June, 2015 - Human Capital

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realising business strategy through people

Vol.19 No. 1 June 2015

CONTENTS JUNE 2015

VOLUME 19

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ISSUE 1

THE SHIFTING FOCUS TOWARDS CSR

Inculcating the CSR ethos To ensure the credibility of corporate social responsibility programs, it is important to embed the CSR culture within a company's and employees' mindset.

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An organization which has its vision and strategy hinging on philanthropic and CSS agenda exudes much more positive imagery in terms of internal and external employer branding and able to attract and retain more number of employees besides securing the long-term commitment of existing employees.

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The people dimension When a company has a diverse, ethically-grounded and socially-conscious workforce, CSR gets coded into its DNA. Building such a workforce is the best and the most sustainable contribution an HR team can make towards realizing the CSR vision of a company.

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Aligning the millennials in the CSR movement Millennials feel strongly about the society that they live in and will not shy away from working to make it better. The key is to engage them, understand their perspective and design high impact CSR programs on a sustained basis.

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Building synergies: C-suite to CSR CSR as an agenda can prove to be truly transformational for the companies and the community in the country. Strong leadership from the CEO and the Board can ensure that good intentions are translated into action and results and result in societal transformation.

Weaving CSR into your talent strategy Integrating CSR within the HCM strategy makes an organization's career offerings that much richer. It is a much richer view of career as one that seamlessly spans the organization and the world beyond. That would be truly enriching.

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CSR: In letter & spirit

Building the strategic connection What makes a CSR platform truly effective and sustainable, is when employees themselves drive the philanthropy, volunteering their time, talent and treasure to contribute. And, HR plays a critical role in driving employees towards this noble cause.

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Building sustainable sensitivity an HR agenda

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The benefits of an effective CSR approach to an organization are multidimensional. Realizing this, companies have started proactively investing in CSR so as to build an engaging work culture and instill a sense of contributing to a cause much larger than the individual.

HR can play a significant role in CSR by contributing in subtle but crucial ways by providing key insights into the congruence of all aspects of management and facilitating collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders.

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Revisiting the role of HR in CSR In CSR, the Human Resources function should contribute in building a socially conscious organization. However, it also has a crucial role to play in creating the right environment within the organization to make CSR efforts flourish.

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Championing CSR initiatives

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Developing a CSR strategy An effective CSR strategy creates employee engagement, innovation, and collaboration. Therefore, it is critical that organizations focus on how to build an effective CSR strategy that focuses on truly co-creating value for the business and society.


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THE OTHER SIDE OF CSR

Beautiful beginnings at L'Oreal

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Human Capital in conversation with Mohit James, DirectorHR, L'Oréal India on Corporate Social Responsibility and how it's a way of life making it a thrilling adventure at L'Oreal. He delves into how companies should take up CSR as a method of giving back to the people.

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Lighting lives with Schneider Electric

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JK Paper - Caring for the society and environment JK Paper is committed to take forward its CSR initiatives through building on what has been achieved so far and taking up new initiatives. Focussed on five key areas such as education, health care, skill development, livelihood interventions and environment, JK Paper is playing the right note.

Aligning Gen-Y with CSR Gen-Y are considered to be the most socially conscious of the generations who believe in being part of a workforce where they can make a larger impact. They believe an organization is more than an organization and are excited in knowing that their employer is taking an active role in improving the communities and society as a whole.

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Value creation for the community The principal focus and areas of expertise of HR professionals include organizational process, cultural stewardship and change management. The HR function should take a leading role in developing and implementing CSR and sustainability strategy.

Human Capital in conversation with Rachna Mukherjee, Chief HR, Schneider Electric India on what CSR really means for Schneider Electric, its commitment to help people change their lives by providing access to energy and support when it is most needed and what are some of the key challenges that CSR is facing in the Indian business context.

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BENCHMARK PRACTICES

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Sustainability through employee engagement Corporations globally have realised that sustainability must now be a part of core business strategy. While the attitude towards social spends has been well accepted, the challenges are around approach. This is where HSBC differentiates itself with a focus on 'sustainability'.

The underlining philosophy of Tata Motor's CSR program is 'More from Less for More', which implies striving to achieve greater outputs, outcomes and impacts of the programs by judicious utilization resources and by forging synergetic partnerships for benefiting more lives.

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Beyond just cheque- signing philanthropy CSR is an on-going journey that requires people to be put before profits. The need to engage in sustainable practices is no longer a choice but an imperative. What is good for society is good for business.

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Spinning the invisible web of 'goodness' Tata Power believes that 'goodness' is a powerful thing. For over a hundred years, Tata Power has been an intricate part of India's growth story, aiming beyond its own growth and development to promote and sustain the communities at large, spreading infinite invisible goodness through a number of outreach and green initiatives.

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Tata Motors: Setting examples in exemplary work

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To our readers In India, CSR has evolved considerably over the past few decades - from business conglomerates simply writing checks to NGOs, to a multitude of initiatives and activities that have become highly integrated into business practices. As Human Capital celebrates its 18th anniversary, I take the opportunity to thank my readers and Industry counterparts who have sailed along with us. In this issue, Human Capital delves at the present status of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India. While we have made our best efforts to bring out a comprehensive edition on what the Indian corporates are doing in terms of CSR, our intent was also to gaze at the evolving role of HR in CSR. CSR plays a critical role in enhancing a company's reputation among its employees, subsequently boosting their motivation and engagement, which makes it all the more critical for HR to take a leadership role in CSR. There is a saying, "CSR can be very hard for employees to relate to if we don't make it tangible to their everyday working lives." This is why it is imperative for organizations to involve their employees to volunteer for a cause as it not only adds a different perspective to an individual's development but also helps to foster a deeper sense of responsibility among employees, generates goodwill towards the organization, and builds a motivated and team oriented culture. The issue contains articles authored by CEOs, HR Heads and CSR & Sustainability Heads of some of India's top notch business conglomerates. The articles explore multitude of elements that goes in making an organization not just genuinely responsible and caring but helps them live up to the letter and spirit of its declared CSR policy.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

CSR - More questions than answers BY DILEEP RANJEKAR

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rom Chamba (in Uttarakhand) to Dehradun - I was discussing the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility regulations and the reasons for the inertness of most corporate organizations in spending it for the right purpose - with my colleague who is very knowledgeable on this subject. There seems to be significant reluctance / resistance / inertia on the part of the corporate organizations to spend this money which raises several questions in my mind. 1. Why this reluctance? 2. Don't the organizations see enormous opportunity to build their genuine brand around such huge funds that are just two per cent of their profit after tax? 3. Why aren't the business organizations not realizing their social responsibility? 4. Why don't they invest in building talent around Corporate Social Responsibility? 5. Why is it that most of them feel like doing Corporate Social Responsibility through their family members - whereas they are busy choosing some of the top talent for their other business lines? I must clarify that I have

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nothing against the family members running Corporate Social Responsibility - provided they are competent to do so meaningfully and approach it in a professional manner. 6. Why do the organizations choose to make disproportionate noise as compared to the actual on the ground work 7. Why do most organizations find it difficult to choose the area of work as well as the geography in which they should operate? 8. Why are the organizations thinking more about "how to escape the Corporate Social Responsibility related provisions without breaking the law"? I can continue. In a nation that is so dearth on large scale philanthropy (as compared to several countries like the US, Japan, Netherland, Sweden, Switzerland, etc.), the Indian Government bringing in such a legislation could be a real boon for India. Other than the legendary work done by the Tatas over the past two centuries and the more recent example of Azim Premji personally allocating (irrevocably) over Rs 30,000 crore of his wealth towards philanthropy, we have very few genuine examples of large scale

philanthropy in India. Of course, I am excluding those cases where organizations and individuals have contributed to temples except where such temples are performing socially committed work. If the Corporate Social Responsibility rule has to be taken seriously, the top 100 corporates will be required to spend approximately Rs 3000 crores per annum. If you expand this list to top 500 corporates, the amount would be a whopping Rs 9000 crore per annum. And if all business organizations decided to spend the required amount - it would probably cross some Rs 20000 crore per annum. Considering that these amounts are available on annual basis, this would be a significant addition to the development of economy each year. Consider this - the total budget of the Government of India towards mid-day meal program (for about 12 crore children) is approximately Rs 2700 crore per annum. Or, if one additional toilet has to be constructed (at the cost of Rs 50,000 per school) in all 14 lakh schools, the one-time budget needed is Rs 7000 crore. You can therefore imagine the huge amounts that are available at just 2 per cent of the total profit after tax.


