CSR and employer branding: 3 tips for attracting talent

Do you want to promote your CSR commitments and turn them into a lasting lever for attracting and retaining talent? Discover 3 tips for communicating and activating the right HR tools.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is based on three main pillars:

• Environmental: reducing our impact on the planet and preserving the environment
• Social: respecting people's rights and promoting values of social equity
• Economic: actively contributing to the local economy, improving material living conditions and reducing inequalities. 

By 2023, two French people out of three consider a company's CSR policy before responding to a job offer. When they are aligned with the company's values, their motivation is amplified. From proof to communication to recruitment management, discover our three tips for making your commitments tangible and serving your employer brand. 

Define your goals and talk about them

According to a Harris Interactive survey, 8 out of 10 French people consider CSR commitments to be a corporate priority.

Both current employees and candidates are looking for concrete proof of your commitments, beyond the rhetoric and legal obligations.

Actions to implement :

• Audit existing HR actions and list those you wish to implement
  
• Set realistic, achievable goals at your level, which involve all stakeholders, so that you can invest collectively in far-reaching change.
  
• Provide concrete proof that these objectives have been achieved. CSR should serve as a roadmap for global change: work with your communications department to communicate your commitments and evidence in internal and external media.
  

Communicate with your employees

Internal communication plays a crucial role. Well-transmitted and integrated messages turn employees into ambassadors and reinforce your credibility. 

Actions to be implemented

• Build your employees' trust by discussing your CSR commitments with them throughout their career with your company.
  
• Inform and reassure your teams, by publishing figures accessible to all and sharing testimonials and concrete examples of your actions.
  
• Empower your teams, by inviting them to take part in the project and initiate actions in line with the established objectives. 

Apply your CSR policy right from the recruitment phase

According to a Harris Interactive study, 77% of those questioned make CSR an important criterion for coming to work for a company. 

Actions to be implemented

• Adopt an ethical and social approach to recruitment, being transparent about your corporate culture and taking care to avoid any discriminatory bias
  
• Reduce the carbon footprint of your recruitment. Between the CVs, cover letters and contracts stored in your databases and all the travel generated by interviews, recruitment is a huge source of pollution. To mitigate this, you can encourage videoconference interviews or even CV-free recruitment based on personality tests.
  
• Decarbonize your employer communications, by optimizing your actions so that they are in line with your objectives, while maintaining a responsible approach.
  
• Think circular recruitment. The good profiles you didn't select may appeal to your colleagues, offering candidates complementary perspectives and optimizing sourcing investments. 

The Club Marque Employeur, run by H7 and TBWA\Corporate, supports major groups and SMEs in their employer branding challenges. Share your issues and questions, benefit from peer feedback and receive concrete advice. Want to find out more?