Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Human Resources

Combine CSR and QWL to build a high-performing, people-focused company. The Zest tool helps you deliver a fulfilling employee experience by creating a rewarding ecosystem that boosts collective intelligence.

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Corporate Social Responsibility: what is it?

CSR: how is it defined?

In short, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) focuses on integrating social, environmental, and economic concerns into the heart of a company’s activities. It’s about how companies address the broader effects of their activities on society. An organization committed to CSR must first comply with current laws and standards. It must also act to create a positive impact on society and the environment, all while remaining economically viable.

What are the 7 CSR themes under the ISO 26000 standard?

This standard defines the scope of CSR around 7 key areas:

Organizational governance
Human rights
Labor relations and working conditions
The environment
Fair operating practices
Consumer issues
Community involvement and local development

What are the 3 pillars of CSR?

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rests on three fundamental pillars, often referred to as the “Triple Bottom Line” or the “3 Ps”:

Environmental pillar (Planet): Covers a company’s impact on the natural environment, including resource management, greenhouse gas reduction, pollution prevention, biodiversity preservation, and the circular economy.

Social pillar (People): Relates to a company’s relationships with its internal and external stakeholders, covering working conditions, diversity and inclusion, human rights, skills development, and societal impact.

Economic/governance pillar (Profit): Encompasses a company’s responsible economic viability, business ethics, transparency, anti-corruption efforts, responsible tax practices, and shared value creation with all stakeholders.

RSE (Responsabilité Sociale des Entreprises) et ressources humaines

The origins of CSR

CSR is one of today’s major concerns, yet its origins remain a subject of debate. Its roots can be traced back to the 18th and 19th centuries, but it didn’t enter the corporate world until the 1960s, with the publication of H. Bowen’s Social Responsibilities of the Businessman (1953) and G. Goyder’s The Responsible Corporation (1961). The concept resurfaced in 1987 with the Brundtland Report, published by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, which highlighted the need to achieve “sustainable development.” CSR was then shaped further by the events of the 1990s, culminating in the ISO 26000 standard in 2001, which defined it as we know it today.

In 2001, the “NRE” law (New Economic Regulations) laid the first foundations of modern CSR. At the time, this law required publicly listed companies to include, in their annual management report, how they accounted for the social and environmental consequences of their activities. This obligation was refined by the Grenelle 2 law in 2010. CSR was finally officially endorsed by the European Commission in 2011: “This concept refers to companies voluntarily integrating social and environmental concerns into their business activities and their relationships with stakeholders.” (Source: Le Point)

Who are the stakeholders involved in building a CSR approach?

CSR: who needs to be involved?

Internally, here are the stakeholders needed to establish a CSR strategy:

The executive committee

They define the vision and allocate the resources needed for the CSR approach. Without their commitment, initiatives often lack consistency and adequate funding.

Employees

Responsible for launching and monitoring People Reviews, the HR team collects and analyzes data (talent mapping, evaluations, etc.) and provides strategic recommendations, ensuring a structured, effective review process.

HR teams

They spread a culture of responsibility throughout the company by managing diversity and inclusion, developing key skills, improving quality of work life, fostering constructive social dialogue, promoting ethical behavior, producing social reporting, and building a genuinely responsible employer brand.

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Who is affected?

All companies, large or small, and across every industry, are affected by sustainability and environmental protection challenges.

This is confirmed by the Pacte law adopted in 2019: “All French companies, without exception, must take environmental and social issues into account when managing their activities.”

What are the goals of a CSR policy?

A CSR policy aims to integrate sustainable development principles into a company’s overall strategy, pursuing several complementary objectives. It seeks to minimize negative environmental impacts while optimizing the use of natural resources. On the social front, it aims to improve working conditions, promote diversity, and contribute positively to the communities where the company operates. From an economic standpoint, CSR aims to ensure the organization’s long-term sustainability through ethical, transparent governance, while creating shared value with all stakeholders. Beyond regulatory compliance, a well-designed CSR policy becomes a lever for innovation, competitive differentiation, and risk management, helping the company meet the growing expectations of consumers, investors, and talent around social responsibility.

What are the benefits of CSR for companies?