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While the corporates have no hesitation in splurging money on the travel, salaries and benefits or their employees or on hefty dividend for their shareholders, it is not clear to me as to why there is so much reluctance in allocating just two per cent of the profits for the cause of general society. Needless to say that there are many organizations that are seriously thinking about launching Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives but need directions on how best to do this. A good beginning would be to choose a few talented individuals who could be assigned dedicated responsibility for this subject. They need to understand the deeper issues that plague the society and also educate their top management on the same. I have a strong feeling that the employees in general would be very excited to participate in the efforts of the organization to do something socially relevant. The Government has identified specific areas in which

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the funds could be utilized and it covers a wide range of issues. The corporate employees constitute almost 20 per cent of our population that has disproportionately benefitted as a result of economic liberalization and globalization. They have the responsibility to think about the part of the society that has been left out. The drive must begin at individual level. What it means is - a senior manager earning a compensation of Rs 1 crore per annum must spend Rs 2 lacs per annum in supporting a socially relevant cause - that can even include taking care of the education and health of the family of the driver or the domestic help at their home. Or a person earning Rs 25 lacs spending Rs 50,000 per annum on similar causes. If the mindset of individual employees undergoes a dramatic change, they are bound to influence the organizational decisions for more effective Corporate Social Responsibility.

Dileep Ranjekar Chief Executive Officer Azim Premji Foundation Dileep Ranjekar, Chief Executive Officer of Azim Premji Foundation, is also a passionate student of human behaviour. He can be contacted at [email protected].

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ROLE OF HR IN CSR

BY SUDHEESH VENKATESH & VISHNUPRIYA BOSE

The people dimension When a company has a diverse, ethically-grounded and socially-conscious workforce, CSR gets coded into its DNA. Building such a workforce is the best and the most sustainable contribution an HR team can make towards realizing the CSR vision of a company.

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he concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goes back a long way in history both in the Indian and global context. In ancient times, traders and businessmen carried the burden of the welfare of the people on their shoulders to some extent, the real onus of course resting on the royalty. The concept of CSR was largely synonymous with philanthropy those days and it continued to be so for a very long time. Only in the modern times did the thinking undergo a fundamental shift and a more rational approach to CSR began to emerge. Our current understanding of CSR is best captured by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) definition of it: "Corporate social responsibility is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders. CSR is generally understood as being the way through which a company achieves a balance

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of economic, environmental and social imperatives (Triple-BottomLine Approach), while at the same time addressing the expectations of shareholders and stakeholders." It is interesting to note that all along the various phases of evolution of CSR it has remained a voluntary activity quite distinct from legally mandated corporate governance. In India, this was sought to change with the introduction of the Companies Act 2013. While one may debate the efficacy of CSR through legislation, there is no doubt that the Act has made companies to look at their CSR activities with greater strategic focus and clarity of vision. CSR now is an end-to-end process starting with vision and strategy, passing through resource allocation and implementation, and seeing closure in assessment and reporting. It is not difficult to see the need for the right people with the right set of skills at each stage of this process, in order to build a credible and effective CSR focus in the organization. It is worthwhile to look at the


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different ways in which HR involvement can add value to a company's CSR initiatives. At the first level there is the need to ensure all the people recruited are aligned to the company's CSR vision and purpose. They need to be adequately aware of the issues related to environment, sustainability and the attributes of good corporate citizenship. In addition to this, all enabling people processes within the company too, should promote and adequately recognize the effective behaviours. These can be very effectively done through the various talent management & talent engagement processes of the organization as well as any relevant

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reward & recognition programs. These would go a long way in motivating and encouraging individuals to be environmentally conscious and socially responsible citizens. Finally, it is when the whole organization together with its leaders, line managers and employees, work in tandem to achieve its purpose that we can expect any real change, and the HR function can play a strong influencing role in enabling that.

People dimension - The experience of Azim Premji Foundation While we are not a corporate, and so cannot be considered under the

conventional CSR umbrella, we are an organization of relatively significant scale working in the social sector. Sharing some learning from our journey so far may help in contextualizing the above examples with some specificity.

The need to live by example While working in the education domain, the Azim Premji Foundation is committed to a vision of a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society. A society as envisioned in the Preamble to the Constitution of India. Our values, beliefs and culture resonate strongly with these ideals, and we do realize, that to see any change in people and

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ROLE OF HR IN CSR society outside, we must first live the change as people within; Like many other social sector organisations we too try to 'be the change we want to see in the world'. To that end, our organizational processes resonate strongly with the ideals of responsible citizenship, and rest in mutual accountability and faith in the goodness of people. In the decisions we take, there are many which get resolved unanimously, some which require deeper deliberation, and some dilemmas we continue to grapple with.

Sudheesh Venkatesh Chief People Officer Azim Premji Foundation Sudheesh is the Chief People Officer at Azim Premji Foundation. Prior to this, he was Head of Human Resources at Tesco, India and later the Shared Services Lead for Tesco’s UK - People programme. He holds a Post Graduate degree in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata.

Vishnupriya Bose Member at Azim Premji Foundation Vishnupriya Bose is with the Azim Premji Foundation in Bangalore working in the areas of organizational development & talent management. She has over 14 years of experience in the corporate & social sectors, having worked primarily with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance and CRY (Child Rights & You); and for a brief period with Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

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Clear priorities for us We put people before process and believe good things happen when we bring good people together. 'How' something is done is as important as 'what' is done and in this we value and rely on the good sense and judgment of our people. A substantial amount of attention and effort is invested on recruitment and selection of people for this reason. Hard decisions often need to be taken, but humaneness, consideration and respect are non-negotiable. Even in instances of seemingly obvious transgression, we take extra caution to ensure we don't jump to conclusion, revalidate the facts at hand, check with care to identify only those actually implicated, factor the extenuating circumstances in our communication while our decision may remain unchanged, and consider counselling options where required. Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) committee's decisions or violations of our code of conduct have been firmly acted upon irrespective of criticality of the role the person is in. Another area we feel strongly about is having a culture of open dialogue and access to information as long as it doesn't impinge on another individual's right to privacy (eg information on health or compensation) there is free and open sharing of information and knowledge to help us do our work better.

How do we assess our people? One of the more sensitive issues we face is the assessment of our people.

Due to the subjective nature of the decisions, we take efforts to triangulate these discussions with multiple points of view and invest the required amount of time and seriousness for every member in the organization. We realize this will take up a significant amount of organizational time as we scale but that is an investment we feel we must make, to continue to understand our people better and remove subjective bias in people decisions.

Policies and processes to enable our people While we have policies and procedures in place, they are deliberately kept light as we want to be governed by a shared 'good sense' in everything we do. Good sense to us means being accountable to the cause, to our colleagues and to our own conscience, to go by the spirit of the policy and not by the book. This implies that we are expected to apply our discretion wherever needed, and that the organisation backs those decisions. It entrusts us with both a sense of freedom as well as of responsibility to act thoughtfully after due consideration.

Attrition & retention The people who come to work at the Foundation are more evolved in their aspirations and come with a longer term approach to their jobs. In terms of career growth within the organization, people are not typically concerned about their next promotion. Setting the right aspirations and establishing a noncompetitive and more collaborative culture is key to retaining talent and scaling up in this sector. The HR team at the Foundation recognizes this as one of its prime tasks.

Matters of compensation The market with all its asymmetry, determines the range of compensation for various jobs. As an organization we may or may not agree with which jobs are considered more important than the other and why, but we still have to negotiate within the market forces. For e.g. we


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know that teaching is a hugely important role, yet it is least rewarded monetarily compared to most corporate sector jobs. No amount of skillful maneuvering on our part will rectify this inequity in the short term, and it will continue to lure the brightest young minds away from academia and teaching. In paying for 'capability' we are conscious that we are attracting primarily those who have had 'access' to the opportunities that have made them capable. We strive to be mindful of the trap in this relentless cycle and focus instead on learnability and intent rather than ready skills. It is our attempt to level

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the playing field, and we compensate for that by strengthening the learning and development processes within the organization.

Summing up It is time we go beyond the Companies Act 2013 and look at the holistic essence of CSR. Internationally, CSR has a strong human rights dimension and globally reputed companies are emphasizing the importance of good corporate citizenship beyond philanthropy. The United Nations' Global Compact addresses 10 principles covering inter alia human rights, abolition of child labour, anti-corruption, non-

discrimination and protection of the environment with the goal to have the private sector help realize United Nations' vision of a more sustainable and inclusive global economy. The role of HR departments in companies in realizing this vision cannot be overstated. When a company has a diverse, ethically-grounded and sociallyconscious workforce, CSR gets coded into its DNA. Building such a workforce is the best and the most sustainable contribution an HR team can make towards realizing the CSR vision of a company. The authors thank their colleague Utkal Mohanty HC for his valuable input.

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ROLE OF HR IN CSR

Weaving CSR into your talent strategy Integrating CSR within the HCM strategy makes an organization's career offerings that much richer. It is a much richer view of career as one that seamlessly spans the organization and the world beyond.

BY ABHIJIT BHADURI

"In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business but is in fact the very purpose of its existence." - Jamsetji Tata

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he next time your organization goes to the campus to hire summer interns, how about having a few interns (who the organization pays for) who work for an NGO that the organization supports. Having them leverage their skills in coding or finance or creating a process manual can be a great differentiator for your organization on campus. But why should the organization pay for someone whose work benefits an NGO? And would that option motivate the student? There is business and then there is Corporate Social Responsibility. Never the twain must mix. That is how conventional wisdom operates. The for-profit businesses write

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cheques annually to support a charity of their choice. That alone is enough to have them feel that they have done what a busy enterprise possibly could. CSR is like a little village stream that loses its identity as it hesitatingly joins the river that is busy merging with the ocean. Organizations have often operated inside a bubble. This world celebrates the cognitive abilities and sniggers at the emotional. Yet, the ability to inspire and connect emotionally remains at the heart of every leader's biggest challenge. Very often the work done by the vast majority does not seem to have a purpose beyond the routine transaction. Without that sense of purpose, employees cannot be

engaged. Could CSR be an integral part of an organization's talent management strategy?

