CSR approach: what are we talking about?

Before getting to the heart of the matter, let's go back to the basics of CSR: its definition, the pillars and the standard that define its limits.

The European Commission defines “Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR) or “Corporate Social Responsibility” as “the voluntary integration of social and environmental concerns into the business activities and relationships of a given company”.

In fact, this means that a company that sets up a CSR approach ensures that its model is economically viable and that it does not have a negative impact on society at large (population, environment, etc.).

CSR is based on 4 main pillars :

• The pillar Social (working conditions, egality/diversity/inclusion...)
• The pillar Environmental (carbon footprint, waste reduction, sustainable mobility...)
• The pillar Societal (philanthropy, solidarity commitment...)
• And the pillar Governance (ethics, transparency, stakeholders...)

Thus, a CSR approach consists of an action plan that defines the means and tools put in place by the company and relating to the 4 pillars of CSR. These actions contribute more widely to sustainable development goals (ODD).

And in concrete terms, who sets the rules? Les standards who oversee CSR are numerous. Among them, the ISO 26000 standard, established in 2010, regulates CSR around 7 central questions:

• the governance of the organization
• human rights
• relationships and working conditions
• The environment
• the loyalty of practices
• consumer issues
• communities and local development.

These themes, which concern all types of companies, are a first line of thought to define the concrete actions of your CSR approach.

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Why implement a CSR approach?

Benefit 1: improve economic performance by reducing its impact

Accurately measuring the business impacts of your CSR approach may seem complex at first glance. However, it is obvious that your strategy will improve the performance of your business over the long term. By making a matrix of double materiality, which consists in taking into account both the impact of the company on its environment and the impact of environmental and social issues on its business, you will adopt a more global approach. The intangible benefits will also have a significant positive impact on your image.

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Advantage 2: promote employee engagement, improve well-being at work and attract candidates

Companies and their involvement in a CSR policy are now expected to be around the corner by their employees. Implementing this type of approach will have an impact on The employer brand, and will be a factor of loyalty for your employees and attractiveness for candidates, especially the youngest ones. Komeet, with its social engagement platform, also allows employees to engage, during their working time or not, with associations through field missions or Fundraising, for example.

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Advantage 3: innovate and develop your business

The innovations linked to the implementation of a CSR strategy are numerous. They can be located at the level of your products and services, but also on the intangible side, as well as on the social level, namely the management of your company's human resources. THEsocietal commitment of businesses is also a differentiating factor in the face of competition. It can also help you conquer new markets: a significant help in winning tenders, for example.

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Benefit 4: Improving relationships with various stakeholders

Whether it is to meet the requirements of your prospects or your current customers, or to reassure a future shareholder or investor, engaging in a CSR approach will quickly make sense for you and for all of your stakeholders! It is an excellent way to retain your customers, your partners, your suppliers, i.e. all the audiences that revolve around your company.

Also to read: CSR: what are the advantages for businesses?

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6 steps to implement a CSR approach

Step 1: Identify resources

78% of organizations have a team dedicated to CSR
‍2024 CSR barometer, Komeet

If this is not your case, you can create a position dedicated to the approach (generally in large companies) or offer volunteers working in other professions, such as human resources, communication or finance, to train in the subject (in SMEs) to take on this role in addition to their functions. The mission can also be outsourced, by calling on a consultant or a specialized structure, in particular to initiate or structure the approach.

The aim is for the approach to be structured around a person or team identified in the organization to structure the approach, motivate the teams, monitor the project, etc.

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Step 2: Conduct an inventory

Before taking concrete actions, be sure to analyze the existing situation. For example, you can conduct a mini-diagnosis of your current position on each of the 4 CSR pillars or even develop a company-wide SWOT analysis to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of your company. These can then be linked to CSR.

This diagnosis also allows you to take stock of your legal obligations (extra-financial reporting, professional equality, accessibility, etc.), to identify priority issues for your sector, or to gather the expectations of your stakeholders to better guide your actions.

Conducting an audit with all of your stakeholders (internal and external) is also a good way to start your process. This study, carried out by an external consultant or not, will make it possible to formulate initial recommendations to be followed.