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) offers numerous benefits to organizations that fully embrace it:

Talent attraction and retention

Talent gravitates toward companies that share their values and back them up with concrete action.

Better risk management

Anticipating environmental and social issues helps avoid reputational crises and costly regulatory penalties.

Competitive advantage

A strong CSR policy can set your company apart in saturated markets and attract a customer base increasingly attuned to ethical issues.

Sustainable financial performance

There’s a positive correlation between CSR performance and long-term financial performance.

CSR challenges for companies

Inclusive management

Develop management practices that value diversity and create a fair working environment for everyone.

Quality of work life

Growing expectations around work-life balance call for innovative, flexible HR policies.

Managing psychosocial risks

Preventing stress, burnout, and discrimination is becoming a central focus of responsible social policy.

Skills transformation

The ecological and social transition requires new expertise and calls for teams to upskill around sustainability issues.

What impact does CSR have on human resources?

CSR and human resources: CSR has a significant impact on the HR function. It notably helps to:

Boost the company’s visibility and reputation (as long as greenwashing is avoided!)
Strengthen the employer brand and employee experience
Attract, engage, and retain talent aligned with the company’s values
Give work meaning and bring teams together
Support personal development and employee fulfillment
Ensure calmer, more sustainable working conditions
Strengthen motivation, productivity, and engagement
Promote fairness and accountability in employment practices
Highlight sustainable HR management practices (ethics, transparency)

The prerequisite: remember to involve employees in the company’s CSR approach, through participatory workshops, surveys, internal communication, or even ambassadors.

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Set clear, concrete CSR objectives

This step helps all stakeholders take greater ownership of the CSR strategy. Everyone factors CSR indicators into how they operate and becomes, in their own way, a true agent of change.

Build your CSR strategy with a precise action plan

The more precise your CSR strategy, the easier it will be to implement. Adopting concrete measures helps you reach your objectives, measure progress, and mobilize all your stakeholders.

Audit your company

Conducting a CSR audit is essential. This particular step forms the foundation of your CSR approach. It lets you identify your main areas of focus and measure your progress over a given period.

Train employees on CSR issues

Training employees on CSR ultimately raises awareness and drives engagement among key players across your company, while enabling an effective, company-wide rollout of your strategy.

CSR and human resources: build your CSR policy with Zest!

Put employees at the heart of your CSR approach

People are at the heart of CSR practices. They’re inseparable from Quality of Work Life (QWL) practices. Beyond environmental respect, protecting employees’ individual and collective wellbeing is also an integral part of any CSR approach. The link between wellbeing and good performance is now clear to everyone. To perform well, a company must guarantee its employees’ quality of work life and working conditions (QWLWC).

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Look after your employees’ wellbeing, even remotely

Remote and hybrid work in particular can fit perfectly into a CSR approach. They help improve QWLWC (quality of work life and working conditions) for both managers and employees. With the Zest SaaS solution, give them modern tools to work effectively remotely if they choose to. This flexibility brings many benefits, both for employees (time savings, reduced psychosocial risks, lower commuting costs, among others) and for the planet (reduced CO2 emissions).

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Mood

Work together toward shared goals

Above all, give meaning to everyone’s role by aligning employees’ CSR objectives with those of the company.

Encourage mutual support by creating shared cross-functional objectives.

Build a motivating culture, for instance by encouraging employees to share their ideas and successes.

Finally, involve them and listen to them. What do they think of your CSR policy? Employee expectations and perceptions are key to refining the company’s CSR positioning.

OKR

The Zest platform lets you combine CSR and QWLWC. Hear it from our clients!

CSR approaches and QWLWC policies help boost employee engagement and satisfaction, along with overall company performance. The Zest digital solution lets you involve employees and continuously assess the impact of CSR initiatives, as well as the impact of actions aimed at improving their quality of work life and working conditions. For your company, these represent major challenges around employer brand and employee experience. So ask your talent what they think!

Ensure QWL at every level of the company

Give employees a voice, to quickly eliminate friction points and roadblocks.

Identify what really matters to them, and above all, put CSR actions in place that meet their expectations.

Equip employees with tools that give them autonomy and a sense of ownership.