Attracting talent Millennials will make up half the workforce by 2020. A focus on purpose and people is, for many millennials, just as important as a company's ability to generate profit. They want to make a difference. CSR then becomes a valuable approach to attracting the top talent. Adam Grant's research shows that even a small connection to the people who benefit from your work not only will improve productivity, it makes everyone happier. Work must have a larger purpose beyond being means of providing us with a


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paycheck. In his book Give and Take, writes about this power. The study was done in a University's fund raising call center. The employees had to make calls to potential donors and seek contributions. The control group did their job with no other information given to them. The second group read stories from other employees about the personal benefits of the job: learning and money. The third group read stories from scholarship beneficiaries about how the scholarship had changed their lives. The first two groups saw no change in performance. The last group that knew about how the scholarships changed the lives of beneficiaries increased their weekly pledges from nine per week to twenty three - an increase of almost 155%. Knowing that we make a difference to the lives of people can be a great motivator. When I speak to Wipro employees, they inevitably mention that one of the greatest sources of pride for them is to be associated with an organization that gives back to society. One such initiative is called Wipro Cares. It is Wipro's community initiative focused on certain key developmental issues faced by under-served and underprivileged communities. It also provides a platform to employees to meaningfully engage with disadvantaged communities. More than five thousand employees are engaged across 14 projects. The other initiative, Mission10X has successfully empowered 10,000 professors in engineering colleges across 20 states to make them more effective. I have no doubt that these initiatives are the best talent attraction programs that we could have.

Developing talent Several companies look at CSR as a core way of developing leadership skills. The Head of HR for EMC, Debashish Patnaik says categorically, "We use CSR for our leadership development. It teaches people to rely on themselves and their skills rather than organization provided leverage. This helps people to clearly

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ROLE OF HR IN CSR

Abhijit Bhaduri Chief Learning Officer, Wipro Abhijit Bhaduri is the Chief Learning Officer of Wipro. He is a social media influencer, blogger and the author of two bestselling works of fiction and one book on how to hire for cultural fit.

see in which areas they fall short e.g. frustration tolerance, influence etc. They learn to make do with what is available rather than focus on asking for more or what's not given and this is usually done in addition to their day job. So it gets to be a great lesson in stress management and delegation. Above all, this is a great leveler; it puts one in touch with reality outside and thus makes one more humane and builds the ability to empathize. We want our leaders to possess all of these." The IBM Corporate Service Corps, deploys 500 young leaders a year on team assignments in more

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than 30 countries in the developing world. The employees spend a month in a team of 6-12 colleagues working on an issue that has social impact. Why do they do it? "The objective was threefold: to support IBMers in their service engagements, to invest the intellectual capital of IBMers in tackling social issues around the world, and to develop the expertise and leadership of IBMers through volunteer opportunities that leverage their skills and abilities."

Beyond profits The organizations values are transmitted through the behaviors

that leaders display. Values form the bedrock of culture in any organization. Nothing builds a better shared culture than living the values. CSR promotes the process of living the Values like no other intervention within the organization. The notion of a "career ladder" is becoming more archaic. The role of a leader is to help people find meaning in the workplace. Integrating CSR within the HCM strategy makes an organization's career offerings that much richer. It is a much richer view of career as one that seamlessly spans the organization and the world beyond. That would be truly HC enriching.


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ROLE OF HR IN CSR BY RAJENDRA GHAG

CSR with an HR twist

As part of CSR, HDFC Life offers a fair chance to the dependent of the deceased policyholders to become an employee and lead a life with dignity.

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ot just as means to earn the trust of customers, emloyees and shareholders, most Indian businesses are investing heavily in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to earnestly give back to the society. While every organization has its area that it wants to contribute to, HDFC Life has chosen to make a difference by offering employment opportunities to the deceased policyholder's family. HDFC Life's 'Swabhimaan Careers' is considered to be a CSR initiative, where HR has taken a leading role in deciding the direction and driving it. As part of CSR, the company offers a fair chance to the dependent to become an HDFC Life employee and lead a life with dignity. The overall objective of life insurance is to compensate the financial loss caused due to the untimely death of the breadwinner. Going one step ahead, HDFC Life helps secure the future of the nominees/dependants by creating a fair employment opportunity, which is in line with our brand philosophy "Sar Utha Ke Jiyo". Our association with the customer does not end with the "transaction" of "claim settlement", but continues with us providing an opportunity to the customers' dependants who are in distress to become self-reliant. From March 2013, we began sending letters to the claimants informing them about this initiative.

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This letter informed them about the process involved in applying for a job and a team has been dedicated by HDFC Life to support this cause. An on-going initiative, the Human Resources Division has been instrumental in designing and initially administering the scheme. In addition, it also continues to ensure that against each and every vacancy arising in the organization, due preference is given to those who are applying via the Swabhimaan Career scheme. We also make sure the eligible candidates are put through the required employment assessment. Also, awareness about this initiative has been driven across the board so that all employees can contribute towards this noble cause. Even employees take pride in being a good corporate citizen. Especially for those from the sales function, talking about this humanitarian initiative by their organization help them garner the trust and respect of prospective customers. All in all, employees will take pride in associating with a value driven organization. While we have been able to provide employment to the deceased policyholders' dependants, it's been an uphill task in terms of reaching out to the dependents of the customers, explaining to them that they will be considered for employment based on their suitability and the overall administration of the program. For

Rajendra Ghag Senior EVP & Chief - HR Officer, HDFC Life Rajendra Ghag is the Senior EVP & Chief Human Resource Officer, HDFC Life. He joined HDFC Life in September 2009 and has been spearheading the Human Resource function since then.

instance, the direct beneficiaries of this initiative are the dependents of the deceased policyholder who are unemployed. They can apply for an employment opportunity with HDFC Life, however, they will be considered based on merit, fitment and vacancies. Our aim is to ensure that our customers' dependents leads a life with dignity and hence, we do not want to package this initiative as a "social charity" and instead wish to make them feel that they have HC earned it.

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I Building the strategic connection ROLE OF HR IN CSR

What makes a CSR platform truly effective and sustainable, is when employees themselves drive the philanthropy, volunteering their time, talent and treasure to contribute. And, HR plays a critical role in driving employees towards this noble cause. BY AMIT KUMAR

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usinesses in India increasingly recognize Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a strategic focus area, with leading companies embracing it even further - as a fundamental component of its DNA, as one of its corporate values and therefore driver of culture. Going beyond just the ethical practices in its conduct of business, those companies have a formal platform and institutionalized programs that engage employees and enable them to make a difference beyond the workplace. Being an active partner to building communities and driving positive change in places where companies operate has then become one of the key attributes of a company's corporate citizenship, and its brand as an employer.

Many successful organizations follow a 'grassroots' approach towards community giving driving meaningful engagement for its employees right in the places where they live and work. What makes a CSR platform truly effective and sustainable, is when employees themselves drive the philanthropy, volunteering their time, talent and treasure to contribute.

Strategic connection to business The rapid rise of socially responsible investment illustrates that corporate citizenship is becoming a key measure that clients/investors, as well as potential

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employees, consider important in their decision to partner with, or join a company. In view of the increasing importance placed on socially responsible investment, HR - and the company's leadershipneeds to first consider the linkage of its CSR platform to the nature of the company's business and purpose. Companies such as those in the customer management or service industry are a people-focused, and the CSR focus areas represent the issues that are relevant to its people -clients, employees, and communities. With human talent as the key asset of customer management sector companies, in addition to providing meaningful jobs and career growth, these companies are empowering its employees to give back to the places where they live and work, supporting their communities' capacity to create opportunities to help build skills and improve employability of potential or future workforce, eliminate barriers to stability, and improve health and wellness. In Convergys for instance, we call this Convergys Community Action Network (CAN), driven directly by each of our operating centers, and is directly aligned with our corporate value of "Serve the community." CAN powered by our very own employees from every Convergys site in India

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and across the globe, removing barriers to stability that include poverty and illness, and supports healthy communities in which educational and skills-development opportunities thrive.

HR's role Human Resources plays a critical role in driving a culture of giving back and an involved workforce from taking the lead in identifying partner or beneficiary organizations whose goals are aligned to the company's philanthropic focus areas, and the potential for sustainable long-term partnership, all the way to organizing the philanthropic activities and engaging employees to volunteer and be active in the partner in these relationships, and documenting the results. For global companies that operate in multiple geographies, some HR departments also have a formal Community Relations arm, a dedicated resource unit that aids in various operating centers' HR teams in identifying, selecting and developing new community partnerships, providing global process governance, communication tools and best practices. The HR team in each city/province of operations determines the local organization to partner with, but ensures it is aligned to the company's global focus areas for philanthropy.

