Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is here to stay. And of utmost importance is employee engagement. Employees need to feel connected to your company’s “why” and your Corporate Purpose. This is the company’s aspirational reason for existing beyond profits and your workforce needs to be a part of that.

Employee involvement is key to greater business and social impact successes.

As far as stakeholders go, your employees are JUST AS IMPORTANT as your customers. A company can only reach its full business and Purpose potentials when all employees are inspired by and connected to the company’s overall Purpose. Yet, there is a disconnect within the ranks that poses an incredible challenge to fully engaging your workforce in your Corporate Purpose.

How does Corporate Purpose get cut off from its full potential?

A 2022 study, Purpose Under Pressure, found that C-suite and leadership have bought into Corporate Purpose, but other employees still fail to see the evolution and the value.

While Corporate Purpose is understood—and highly valued—at the senior executive levels of business, it fails to have the same effect at other levels within organizations. This divide is most prevalent at the manager level.

Their research showed that:

• 86% of C-suite, versus 68% of managers, feel that their company is more focused on its Purpose now than before the pandemic.
• 95% of C-suite, versus 84% of managers, feel that Purpose efforts are a clear source of pride for employees.
• 85% of perspective C-suite, versus 65% of managers, ask about the company’s Purpose during the hiring process.

If a manager does not feel engaged with the company’s philanthropic and social responsibility, doesn’t understand how their job contributes to that effort, or worse, doesn’t believe in the company’s direction, they will not share the vision nor will they innervate their teams. The passion, skills, and social engagement opportunities will not flow down from the manager into the prevailing workforce.  Essentially, cutting Corporate Purpose off from its full potential.

Employees need to understand how their own work connects to Corporate Purpose.

Purpose Under Pressure highlights the critical need for Purpose to be both cross-functional and cross-hierarchy. Purpose achieves its optimal performance when embedded deeply throughout an organization. Every individual needs to understand how their role, team, and functions relate to the greater good and each individual needs to be accountable to fulfill the vision. Learn more about the CSR trends for 2023.

So, how exactly do we get our workforce connected to the big picture?

Are you ready to increase employee engagement and boost CSR?

Orange County United Way can help. Purpose is our business. Social impact the goal. United Way is a leading expert in social impact, Purpose communications, and employee engagement. With nearly 100 years of community impact experience right here in OC, we can work with you to:

• Design and implement captivating internal communications and external messaging.
• Provide easy-to-plug-into employee engagement activities.
• Educate your C-suite, management, and workforce on Corporate Purpose, social impact, community needs, and solutions.
• Bolster your brand awareness and community engagement.
• Author and advertise your Corporate Purpose success stories.

For more information, please contact Livi Kerszenbaum, Senior Director, Corporate Social Responsibility at LiviK@UnitedWayOC.org or 949.263.6167.