Do these three letters look familiar: CSR? Have you seen them somewhere? And lately it often appears with only two letters, as CR, and you’re not sure which one is correct? In this article you can learn everything about CSR, CSR events and team-building.
The abbreviations CSR (corporate social responsibility) and CR (corporate responsibility) and the concepts behind them often appear as synonyms.
Countless attempts have been made to define CSR, some barely understandable, others not much clearer we won’t deal with those now. To put it briefly, without any unnecessary fluff, it means that a company, while organizing its business operations and setting strategic goals, also takes environmental, social and societal factors into account. It is aware that, in addition to pursuing profit, it also has responsibilities toward society, and shapes its business policy, operations and behaviour accordingly. Or even shorter and more simply: CSR is the conscience of companies. Helping those who need it.
But how is corporate event planning connected to corporate responsibility?
A company’s CSR activities can take two directions: external and internal CSR. External CSR targets areas connected to the company this might be the natural environment in which it operates, but also the public, especially if the company sells products directly to consumers, or influences behaviour in some way (e.g. media companies).
Internal CSR includes programs aimed at the company’s own employees.
To help you understand the above, here are a few examples:
1. The residents of an elderly home near an airport are disturbed by the noise of taking off and landing aircraft. The airport cannot change its operation, but feels responsible for the elderly, so during its own team-building event, with designers and gardeners, it creates a comfortable rest area in the home’s garden, covered with plants and furnished with comfortable outdoor furniture. The following year, the company donates part of its profit to the elderly home, enabling them to replace old windows with soundproof ones.
2. A company manufacturing pyrotechnic products organizes its team-building at a nearby dog shelter, where employees build kennels, runs, toys and other items like feeding bowls from materials they purchase themselves compensating for the fear fireworks cause in animals.
3. A factory operating in three shifts regularly even more often than usual, up to 3–4 times a year organizes internal events and family days, where employees can bring their families and take part in unique programs they would not normally access. This helps support work–life and family balance.
Before starting CSR activities one tool of which can be CSR event planning and CSR team-building it’s important to understand the following. Corporate social responsibility is not a mandatory element of corporate strategy.
CSR events are voluntarily undertaken, non-profit activities. They are never for marketing or advertising purposes, meaning they do not appear directly in ads, the press or corporate communication.
So why is it important? What’s the use? If it’s not mandatory and you can’t profit from it, why do it?
One reason: so you can feel like an even better person.
Another reason: in the past years, a CSR competition has emerged among companies. Today, practically all international corporations and their national subsidiaries and increasingly many mid-sized companies actively engage in CSR, and smaller ones are trying as well. More and more people recognize that the world is ready to take sustainability seriously, protect the environment for future generations, and help those who lack something in their everyday lives.
So, is it worth it?
CSR may not produce direct profit, but indirectly it makes you more competitive and therefore more successful. Why? Because by taking responsibility and helping others, you become more appealing not only to the state, the public and your customers, but also to your current and future employees.
Today, many conscious consumers consider a company’s involvement in social responsibility an important factor in their buying decisions. Here’s another simple example: most people, when choosing a high-quality box of chocolates as a gift, will prefer a company that employs disadvantaged people. Simply because in a world that often feels negative, people crave opportunities to do good and they want the money they already plan to spend to go somewhere meaningful.
It’s not only consumers job seekers also value companies that take CSR seriously. Statistics show that young professionals specifically look for CSR references in job postings. They prefer companies that prioritize sustainability and helping others. So you’re more likely to find better talent, faster, than companies that focus only on themselves.
Let’s return to internal CSR events and their importance. Many studies and experience show that companies organizing team-building programs that create value for disadvantaged groups, restore natural environments, or support foundations in difficult situations, build far stronger long-term employee commitment than companies that don’t offer such opportunities.
These programs can be extremely diverse: renovating a hospital waiting room, painting fences, decorating a school classroom, making an elderly home’s community space more welcoming, planting and arranging the garden of a rural kindergarten during a countryside team-building, etc.
And even beyond CSR team-building: at partner events, farewell gifts made by people with limited abilities can be an excellent, meaningful idea.
Okay, but where do I start? Find a good event planning company!
n recent years, we’ve attended many event-planning meetings where CSR-themed events came up. We often saw fear in our clients’ eyes. Understandably it’s difficult to give up tried-and-tested program formats and replace them with new, uncertain ones. What will your colleagues say if there’s no foosball tournament this year, but instead you’re painting fences and making bird feeders? The key is proper communication before the event and well-designed, enjoyable programs. If your colleagues are informed in time why you’re changing the usual format, and you choose the right event planning company, you’ll sleep peacefully.
We guarantee they’ll talk about these programs far more than about who won the nineteenth foosball championship.
If this article has inspired you and you’re interested in CSR and CSR team-building, and if you’d like to take the first step contact us. We’ll definitely have some powerful ideas for you!
Author: Krisztián