As HR takes the lead for the company to establish the local partnerships in the areas where the company's employees live and work, the partnerships promote a culture of social responsibility, ensure long term relationships in the community, greater employee engagement and volunteer opportunities and therefore, greater impact in the countries where we live and work. Again, in "people businesses" such as the customer management industry, employees are the number one stakeholder because they are ultimately driving and sustaining the community partnerships with their direct involvement. With employees at the forefront in making a difference to the communities where the company operates, they are the direct ambassadors of the company's reputation and brand as an employer.

The approach Employee engagement towards CSR as a practice should be practiced at all company levels. Human Resource drives the approach and processes by which philanthropy is practiced (such as the grassroots approach where each local operations center partners with a local beneficiary, and employees volunteer where they live and work). The extent of effectiveness to enabling employee involvement is the key to

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realizing a culture where people giving back to where they live and work is intrinsic to demonstrating the company's corporate value of serving the community. And while HR takes the lead in the process, it is critical to note that the involvement of the entire leadership of the company, from the topmost level such as the CEO, is necessary to making CSR "real." Employees realize great personal satisfaction and sense of well-being at the opportunity to give back and help others. This satisfaction is potentially transformational for individuals and increases loyalty and motivation, as well as personal and leadership skills development volunteering enables employees opportunities to gain and demonstrate skills and leadership behaviors outside of the workplace.

Community partnerships Amit Kumar Head of HR – Convergys India and China Amit Kumar is the Head of Human Resources for Convergys India and EMEA region. With over 20 years of experience, he has established a track record of success, balancing the demands of the business with a strong focus on people.

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Community partnerships with local beneficiaries/non-government organizations are a great way to implement a grassroots approach to CSR and develop long-term relationships in the community. As earlier mentioned, HR takes the lead in identifying partner or beneficiary organizations whose goals are aligned to the company's philanthropic focus areas (examples of focus areas are: workforce

preparedness, stability, and health and wellness). As a specific example in Convergys India's Community Action Network (CAN), teams in our operating centers in Pune, Thane, Bangalore and Gurgaon have all partnered with respective local-area institutions whose focus are providing stability (through shelter and youth education) for impoverished members of those communities, with as many as 6,000 employee volunteers and donors, raising USD 7,000 in employee donations, items in kind such as computers and school supplies, as well as supplemental funding from the company's global Community Relations' CAN fund. Hundreds of volunteer hours were also spent by employee volunteers in their regular outreach visits to the institutions' beneficiaries.

Sustainability Sustainability is crucial to the success of CSR, especially in the company's ability to measure the impacts of its efforts in the long-term. A sustainability approach also affects corporate practices and policies, as well as transparency, as is manifested in the growing number of organizations issuing annual sustainability reports. With sustainability and a


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grassroots approach, the continuity of a company's CSR programs will also enable involvement beyond current employees - such as former employees, and their respective local networks.

For human resource For companies who are serious about making CSR part of its DNA, real and meaningful cultural change is necessary in order to ensure a culture of responsible practices and sustainability permeates the entire organization. In conclusion, with the growing importance of human

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One of the critical roles of HR leadership today is to spearhead the development and strategic implementation of CSR throughout the organization. Employee engagement towards CSR as a practice should be practiced at all company levels. HR play a critical role in driving a culture of giving back and an involved workforce. HR drives the approach and processes by which philanthropy is practiced (such as the grassroots approach where each local operations center partners with a local beneficiary, and employees volunteer where they live and work). HR leaders can influence three primary areas of CSR—ethics, employment practices and community involvement.

capital as a key asset for peoplebased businesses, the role of HR leadership will become ever more critical in leading strategic implementation of CSR and mobilizing employees domestically and abroad. With both company reputation as well as business growth in mind, one of the critical roles of HR leadership today is to spearhead the development and strategic implementation of CSR throughout the organization. While strategically including CSR in the organization can begin from different points (e.g.,

product safety, the board of directors, business development), it makes good business sense for HR to head the process and partner with all stakeholders because human capital is arguably the number one value driver. HR leaders can influence three primary areas of CSR-ethics, employment practices and community involvement, the latter being the focus of this article. All these point to HR not just being integral to CSR but also one of the ways by which HR demonstrates its role as a strategic business HC partner!

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Building sustainable sensitivity

An HR agenda HR can play a significant role in CSR by contributing in subtle but crucial ways by providing key insights into the congruence of all aspects of management and facilitating collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders. BY DR. GANESH SHERMON

as Sustainability & CSR Programs kept pace with our growth aspiration as a country? India plans to grow at an annual rate of 9% GDP, the need of the industry towards building a Sustainability Program that is inclusive in all its actions also needs to grow exponentially. The timing is appropriate as CSR law has also come into effect from April 1 2014, which requires companies to allocate 2% of their profit towards CSR initiatives. It is estimated that this initiative will raise Rs 20,000 crore every year as sustained stream of resources available for CSR initiatives. I am not a supporter of any mandate or law driven CSR activity, as it is unlikely to sustain a value based long term commitment. Nevertheless, "A company's ability to achieve its business goals and increase long-term shareholder value is best realized by integrating economic, environmental and social opportunities into its business strategies." Companies that want to survive do need a socially responsible behaviour. Opinions diverge on the question how this goal can be reached, i.e., how can the short and

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long term be combined. Companies don't exist in a vacuum and in a world of their own devoid of the community in which its stakeholders benefit and corporations have a 'meaningful need for social interest'. We do not necessarily need a regulation as we should leave this up to the companies' own initiative and its shareholders commitment. Mandates and legal demands never work. Values and ethics do. However, some explicitly proposed tougher rules on disclosure and reporting may become necessary to simply ensure governance. Sustainability development is convened with "meeting the needs of people today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" - World Business Council. The term, "Sustainability" and "corporate social responsibility" was rarely heard until the 1970s when a few pioneering companies, such as Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream in the US and The Body Shop in the UK, ventured into the marketing of social responsibility as a business strategy. Today, companies are embracing the notion that they exist to do more than just to make a profit. In 1994,

John Elkington, coined the term, "The Triple Bottom Line" also known as "People, Planet, Profit".

The dissonance lies here. Approaches that help identify HR priorities and work better on CSR are based on three factors: 1. Role of HR in CSR help in establishing an appropriate problem identification and resolution mechanism. 2. Role of HR in enabling CSR through a delivery process that is linked to the business process and a value that is perceptibly realized in an ongoing organizational model. 3. And the fact that CSR does not value add unless it is inextricably aligned to business strategy, community, industry requirements and detailed internal processes.

These approaches can be classified into four HR styles.... The Laggards - Traditional HR Low Emphasis on Sustainability CSR, poor expectation from the community and stakeholders, low demands on functional knowledge


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of CSR and lack of alignment with the business strategy. Here firms or individuals in the HR function are dominated by low emphasis on alignment with business strategy, organizational architecture. The orientation is to employ hourly work, based on administrative content that a community expects to be delivered. This is followed by a low expectation

knowledge of CSR, its uses and benefits. They do not articulate a problem in its holistic configuration nor does the consultant perceive a need to evaluate the problem for its non-articulation. A certain degree of self-preservation dominates the management style of the employer and the HR function. The Populist - People Oriented

from the community and limited understanding of the context of the company in relation to its industry, other macro-economic factors, competitive factors and consequent delivery capability through an appropriate solution to the client. Both do not emphasize the need for advanced and deep functional

CSR- High emphasis on meeting employee expectation, high levels of functional knowledge of what is sustainability and CRM, but low degree of knowledge of industry best practices, need of the hour and linkage to business strategy. People oriented CSR is driven through a low emphasis on the business strategy

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and industry knowledge factors but score high on community or employee expectation. Here the community could be encountering straight forward social problems dealing with issues that are short term and need immediate fixing. The emphasis on CSR functional knowledge not integrated with business or industry realities needs no additional mention. Several firms are quite adept in conducting their businesses, doing exactly what the community or people have asked for as a simple deliverable with the belief that short term community satisfaction is buying peace. It's popularity driven and is organized as a road show for media and hype. The firm and its HR leadership has inadvertently set low expectation on the overall potential of the good that CSR can do to its constituents and has been unable to present to the community a comprehensive strategic perspective with which the issues could have been resolved on a long term basis, if not for the myopic outlook. The Gainers - Sustainability driven as an organization builder - HR plays a short-term outcome role in this context. Low emphasis on expectation from the stakeholders, lack of depth in functional domain knowledge of CSR, its uses outcomes, benefits and high degree of knowledge of industry practices and business strategy. Gainers, driven as an organization builder is several steps in the communities expectation hierarchy but severely handicapped by low demands, poor strategy, limited problem solving and lack of prioritization. More importantly there is clear lack of emphasis on depth of sustainability and CSR functional knowledge, best practices, expectation on expertise or prioritization of integrating business knowledge with strategic drivers. While the critical drivers are deep

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Dr. Ganesh Shermon Partner - Platform Solutions North America, TCS Canada Inc. Ganesh Shermon is currently the Partner, Platform Solutions - North America, TCS Canada Inc. Prior to this, he was Partner and Country Head of People & Change Practice at KPMG Advisory Services. He brings in 30 long years of experience in consulting in the areas of Merger Integration, Organization Design, Change, Employee Relations, BSC, People Strategy & Transformation.