CSR and Human Resources for international companies

Integrating CSR into international HR practices allows multinational companies to reconcile global ethical standards with local specificities. This approach involves adapting diversity, inclusion, and professional development policies to varied cultural contexts, while maintaining vigilance over working conditions across the entire value chain. Responsible international HR management strengthens employer appeal, minimizes social risks, and creates shared value that transcends borders, turning the challenges of globalization into lasting competitive advantages.

A few ideas for corporate CSR actions

There are many CSR actions companies can implement to contribute to the sustainable development of society. These include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by adopting eco-responsible practices.

Companies can also introduce a responsible purchasing policy that favors local, sustainable suppliers, or promote diversity and inclusion by encouraging equal opportunity and workforce diversity.

Companies can further support social and environmental initiatives, such as skills-based sponsorship, volunteering, or partnerships with nonprofit organizations.

Finally, companies can support employee wellbeing and skills development by offering training, favorable working conditions, and stronger internal communication and employee participation. Caring about employee wellbeing is essential to the long-term sustainability of a company’s human resources. That’s why Zest offers support to help you set up a simple, effective, and virtuous HR process. Find out more here.

Q&A

Any questions ?

What are the three pillars of CSR?

The three pillars of CSR are environmental, social, and economic. The environmental pillar concerns a company’s impact on the environment, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, managing waste, and preserving biodiversity. The social pillar covers a company’s social practices, including respect for human rights, diversity and inclusion, protecting workers’ health and safety, and involvement in community life. The economic pillar looks at a company’s impact on the economy, such as job creation, training and skills development, innovation, and financial performance. By factoring all three pillars into their strategy, companies can take ownership of their social responsibility while contributing to the sustainable development of society.

What is the link between CSR and human resources?

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and human resources are closely linked. CSR practices have a direct impact on HR, since they shape working conditions, company culture, and employee engagement. Companies that factor CSR into their strategy can create a more supportive working environment for employees, improve their wellbeing and engagement, and meet society’s expectations around social and environmental responsibility. CSR and human resources: Zest offers a tool that helps you build HR processes closely aligned with your employees’ expectations, tailored to your company’s specific needs.

What laws govern CSR?

CSR is governed by several pieces of legislation. These include the 2019 Pacte law, which allows companies to define their purpose and factor social and environmental issues into their strategy. The French Commercial Code also requires large companies to publish a CSR report detailing their CSR policy. Finally, the 2017 corporate duty of vigilance law requires companies to identify and prevent violations of human rights and the environment throughout their value chain. These laws are designed to encourage organizations to adopt a more responsible, sustainable approach in their day-to-day operations.

What HR-related requirements does the ISO 26000 standard set out?

ISO 26000 is an international standard on social responsibility. It provides guidelines for organizations looking to integrate CSR into their strategy. On the HR side, ISO 26000 recommends that organizations respect human rights, promote diversity and inclusion, ensure a safe and healthy working environment, and encourage skills development and employee participation. It also calls for transparent, constructive communication with internal and external stakeholders. These recommendations aim to safeguard workers’ fundamental rights and support their engagement and wellbeing. They also help strengthen the organization’s reputation and legitimacy in the eyes of society.

How do you conduct a CSR audit?

An effective CSR audit starts with clearly defining its scope and objectives based on the company’s level of maturity in social responsibility. The process typically involves an information-gathering phase (document review, interviews with internal and external stakeholders, site visits), followed by a methodical performance assessment against recognized frameworks such as ISO 26000, GRI, or the SDGs. The audit team, whether internal or external, must measure the gaps between stated commitments and actual practices using relevant indicators covering all three pillars of CSR (environmental, social, and economic). The analysis phase then helps identify both best practices and priority areas for improvement. The audit concludes with concrete recommendations and a prioritized action plan, helping the company not only meet regulatory requirements but also continuously improve its overall non-financial performance.

What is a CSR materiality matrix?

A CSR materiality matrix is a tool used to identify priority CSR issues for a company. It involves assessing the relative importance of CSR issues by weighing their potential impact on the company against their significance to stakeholders. This matrix helps identify the company’s CSR risks and prioritize the actions needed to address them. It’s often used to guide a company’s CSR strategy and to shape that strategy by identifying the key performance indicators to track.

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