etc.),
• Assess and reduce the environmental impact of the supply chain.

CSR actions on the social level

On an ethical and social level, companies can implement actions such as:

• comply with basic rules of hygiene, health and safety at work,
• ensure respect for the rules of the right to work (decent wages and hours, holidays, etc.) and human rights throughout the production and distribution chain,
• improve workspaces (green plants, better air quality, etc.),
• offer teleworking to employees,
• ensuring equal pay for men and women,
• organize team building events,
• offer sports activities to employees.

CSR actions on the economic level

At the economic level, companies can:

• Supporting the local economy by calling on local partners (suppliers, transporters, etc.)
• buy local and use short circuits,
• Buying responsibly by turning to environmentally friendly products and suppliers.

 

*Source: 2020 Observatory “Responsible Employees and Companies”, conducted by Des Enjeux et des Hommes and ekodev, among 1,016 private sector employees from companies with more than 250 employees.