understanding of the business strategy, competitive forces that shape strategy, economic and influencing environmental factor as they relate to a consulting intervention. The firm has moved up the value chain in driving their community work through strong and appropriate alignment with the business strategy, demonstrating intervention capability that can typically go beyond singular issue resolution mechanisms. The solution structured could be multipolar, inter functional and integrated across organizational boundaries. The community here has an opportunity to leverage the company's sustainability business strategy, best practices process knowledge in consonance with functional domain knowledge, and led by HRF function. G Lack of HR expertise to visualize the problem at both the strategic, operational and process level operates acts as a constraint while constructing customized solutions. The Sustainers - Business Strategy & Process driven Sustainability - HR demonstrates a high emphasis on knowledge of CSR relevant in the industry, alignment with the business strategy and macro environment factors, but high level of expectation from stakeholders, be it community, people, customer, government as well as demonstrated high degree of depth of functional knowledge and competence. However in contrast, the sustainer HR leaders seek a Business processes driven sustainability program, and are perhaps the ones who would be

expected to complete the missing link? The business performance barometer drives them to contributing to their community in a way that integrates Revenues, profitability, cost management and enhancing shareholder value is their role in building a long term sustainability strategy and deliverables. G Intervention is simply an enabler, not an end in itself. Fundamentally in this situation, both the community and the company's HR to understand the need to align business strategy and processes with an advanced degree of detail of what needs to be done for the community to enable any intervention. The possibility of providing integrated solutions becomes possible. Critically an awareness of the CSR processes that enables all of it to stitch together - Here HRs ability lies in providing an outside in perspective, strong commitment at the strategic level, applying theory and its relevance to application and are deeply concerned with the client's problem and are concerned with doing. Concurrently the emphasis from the community is high on the need for an appropriate engagement at the grass root level and is willing to partner to enable alignment of the work with the business strategy of the firm.. G A community integrated CSR approach is strategy centered, driven by high quality delivery and aims for early and appropriate resolution of the problem. Building collaborative relationship,

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People oriented CSR is driven through a low emphasis on the business strategy and industry knowledge factors but score high on community or employee expectation.

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The right face of the sustainability enterprise identifies ways in which HR can play an even more pivotal role in creating the qualities for sustainability management.

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An HR leader can develop, influence, and help business leaders to build the "Foundation" for sustainable-business strategies that simultaneously take into account all its stakeholders, as well as the short- and the long-term view.

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HR would need to define a CSR Sustainability driven code for their people to follow.


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using principles of collective bargaining, with its employees has been the critical business driver for the organizations focusing on CSR. These corporate groups deal directly and openly with its associates on a global basis. Each business ensures that HR & IR policies are being operated honestly and that people individually and collectively - are being treated appropriately with value for human dignity, respect for the individual, integrity, openness, transparency, honesty and fairness. Businesses are responsible for developing programs, practices, to maintain and make two way communications - a way of life. Best of companies with business driven sustainability programs and philosophy emphasize a need to build upon the concept of trusteeships/ownership of a company and enable a culture to facilitate the concept of "Extended family" covering spouse, children and parents in our welfare activities. They adhere to all laws of the land and employment standards and take responsibility for Health, Education, living, environment and overall wellbeing of our associates and their families in the context of their employment and what is provisioned as per law in each of the countries that it operates. The company has a board governed process to ensure that we will follow the laws of the land under all circumstances and we will never ever stray away from being an ethical company and a value based employer to all our stakeholders. The country manager is held accountable for ethical Behavior, adherence to laws of the land, associate engagement and comprehensive compliance to all standards. At one level CSR starts with taking care of one's own employees. But surely it barely stops there. G Such cultures can be developed, institutionalized, changed as organization matures, builds size and derives strength from current culture G But clearly it cannot stop here for the moment. HR would need to define a CSR

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Sustainability driven code for their people to follow. This Code of Conduct sets out the policy framework underpinning the behavior of an institution, fellow associates and the external world which are expected of every associate of the group is expected to behave. Consultation and participation are the customer management systems followed and is an organized process in which staff are called upon to participate and to help in the formulation of policies that help effective community driven actions and related decision-making. This is a way of satisfying an urge for selfexpression and creating in them a feeling of belonging in order to get

development, and diversity. In addition, HR is generally well positioned to manage organizational change and help inculcate values, apparently a critical success factor for companies to become more sustainable. Toward "Integration," HR can contribute in subtle but crucial ways by providing key insights into the congruence of all aspects of management and facilitating collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders. "Lest we forget it should be remembered that responsible Corporations determine far more than any other institution the air we breathe, the infrastructure around our homes, noise, pollution, health,

their willing co-operation for the efficient functioning of the sustainability program. The right face of the sustainability enterprise identifies ways in which HR can play an even more pivotal role in creating the qualities for sustainability management shown on the left face. By working proactively with top management and earning their respect as a trusted business advisor, an HR leader can develop, influence, and help business leaders to build the "Foundation" for sustainable-business strategies that simultaneously take into account all its stakeholders, as well as the shortand the long-term view. To enable "Traction," HR can oversee talent management, training and

the quality of the water we drink, even where we live. Yet are they accountable to anyone to ensure that they help make the world a better place to live? There are many institutions who have answered this question. By voluntarily doing what is right, and yet there are many who need a legislation to contribute. Several HR leaders are known in the country for their contribution towards sustainability and CSR and yet there are many in the HR professional world who barely show their understanding, knowledge or ability to contribute to sustainability and CSR. It's when this contradiction dissipates would we see a true contributor from HR to community. HC

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Revisiting the role of

HR in CSR

In CSR, the Human Resources function should contribute in building a socially conscious organization. However, it also has a crucial role to play in creating the right environment within the organization to make CSR efforts flourish. BY SHAILESH SINGH

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orporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has got lot of attention during the last couple of years after the Companies Act, 2013 made it mandatory for profit making Indian companies to spend two per cent of their average Profit before Tax for the last three financial years on CSR. The Act also made it mandatory to set up a Board committee to review and approve annual CSR Policy of the company and monitor the progress on the same. However one thing that tends to trouble me is what was the need to

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make such a noble cause mandatory, because if the urge and belief does not arise from within to make a difference to the society, will the impact of CSR efforts of the company be sustainable. This is why I am compelled to analyse the role of HR Head and that of HR function in creating the right environment within the organization to make CSR efforts flourish. Irrespective of whether the Corporate Social Responsibility function sits with HR or in any other function, HR has a critical role to play in planning and executing the

CSR strategy and initiatives. I would like to take a broader definition of Corporate Social Responsibility. It is not just about the two per cent spend on communities in and around the area of your operations. It is about the social good becoming inherent to the business operations and also a part of the value system of the organisation and each and every employee of the organisation. Hence, I would like to analyze CSR or societal responsibility at three levels: 1. Societal impact in-built in larger social objective of the company - Businesses do not


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flourish in isolation. Businesses flourish when they are able to provide effective solutions for expressed or latent need of the society. However, the business objective should not end here only. Business should align itself with values and ethics of the society it lives and prospers in. The larger vision of the company should be guided by broader societal needs not the narrow objectives of its shareholders, employees or those engaged in the business. This is where HR function plays a critical role. While business managers tend to be focused on financial objectives of the business, HR has to play the conscience keeper of the business organization by aligning the whole organization towards its vision, mission and values. Increasing popularity of triple bottom line reporting or sustainability reporting, which has gained popularity worldwide over the past decade, is of significance. Triple bottom line reporting covers the company's performance on economic, social and environmental parameters. HR has a critical role to play in social and environmental reporting. HR plays an important role in setting the vision and values of the organization. It is also the custodian of mindset changes in the organization. Living the values and mindset change is of critical importance in incorporating social objectives as the critical component of business. 2. Doing good for the society While social good as part of business objectives mainly touches the customers of an organization, there is a need for corporates to move beyond that. Every corporate take the resources from the society it lives in and thus it also has the responsibility to give back to the society. This giving back has to go beyond the products and services it offers to its consumers, it has to be direct contribution to communities the company operates in. This is where the Corporate Social Responsibility in its narrow

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Companies Act definition comes into play. As a responsible corporate citizen who is earning profits from the society it operates in, it is the responsibility of every corporate citizen to identify the needs of the society and work towards fulfilling some of those needs. A two per cent contribution towards this could mean a corpus of around Rs.14,000 crore which is a significant amount, if properly utilized, to bring about a solution to any social problem. Adoption of villages, contribution towards Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, healthcare facilities in remote areas, hygiene are some of the critical areas which have been formed as part of CSR programs of the companies. HR can play a critical role in decision making on the themes the company should pick up. They understand the pulse of their employees as well as the vision of the company. This helps them in identifying the areas where the company can make the most contribution. 3. Volunteering opportunities for employees - There is no doubt that as human beings we want to do good for our fellow human beings who are not as privileged as us. To some extent, we want to share our relative superior well being with less privileged ones. Most of the time it is not the lack of desire to do something good for the society but the lack of opportunity and sheer inertia that does not allow people to contribute towards the social good. This is an area where HR can play the most important role by creating a robust volunteering programs for its employees at all levels. The CSR program should not just touch the society; it should touch one's own employees too. HR can offer opportunities to its employees to volunteer in social activities of the company and inspire each and every employee by leading the social effort. My experience tells me that it is the leadership that drives social contribution and thus the HR Head along with fellow leaders have to take the responsibility of driving social programs of the company. Their

Shailesh Singh Director & Chief People Officer at Max Life Insurance Mr. Shailesh Singh is responsible for developing and implementing successful Human Resources strategies that support long term growth and transformation of the organization. Prior to joining, Max Life Insurance, he worked as Country HR Leader for GE India Supplychain comprising all its manufacturing operations, sourcing, materials and logistics. He headed HR responsibility for GE Energy - India operations. He was earlier the Regional HR Leader for GE Energy (Africa, India and Middle East).

participation inspires the whole organization to contribute. Such initiatives then become part of the fabric of the organization. They provide a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment to their employees. In many cases, they help organizations become attractive as employers. The biggest shortfall in implementing any social program is not the lack of money but the lack of motivated people power. This is where a welloiled volunteering program could be of critical importance. It is time the HR function of every company takes the lead in driving societal good as a cultural milieu of the organization. It is time for HR to drive the mindset of its people to build a socially conscious HC organization.

