Centralising for Transparency and Accessibility
Background
During this first year of our CSR strategy, we saw an opportunity to help embed it into the business culture through a dedicated Intranet/information space. This CSR hub aimed to centralise all related information in one accessible location, giving employees easy access to what we’re doing, why it matters, and how they can get involved. Understanding that multiple communication channels are essential, space like this can support new starters by reinforcing CSR aims after their induction, while long-tenured employees can stay informed on ongoing initiatives.
Key Reasons for the Intranet/Information Space:
- Transparency: Employees expect a clear understanding of our CSR goals and initiatives, with full visibility.
- Engagement: A platform to inspire involvement and track progress.
- Integration: Aligning CSR efforts with our business objectives and values.
- Flexibility: A scalable resource that evolves with our CSR journey.
Our Process
We distilled our CSR strategy document into bite-sized, accessible content for our CSR space. This included:
- Framework Overviews: Clear explanations of guiding frameworks and how they inform our approach.
- Progress Tracking: Regular updates on goals and milestones, showcasing tangible progress.
- Definitions and Clarity: Simplified explanations of key CSR terms and focus areas for shared understanding.
- CSR Pillar-Specific Content: Organised information under each CSR pillar, highlighting relevant initiatives and updates.
- Centralised CSR Homepage: A comprehensive hub for overarching topics such as company-wide framework progress, cross-pillar initiatives, and key announcements.
- Employee Blog Spaces: Linked areas for employees to share their personal stories and insights on topics such as mental health in the workplace, faith, or other CSR-related themes.
Results
- Increasing Engagement: Page visits have continued month-on-month, indicating ongoing interest in CSR topics. While it’s early days, as we continue to populate our templates, we expect this traction to increase further.
- Improved Accessibility: Employees report knowing exactly where to find CSR-related information. The Intranet serves as a valuable resource for new starters during induction, and a go-to for employees seeking up-to-date info for client requests or supporting team members.
Actionable Tips for Other Businesses
- Choose Your Platform: For smaller teams, use low-cost tools like Google Drive, Microsoft SharePoint, or Confluence to centralise CSR content. Budget-friendly options like Slack can also serve as an Intranet alternative.
- Define Focus Areas: Clearly outline the focus areas you’ve selected under your CSR pillars, what they mean, and what you’d like to achieve.
- Show Goals and Priorities: Include long-term aspirations and immediate initiatives for each pillar.
- Document Senior Signatories: Show which senior leaders are committed to each pillar, demonstrating accountability.
- Promote Collaboration: Highlight committees or working groups driving your CSR efforts.
- Centralise Key Documents: Link policies, and resources in one easily accessible space.
- Encourage Employee Participation: Provide areas for employees to share blogs, resources, and feedback. Stories from employees, such as reflections on ADHD in the workplace, often resonate more than external resources, though trusted references like ADHD UK can complement and validate information.
- Use Analytics: Look what you have available to track performance on your intranet pages, informing improvements over time.
- Simplify Updates: Avoid overcommitting to frequent updates. Focus on timeless content with spaces for periodic updates, scheduled through Intranet tools or added to a review calendar.
Alignment with Our North Star, Guiding Principles and CSR Goals
The launch of our CSR Intranet space reinforces our commitment to the 'Ethics and Governance' pillar, one of our five core CSR pillars. It also aligns with a UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) we prioritised (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by upholding our North Star value of 'transparency and accountability,' empowering employees to actively contribute to a responsible business culture and fostering sustainable growth.
Follow our Progress
If you don’t already know us, Gemba Advantage is a UK tech company (very recently becoming part of a wider group consisting of Actica Consulting, Ntegra and Gemba Advantage). Gemba creates secure, scalable, and sustainable software for mission-driven clients.
Be sure to keep coming back to our series, where we reflect on 12 months of responsible business from the perspective of our SME. We hope these insights inspire your company to try some of these initiatives in the year ahead, or if you’re already ahead of the curve, to continue pushing forward on your own responsible business journey.
Louise, CSR Manager, Gemba Advantage.