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Step 3: Define the action plan and budget

Your project is about to be implemented. A prioritization of actions is necessary according to CSR issues and the problems of your sector, your territory and your organization. Indeed, you will not be able to carry out all the actions that emerged in step 2 at the same time. Map the challenges according to the 4 pillars or carry out a materiality matrix will make it possible to identify the societal issues that are most likely to impact the results of your business or the perception of your stakeholders.

76% of companies allocate a budget to CSR (CSR Barometer 2024, Komeet), whether to recruit a new profile, call on external experts to oversee the approach or set up tools, such as a social engagement platform with Komeet.

The savings possible in the medium term (reduction of energy and resources) and in the long term (reduction of risks and crises) are not negligible!

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Step 4: Train and engage teams

For a CSR approach to be truly effective, it is essential that it be supported by all internal stakeholders (employees, management, shareholders, etc.), but also external stakeholders (customers, suppliers, etc.). You can thus train your teams in CSR so that everyone has the necessary knowledge about social responsibility and sustainable development. This can involve online training, participatory workshops or expert interventions.

These courses will also allow you to return to the foundations of the CSR approach and the challenges for the company!

In addition, setting up a CSR ambassador approach makes it possible to involve teams more. Some volunteer employees can thus relay messages, embody the company's commitments and encourage their colleagues to get involved in turn.

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Step 5: Communicate actions

Your strategy is communicated at several levels and in a very specific order. Internally, first of all, in order to involve your teams and ensure that they implement the defined actions, at the infrastructure level (for example, in terms of waste sorting) and/or their job (such as reducing the digital impact of the organization's website for technical teams).

This distribution must be simple (in form and content) and easy to access so that each employee can make it their own. Then externally promote the sustainable actions of your company in order to improve your image or to influence the decision of future recruitments, for example.

Do not hesitate to communicate regularly about your CSR approach, in addition to the traditional annual report generally shared by companies. You can talk about it on video on your social networks, or in writing in your newsletter, on your site or your blog. However, beware of greenwashing, communicate only about the changes that have actually been implemented.

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Step 6: Measuring results

This change process is part of a logic of continuous improvement, transparency and evaluation. It is therefore essential to measure impacts and to adjust certain actions as needed. That is why it is more than necessary to associate expected objectives and measurement indicators with each action. In particular, it is possible to measure: the carbon impact of the company, the absenteeism rate, the difference in wages between women and men, hours of training... all indicators that will reflect the effectiveness of your actions.

Evaluation can also be done at the level of stakeholders, in order to train them, raise their awareness and question them about their commitment. A way to exchange best practices and to work together towards a common goal.

Note also that in France, since January 2025, companies with more than 250 employees with a balance sheet greater than 25 million euros and/or a turnover exceeding 50 million euros and SMEs listed on the stock exchange will be required to publish annually an extra-financial report on the social and environmental issues related to their activities. This framework is established by the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), which came into force in January 2024.

Note: In order to alleviate the reporting burden on businesses, new measures have been announced by the European executive concerning CSRD.

If these measures are successful, the reporting requirements will only apply to large companies with more than 1000 employees, with a turnover of more than 50 million euros or a balance sheet total of more than 25 million euros.

To find out more about these new measures, you can refer to the website of the European Commission.

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Succeed in your CSR approach

Once all the steps have been completed, it is time to go even further. To make your CSR approach a success, here are some actions to put in place:

• Surround yourself with ambassadors, from different teams, to carry out the project together and not be alone;
• Broadcast the CSR culture as soon as new employees are onboarded;
• Communicate the approach over time through regular meetings and the sharing of news at the usual events: meetings, annual greetings, birthdays, communication to managers, solidarity team-building, etc.
• Always prioritize the quality of actions over quantity. ‍

Also to read: CSR: how to animate your employee engagement process?

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Engaging with Komeet

Do you want to go further? Komeet offers its partners a platform to allow each employee to get involved in or outside the company!

If setting up a social engagement platform for your employees is one of your challenges, do not hesitate to try our platform for free.

Try Komeet