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Inculcating the

CSR ethos To ensure the credibility of corporate social responsibility programs, it is important to embed the CSR culture within a company's and employees' mindset. BY RANU KULSHRESTHA

orporate Social Responsibility… often interpreted as something beyond business is a highly undermined notion. On the contrary it is and has to be the way to conduct business. It is an essential to be imbibed and integrated in the business processes and operations if the business has to continue successfully. It becomes all the more imperative in today's world where the stakeholder groups are aware, alert and assertive and communication is fast and varied. Another restraining thought around CSR is the general perception of

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interpreting CSR and Community Development as one and the same thing. This interpretation to a great extent is a resonance of CSR as something beyond business. It is this perception that restricts an organization and the implementation bodies from embracing CSR as an integral part of business planning, operations, communication.

Credibility beyond compliance Some activities possess a peculiar penchant for attracting unwelcome attention, even scepticism. In this unusual category, CSR or corporate social


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responsibility activities can be safely clubbed. The reason the word 'CSR' holds negative connotations is not too difficult to decipher. Many corporate entities are viewed with deep suspicion in myriad geographies globally. Consequently, CSR activities of such companies are taken with a pinch of salt. Clearly, companies need to ingrain CSR within their DNA and daily activities to eliminate the taint that such activities are aligned to PR. This is not to suggest that companies refrain from publicising CSR measures. There are instances where publicising it inspires others to do likewise, benefitting society at large. But such publicity needs to be undertaken selectively, not as a matter of course. Many stakeholders are perceptive enough to differentiate between deliberate placements of CSR cases versus need-based publication. The former erodes credibility, the latter enhances it. Also, these stakeholder groups are vigilant enough to assess if the over publicity of CSR activities is to cover up a business related irresponsible instance of the company and therefore it is essential to imbibe and integrate CSR within the company rather than only extending helping hand towards community development. The above elaboration clarifies that while CSR has collateral benefits for

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companies, these initiatives could boomerang if undue steps are taken to publicise the same. But if media publicity arises of its own accord, the company is welcome to discuss it as required. Yet, there is a fine line between publicity and self-publicity. Given the sensitivities involved in publicising CSR activities, a cautious approach is advisable. In other words, CSR should extend beyond legal obligations to address the needs of all stakeholders and society at large, while building a more sustainable business. Also note that CSR, business sustainability and bottom-line benefits can be handmaidens. For instance, operational efficiencies can be achieved by reducing energy and material consumption as inputs for production. Wastes can also be curbed and materials recycled. Taken together, these result in concomitant environmental and economic benefits for the company, boosting profitability and allowing scope for higher CSR outlays. A CSR-centric company also tends to create conducive conditions at the workplace that increases employees' commitment and motivation to become more innovative, productive and CSRconscious. Such a working ambience boosts the loyalty and commitment of staff to the company. Companies with a

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Ranu Kulshrestha Group Head – CSR, Hindustan Powerprojects Ranu Kulshrestha heads the CSR function of Hindustan Powerprojects Private Limited. During her career spanning over 18 years, She has worked at various levels – right from the grassroots to advocacy and policy development at various ministries and industry bodies. As the Chief Executive of Moser Baer Trust, she has successfully integrated CSR and Employee Volunteerism in the core business and her leadership is widely acclaimed for the stakeholder engagement through a process driven program management.

positive CSR image then find it easier to hire, retain and motivate employees, which could augment productivity and reduce absenteeism too. Another key feature of CSRinclined entities is how they engage with various stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, vendors, customers, communities, NGOs and the authorities. Such companies engage in open dialogue, form effective partnerships and demonstrate transparency in all practices, increasing their credibility and trust quotient. This is a crucial benefit that increases their "licence to operate", enhances prospects for community support over the long term and boosts their capacity to be more sustainable. Incidentally, CSR does not always hold financial implications and can involve almost any aspect of a company's operations. These could include environmental management, eco-efficiency, responsible sourcing, stakeholder engagement, labour standards and working conditions, employee and community relations, social equity, gender equality, human rights, good governance and anticorruption measures. Coming back to the credibility conundrum, the other important element in imparting robust credibility to CSR efforts is to inculcate this ethos in every employee thoroughly. The company should act as an equal-opportunities employer promoting diversity at all levels. This is especially relevant to India which has very diverse groups

both in-term social and economic strata and structures. Mainstreaming them into the business through affirmative actions would add value to the organization… both in-terms of bringing diverse perspective and also gaining a repute of a real equal opportunity organization, not to forget the value addition in nation building. It is important to mention here that the significance of mainstreaming of women as contributors to the economy and their increased participation and role can only be achieved if the organization consciously works towards it. Robust policies and efficient mechanisms to implement them are essential for gender mainstreaming and a socially responsible organization will have this agenda in mind while adopting policies and practices for the business be it recruitment, representation at senior level, in various functions, effective and strong harassment free culture with zero tolerance for sexual harassment, post maternity leave measures for female employees to catch up, etc. Such a mind-set is especially important because for millennia women in India have been traditionally relegated to the background in personal and professional domains. The competency of women at the workplace can be gauged from the fact that in some verticals empirical evidence indicates women are indeed the professional "better halves", so to say, of their male counterparts and perform especially well in

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CSR has collateral benefits for companies, however, these initiatives could boomerang if undue steps are taken to publicise the same.

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A CSR-centric company tends to create conducive conditions at the workplace that increases employees’ commitment and motivation to become more innovative, productive and CSR-conscious.

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The other important element in imparting robust credibility to CSR efforts is to inculcate this ethos in every employee thoroughly.

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A company with women helming select top roles would not be viewed sceptically when undertaking CSR initiatives that empower women.

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Direct engagement helps in aligning the actual needs of the community needs and the management understanding of CSR.


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banking and allied domains. Women in banking and finance perform even better in the upper echelons as CEOs, MDs and Chairpersons , as attested by banks such as ICICI, Axis and SBI, to mention a few led by women. Organizations with this mind-set and with women's empowerment embedded within the company's culture, it would be in the fitness of things to launch external women's empowerment programs, whereby women from nearby regions could be helped in various ways. A company with women helming select top roles would not be viewed sceptically when undertaking CSR initiatives that empower women. This is because it would be clear that this particular company walks the talk. It is difficult to challenge the credentials of persons who practice what they preach, unlike those whose words and deeds are poles apart. Such organizations would be held in high esteem by employees, customers and other stakeholders. With these learning lessons in mind, Hindustan Powerprojects works for the uplift of contiguous communities near the Company's areas of operations, with special focus on women's development and empowerment. The programs are revolved around capacities enhancement of each individual for their economic, social and intellectual development, with the emphasis on ensuring beneficiaries become self-sufficient and selfreliant in the future. To institutionalise gender participation in the rural development program, most of the village level paraprofessionals are the tribal women who are trained to use new age technology and agricultural practices. These women in turn reach out to 100-150 families each and facilitate and supervise the usage of this information under the HPPPL initiated SAFAL a livelihood program which focuses towards ensuring food

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sufficiency and sustainable livelihoods by promoting farm and non-farm based livelihood activities. In the beginning year itself the programme got high receptivity from the beneficiaries as it was addressing their expressed needs. In its two years, it has reached out to almost 2000 families in two locations through its multiple livelihood enhancement programs like improved paddy wheat and chickpea cultivation, vegetable cultivation, rejuvenation of the lac sector and backyard poultry. The average productivity has increased tremendously from 3.5Qt/acre to 23.5Qt/acre and 2.9Qt/acre to 12Qt/ acre in paddy and wheat respectively. This intervention has not only ensured the food sufficiency for the villagers but also has reinforced their lost belief in their traditional occupation. Gender inclusion is also a focus in building community based institutions in the form of SHGs through which all the programs are routed once they achieve maturity… In the same direction of empowerment, HPPPL undertook an educational intervention which focuses on women's empowerment through "Power of Literacy". This program was not only confined to

literacy rather other additional inputs on life-skills education, vocational training as well as training on theatre and educational projects were given to ensure their grooming and development. These initiatives are successful because the Company's employees and other stakeholders believe the programs are meant for the betterment and development of society, rather than for simply ticking the right boxes about the CSR programs undertaken each year. Also they are not in contradiction to the practices at the business operational level. Another significant point is that the CSR community engagement programmes are not out-sourced. Direct engagement helps in aligning the actual needs of the community needs and the management's understanding of CSR. Employee engagement through volunteering also helps in transferring and imbibing the values and also in reassuring that we actually practice that we publicise. This is how the CSR ethos embedded within every employee's mind can make an immense difference to the success of such HC programs.

