By Blandine CORDIER-PALASSE, La Revue RH&M n°88 p.50
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is defined by the European Commission as the voluntary integration by companies of social and environmental concerns into their commercial activities and their relations with stakeholders. One of its primary objectives is to contribute, along with good governance, to the long-term future of the company. For an HR manager, this means helping people to evolve. It also means recruiting and retaining talented human capital. The latter contributes to or steers the development of the company, committed while knowing how to manage risks.
What role do HRDs have to play in CSR?
When it comes to recruiting and retaining staff, HR departments play on the levers of attractiveness. These include corporate culture, remuneration packages, career paths, quality of life at work (QWL), inclusion and diversity. These have always been subjects at the heart of the HRD profession. In particular, they are part of the 'S' in ESG.
The first change is the need for employees to give meaning to their work. There is also the need to join a company that reflects their values and convictions. Without going so far as to become a company with a mission or a B Corp, companies need to show that they are committed to a robust and genuine CSR approach. They must also show that they know how to articulate their social and/or environmental contribution objectives. Some candidates make it clear that they do not wish to join a company that advocates a CSR approach but whose managers and operational staff do not embody it in their real day-to-day actions.
The second change is the reporting obligations, which increasingly include performance indicators such as the gender equality index. With the arrival in 2024 of the CSRD - Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive - companies will have to communicate information relating to sustainability and climate change issues. They must also assess the impact of their activities on the environment and society in general. The aim is for companies' extra-financial declarations to be public and comparable.
How do I get into ESG?
HR spearheads CSR policy. However, a conductor is needed to bring this mission to fruition. As we can see, ESG will be applied differently in each department. The Product teams will be working on eco-circularity issues. Purchasing will focus on responsible, more local suppliers, and Sales on fair practices. Legal will define the rules and Compliance will set up robust compliance programmes. And all this cannot work without the "tone from the top", i.e. the commitment of senior management.
A conductor
Our customers are members of the CAC 40, the SBF 120 and/or a dynamic ETI. They are contacting us more and more frequently to define the position and then recruit their CSR director or manager. So a trend is emerging. More and more often, the CSR manager reports to a member of the Executive Committee, and less and less often to the communications department. This is proof that the attributes of the function have expanded as awareness has grown of the added value that a CSR policy thought through at a high level and backed up by objectives, a roadmap and a person in charge can provide over the long term.
Here too, HR has a role to play in positioning the function. We're here to help.
At a time when risk-based governance is no longer enough, compliance is infusing the legal and financial environment. It is therefore essential to develop interaction between directors, senior management and the heads of the risk and compliance functions, who are highly operational, in order to protect the company - whatever its size and culture - and ensure its long-term development.
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