CSR and employee engagement

The engagement of employees with regard to CSR initiatives is the topic of the CERC Dialogue between Roberta Bianchi, Università IULM, and Yasmine Longhi, E.ON.

A dual perspective, academic and professional, on a topic with significant implications for internal communication.

The opinion of Roberta Bianchi, Adjunct Professor for the Lab in Public Communication and Public Branding, Università IULM

Traditionally, the company-community relationship, based on mutual respect and recognition of value, has been characterized by exchange agreements in which the community asks and the company gives.

Today, in consideration of increasingly numerous and complex needs, non-profit organizations and entities of the so-called Third Sector (TS) have assumed prominence as intermediaries between communities and companies that recognize the need to incorporate the issues, needs, and general concerns of their communities and society at large into their strategic plans through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Thanks to the intermediation of TS, co-design is now replacing the traditional request-donation dynamic in the relationship between companies and communities. A new relationship is being built based on win-win initiatives such as corporate volunteering projects. In these activities, employees participate in CSR initiatives with the support of their company.

For the company, the benefits are measurable in terms of reputation and employee engagement.

Actions that benefit the community and the environment help highlight the clear and distinctive identity of the company. When this identity is consistent with the corporate dynamic and is therefore rooted and consistently shared within the organization, it is represented and communicated externally in an informal way through employee megaphoning, also as a result of direct employee involvement in corporate volunteering activities. Academic studies show that the results in terms of engagement are proportional to the level of perceived autonomy, i.e. the extent to which employees are involved in the selection of initiatives and their participation in volunteering meets discretionary requirements.

From an employee perspective, it is a motivational factor that fosters pride and values the individuals and their identification with the company.

The Internal communication function plays a key role in co-creating meaning. The challenge is to motivate participation and sharing. The internal communication strategy requires a climate of interactive, open, and symmetrical dialogue, active engagement, and listening, also to identify employee groups (EGR Employee Resource Groups) with community needs and concerns that have already been addressed and should therefore be considered when selecting CSR initiatives.

The opinion of Yasmine Longhi, Corporate Communication & People Engagement, E.ON

For me, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) means sharing value with the territories and communities in which the company operates, engaging those who already trust the company and reaching out to those who do not yet know it, also through actions that speak louder than words.

It is therefore both an act of giving back and a vision that includes and engages employees, customers, and partners to reach an external audience.

In particular, employees are not simply resources: they are active, conscious stakeholders, increasingly sensitive to the social and environmental impact of the company they work for.

The topic is not new, but today is gaining renewed importance. From a virtuous initiative, it has evolved into a strategic lever for reputation, engagement, and talent attraction. Current ESG criteria have also provided further push, requiring companies to be consistent and transparent, and to have a measurable impact.

The benefits are multiple and tangible. For the company, it means strengthening its identity, differentiating itself, and creating a culture. For employees, it is an opportunity for personal and professional growth: being able to contribute to a social project generates pride, motivation, and a sense of belonging.

But there are also risks. The biggest one? Inconsistency. If CSR is perceived as imposed, disconnected from the values of the company, or, worse, as pure green-washing, it creates a boomerang effect. Employees are the first to notice the dissonance between what is said and what is done. It is therefore essential that every initiative is consistent, voluntary, and shared, even better if aligned with personal values.

This is where internal communication comes into play. Not only as a tool for dissemination, but also as a space for listening and co-design. CSR cannot simply be announced: it must be built together, including through active listening tools and structured discussion moments. Employees must identify with the choices of the company and feel that they are the protagonists of change.

We are increasingly seeing candidates mentioning corporate volunteering or social commitment in their CVs. This is a clear signal: for many, the alignment between personal and corporate values ​​has become a key factor in their selection. CSR and engagement are therefore no longer "nice to haves", but an integral part of the relationship between individuals and organizations.

Being yourself at work, making an authentic contribution, and finding in corporate projects what drives us in our personal lives: this is where CSR becomes culture. And this is where internal communication finds its fullest expression.