1 Why banking mints the most women CEOs in India, The Economic Times, 4 October 2013

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CSR: In letter & spirit An organization which has its vision and strategy hinging on philanthropic and CSS agenda exudes much more positive imagery in terms of internal and external employer branding and able to attract and retain more number of employees besides securing the long-term commitment of existing employees. BY SANJEEV DIXIT

orporate Social Responsibility in today's context is very vital for the overall growth strategy as it primarily drives the organizations to act responsibly as a corporate citizen. As part of this belief, organizations while planning and executing business growth agenda should also put high consideration to social, economic and environmental sustainability on high stakes. This belief of corporates towards social, environmental and resources sustainability builds the foundation of long- term and strong Corporate Social Sustainability (CSS) culture which then drives the behaviours of leaders, managers, employees across levels and functions. The CSS culture promotes top down and bottoms up alignment of employees towards overall sustenance of their participation in organization sponsored CSS activities under the areas of Health, Education, social up-liftment, environmental awareness and improvement. Going by Maslow hierarchy of human needs, post fulfilment of basic, social and security needs, human look for self-

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fulfilment and self-actualisation needs and this urge can only be satiated once he finds a purpose through his work life or Organization sponsored avenues where he or she can contribute in terms of time, energy, focus, involvement and advocacy. CSS culture centric work environment provides relevant ingredients to enhance employees' advocacy program for promoting CSS initiatives within the organisation. Once employee find a sense of value and purpose by being involved in self-fulfilment activities facilitated by CSS culture, he started getting engaged with the organization and its vision to support CSS agenda through his head, heart and soul. An organization which has got its vision and strategy hinges on philanthropic and CSS agenda exudes much more positive imagery in terms of internal and external employer branding and able to attract and retain more number of employees besides securing the long- term commitment of existing employees. Even employees take lot of pride to be associated with organization which believes in CSS philosophy in letter


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and spirit. The above hypothesis is very well supported by empirical evidences analysed through various employee engagement surveys carried out in various organisation worldwide wherein it has clearly come out that employees in organisation which has strong culture of supporting and encouraging people in CSS initiatives are more engaged with high sense of ownership and commitment towards such organisation vis a vis others. Even the Gen-Y and millennial employees are more inclined to join and be with companies which are CSS oriented. It has also been observed that high performing employees are also very comfortable and feel connected in a philanthropic oriented work culture. Thus it's proved that by leveraging CSS, organizations not only enhance its reputation but increase the employee engagement and commitment which further results in the improvement in organization productivity and business impact by increasing employees' retention.

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Employees survey findings (extract courtesy white paper Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Engagement: Making the Connection authored by Rob gross and Bill Holland) reveals: G Forty four per cent of young professionals said they would discount an employer with a bad reputation and nearly half said corporate social responsibility policies should be compulsory. G Eighty per cent of respondents would prefer working for a company that has a good reputation for environmental responsibility. Interestingly, respondents were more concerned about working for an environmentally responsible company than purchasing from one. G Working for an organization whose

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Sanjeev Dixit Chief People’s Officer- ABD Sanjeev comes with 15+ years of comprehensive and hands on HR experience in diversified industries with specialization of People processes like Performance Management, Organization Capability building, Employee Relations & Management, etc. He is currently the Chief People Officer at Allied Blenders and Distillers( ABD). He has worked with Alstom India where he was the Country HR Director and was overall responsible for driving HR shared services for different SBUs of their India Operations. Prior to this, Sanjeev was with PepsiCo India where he was General Manager-HR for their Beverages Business of South Market Unit based out of Chennai

employees positively view corporate responsibility efforts has a significant, favourable impact on how they rate their pride in the organization, their overall satisfaction, their willingness to recommend it as a place to work and their intention to stay. G When employees view their organization's commitment to socially responsible behaviour more favourably, they also tend to have more positive attitudes in other areas that correlate with better performance, such as customer service and leadership from management. G Seven out of 10 employees in organizations that are viewed by employees as socially responsible rated senior management as having high integrity compared with just one in five employees who were negative about their employer's CSR record. G CSR is the third most important driver of employee engagement overall, and an organization's reputation for social responsibility is an important driver for both engagement and retention. G A company's reputation as a good employer ranks sixth as an attraction driver. Accordingly, "organizations with a reputation for CSR can take advantage of their status and strengthen their appeal as an attractive employer by making their commitment part of their value proposition for

potential candidates. In my experience across various companies where I have worked, the CSS drive had moved from basic level of plantation of trees, blood donations to working around strategic theme of Resources sustainability like Rain water harvesting, zero based water utilisation, waste recycling and management, resource conservation, etc. In my current organization Allied Blenders & Distillers, CSS is a strategic critical factor of the overall organization strategy and well aligned to the company's vision to be the "Most Admired Spirits Company". In order to live the vision in letter & spirit, keeping in view the society as the most important stakeholder, the company has shown its intent to drive the Corporate Social Sustainability under the aegis and brand name of ABD Yogdaan.

Vision of ABD Yogdaan "To position ABD as a socially active Corporate Citizen & Most Admired Company and leverage the activities for the social cause and company, involving employees through volunteering, wherever possible."

Objective ABD is gaining from the positive changes triggered by the fast growing economy in India. Conscious of its responsibility

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takeaways

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Corporate Social Responsibility is vital for the overall growth strategy as it primarily drives the organizations to act responsibly as a corporate citizen.

G

CSS culture centric work environment provides relevant ingredients to enhance employees’ advocacy program for promoting CSS initiatives within the organization.

G

Any organization which has its vision and strategy hinging on philanthropic and CSS agenda exudes much more positive imagery in terms of internal and external employer branding and able to attract and retain more number of employees besides securing the long- term commitment of existing employees.

G

Even the Gen-Y and millennial employees are more inclined to join and be with companies which are CSS oriented.

G

High performing employees are also comfortable and feel connected in a philanthropic oriented work culture.


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Pillars of sustainable development - CSS programs to choose from

towards the society, we stand committed to invest in neighborhood communities, more and more and improve the quality of life and inculcate a sense of well-being amongst the people, settled around. G The Corporate vision of CSS goes like this, "To behave fairly & responsibly contributing to sustainable economic development and improving the quality of life in the neighborhood, in the process maximizing stakeholders' value." G Accountable for impact on stakeholders - work force, their family, the local community and society at large. G Improving the quality of life of the neighborhood in ways good for development for impact on stakeholders - work force, their family, the local community and society at large.

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Through Company sponsorship and Employee advocacy as employee engagement in Corporate Social Responsibilities will sustain the practices. G ABD is keen in making positive contribution to society by targeting social and cultural issues, maintaining a humanitarian approach, focus on areas in and around our Offices / Factories and areas of operations. G

Supporting societal development by contributing towards and involving our employees in person towards: G Education and skills training: Training and earning opportunity to differently challenged youth, underprivileged children and young adults, tribal communities. Alleviation of poverty, financial inclusion for migrant labour. G Cultural & sports development:

Supporting various community programs by local citizens. Helping to create entrepreneurship opportunities. G Health & quality of life: Safe drinking water, sanitation, health disadvantaged. G Environment preservation: Carbon footprint reduction, increasing green cover, promote bio-diversity. With the business environment becoming more and more volatile, complex, uncertain and ambiguous, the imperative will be to leverage CSS as driver for fulfilling key strategic objectives of business which includes attracting and retaining talents, enhancing their engagement, commitment and thus productivity and collectively make high return on investment from employee engagement HC through CSS drive.

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Aligning the millennials in the CSR movement Millennials feel strongly about the society that they live in and will not shy away from working to make it better. The key is to engage them, understand their perspective and design high impact CSR programs on a sustained basis. BY KIRAN AIDHI here is a fallacy about the millennials or Gen Y (those born after 1982) - that they are selfobsessed, self-indulgent lot that does not care much about the larger good of the society. But like several other misconceptions about this generation, this belief too is not true. In fact, they strongly feel about the social causes they espouse, more than the baby boomers. The millennials have witnessed the high trajectory economy in which corporate honchos like Ratan Tata, Azim Premji, Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao who have chosen to commit substantial part of their personal wealth towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Millennial alumni of premier institutions like IITs and IIMs have also contributed significantly to create infrastructure at their alma mater. Most of the participants at events like Pinkathon or Go Green initiatives that champion causes of women empowerment, environment etc are millennials. Several of these millennials have just one sibling or less and hence demonstrate the urge to give back to the society that they fall upon. The young working professionals, in fact, go beyond the call of duty, working with NGOs on weekends to support social causes, take a sabbatical to work with organizations like Teach India, and even design technological interventions, using their skills. This perspective is critical to understanding and aligning millennials with a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement.

