When it comes to employee satisfaction, employers’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) seems to have mixed ratings – it’s considered important but there are usually other priorities.

Now US-based attitude researchers Sirota Survey Intelligence have turned the question on its head by considering the opinions of those who say they are happy with their employer’s approach to CSR.

And, perhaps unsurprisingly, they found there was a correlation between employee satisfaction with an organisation’s approach to CSR and other indicators such as:

• Senior management integrity – 71 per cent with a positive view of CSR rated their senior management as having high integrity compared to 21 per cent who were negative about their employer’s CSR activities




• Senior management’s strong sense of direction – 67 per cent of those who were positive about CSR rated this highly, compared to 18 per cent with negative views on CSR




• Marketplace competitiveness – 82 per cent related positive CSR to competitiveness whereas 41 per cent who were negative about their organisation’s approach to CSR thought it was competitive




• Organisation’s interest in employees’ well-being – 75 per cent of employees who thought their company was committed to CSR thought their employer was interested in their well-being, compared to just 17 per cent who were negative about CSR




• Employee engagement or pride in their organisation – 86 per cent who were satisfied had high levels of engagement, compared to 37 per cent who were negative about CSR in their organisation.

The survey itself was huge – 1.6 million employees took part – but the question is whether the approach to CSR gave a boost to the other indicators or whether those things were right before CSR kicked in: the chicken and egg question.

Sirota Survey Intelligence president Douglas Klein said: “Businesses that recognise the importance of social responsibility often have employees who tend to be more satisfied with their jobs, adopt similar values, and become more committed to achieving success within the industry.

“A sense of pride is a major driver of both morale and business results, because people want to be associated with a successful organisation that has a positive image. Insightful leaders recognize that strategic CSR enhances morale, and higher morale contributes to better business results.

“Employees do not divide the moral compass of their company into one part for
employees and another part for the community,” he added. “Their employers’
commitment to corporate social responsibility is critical in conveying that the
organisation acts in their best interests, and is dedicated to treating them fairly
and equitably.”