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smartphones. Thus, they become endorsers for a cause or CSR program if engaged in the right way over mobile, social and IM platforms. Organizations need to understand these traits of the 'mobile-first generation' and accordingly engage them for CSR. At Virtusa, we use our own social platform, RAVE, which is used to thank, recognize and reward employee contributions towards CSR activities. This platform has been combined with gamification, badges and leaderboards to further enhance the millennial engagement. Millennials seek instant gratification

Engaging millennials through social media, crowd sourcing Leveraging social media is critical to engaging millennials, as they are highly dependent on social media to get and share information. If they are able to associate with a CSR initiative, they will spread the word over social (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and Instant Messaging (IM) platforms ( WhatsApp, WeChat etc) using their

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which means that it is crucial to share updates about the difference they were able to create. Such a move will ensure repeat participation during later stages of the CSR activity. Social media also provides scope for crowd


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sourcing of unique ideas - to shortlist consume news on the go on their causes to be associated with, to smart devices and feel the need to announce actual rollout and the respond to such calamities in a timely resultant impact. It is advisable to manner. Organizations cannot afford identify the social causes that an to ignore putting in place such organization wants to advocate. It is mechanisms and processes. not possible for any organization to Also, millennials will look forward work on all the social fronts - be it to their leaders - team, business etc education, poverty alleviation, - to lead from the front with their Kiran Aidhi environment protection etc. Hence, active involvement. There has to be a Director-HR, Virtusa Corporation it makes sense for HR teams to crowd top-down approach for all CSR Kiran Aidhi is Director-HR for Virtusa source ideas from their workforce programs being implemented by an Corporation, a well-known information on social causes they want to work organization. This will underline the technology services provider with a global on, keeping in line with the vision, commitment of the senior reach. She possesses more than 17 years of values and beliefs of the organization management and also their extensive experience in HR which includes and its founders. This will make it expectations from their teams in Talent Management, Talent Engagement, Talent Development, Performance more compelling for millennial participating and ensuring success of Management, Succession Planning and employees to participate in the CSR the initiative. Career Transitions. Prior to this, she has initiatives. A sense of ownership also worked with Accenture, Convergys, Tech comes into a play in such a scenario, Delineate CSR and Mahindra Business Services, Le Royale something the young professionals sustainability Meridian and Bharti Airtel. Kiran has done relish and revel in. It is important to clearly delineate CSR her MBA from IIPM Delhi and has spent Social media awareness most of her career life in Mumbai. from sustainability initiatives of an campaigns on CSR can also help organization. The communication organizations in attracting talent as it is one of the factors outreach to millennial employees also needs to reflect considered by millennials while joining employment. It this. They need to know whether they contributing to a is also a good idea for HR teams to brief new employees social cause with significant impact or to create sustainable about the CSR initiatives of the organization during practices for the long term. Observance of Earth Hour or induction as this will help to create a connect. move o encourage employees to cycle to work cannot be clubbed under CSR. Once employees know what they are Design innovative CSR initiatives to attract contributing to, they will be clear in their minds on the millennials efforts they want to put in. Such delineation will The millennial generation is deep-rooted with innovation demonstrate to the millennial employees, the seriousness and technological interventions as a way of of the senior management in fulfilling their social life. They do not wish to indulge in lip service responsibility. The new norms for CSR by the Government by involving themselves with a one-off activity. of India also mandate that CSR and sustainability activities They also do not appreciate unplanned, should not be mixed up. unstructured CSR programs. They need to Above all, it is vital that there are no barriers to see scale in the initiative. They are more than participation in CSR - set low barriers for involvement and offer a spectrum of participation opportunities. Across willing to be part of long and sustained campaigns that have defined objectives. the board, there has to be a lot of communication about Considering all these factors, it is pertinent to a CSR event much before it takes off. Since most of these design CSR programs in an innovative manner. activities happen on a weekend, adequate time must be given so as to draw a firm commitment from millennial For instance, creating an e-learning module based on gamification for underprivileged employees. It is also important to ensure continuity of children to teach them math skills. Millennials social causes espoused and identifying employees who believe technology can solve many of the care deeply about a certain cause. Such employees should problems faced by the society and rightly so. also be recognized and encouraged so that they become Innovative initiatives like incubating and icons for other employees to follow. Create leaderboards funding social enterprises that make a to celebrate the individual contribution to CSR programs. difference to the lives of a section of the society A narrative capturing the entire corporate story of is another example. At Virtusa, we developed contribution to social causes revealed through campaigns an app for the Corporation of Chennai that across social media will also instill a greater pride among ensures public utilities like parks and toilets millennial employees. are well maintained and provide redressal mechanisms Millennials feel strongly about the society that they in case they are found to be lacking. It is also live in and will not shy away from working to make it recommended to put in place a CSR committee that can better. The key is to engage them, understand their engage with NGOs and Government wings to respond to perspective and design high impact CSR programs on a HC natural calamities like floods, earthquakes, etc. Millennials sustained basis.

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Building synergies:

C-suite to CSR CSR as an agenda can prove to be truly transformational for the companies and the community in the country. Strong leadership from the CEO and the Board can ensure that good intentions are translated into action and results and result in societal transformation. BY DR. GANESH NATARAJAN

ne of the best outcomes of the directive from the Government that Companies should spend two per cent of their profits on a CSR agenda has been the elevation of the CSR discussion to the management committees and the boards of business organisations in the country. In a country where the disparities between the haves and

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have-nots are reaching gargantuan proportions, the focus on CSR comes not a minute too early. An organization can no longer be defined only by the quantum of its bottom-line but by the way it generates profits, the concerns it shows for people and its contribution to the planet. This triple bottom-line approach is in alignment with organizational values comprising

Customer Centricity, Commitment to People and Community, Continuous Innovation and Excellence. Zensar Technologies is a case in point in the way it has set itself up to serve. As a company, we have embraced the triple bottom-line approach as the only way of ensuring sustainable and complete success. All initiatives are CEO led with the support of the CSR Committee of the Board and

the Zensar Foundation trustees and managed by a very motivated team. Some of these initiatives are…

more than 1200 beneficiaries.

Community development

Zensar is taking its computer literacy initiative to the next level through the National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM) which has a goal of at least one person being digitally literate in every household by the year 2020. Zensar is contributing to the mission by taking up this goal for its slum communities in Pune and Hyderabad. These courses are being administered in partnership with NASSCOM Foundation through 2 NDLM centres one each at Hyderabad and Pune imparting digital training.

In Pune and Hyderabad, where our delivery centres are located, we work closely with slum communities. We facilitate their transformation through our goals and their enunciated priorities. We believe this interplay reconciles the best of outside-in and ground-up approaches leading to sustainable transformation.

English proficiency: Udaan English centre Udaan is our flagship programme where we address the English proficiency of children drawn from the Chandan Nagar slum community and going to the same municipal school. We have reinforced the effectiveness of our language training through the fusion of classroom and digital technology. Around 48 students have benefitted from this personalised initiative. The success of the programme has far exceeded its functional scope: the trainees have evolved into confident children, they have turned 'teachers' for their siblings, emerged as change-makers within the community and drivers of other community initiatives; besides, families have opened out to progressive mind-sets and there is a strong demand from the community for Udaan to be extended to more community children.

Digital literacy: National digital literacy mission

Community mobilization Zensar believes that extensive community transformation can only transpire when people from the

associates (as opposed to field workers) are now becoming changemakers and community mobilisers, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Gender sensitization At Zensar, we believe that the most lasting behavioural change is achieved by starting with the young generation. In line with this, we commenced a gender sensitisation programme (managed by Equal Community Foundation) for young male adults aged 14-17 years in Chandan Nagar and Yamuna Nagar. Three batches have been completed so far involving 50 youth. Over the months, the youngsters have transformed their understanding of women's roles, capabilities and equality. The entire initiative has acquired scale and maturity to be grown to other locations. Summary of outcomes: following

Computer literacy: IT school program At Zensar, we believe that computer literacy is essential for modern-day success. In line with this, we run computer literacy classes for underprivileged children across 5 schools in Pune and Hyderabad, as part of the weekly school timetable. The curriculum includes the parts and uses of the computer, TUX paint, Scratch and step-wise thinking. The students learn through activities, games, theory and practice. They are given projects to innovate and learn by doing. The total outreach through this programme has been

outside engage extensively with residents within. This volunteerdriven initiative in Chandan Nagar (Pune), undertaken in partnership with the 'Connecting…NGO' comprises periodic engagements with neighbourhood residents, house-to-house visits, understanding resident problems, inspiring counterinitiatives and providing them with the confidence to resolve their issues. Over the months, this initiative has evolved to a point where Zensar

ECF's intervention, there is a broader sharing of domestic responsibilities amongst family members, reduction of discrimination against the female family members, and very importantly, sowing the seeds for long term advocacy of women's equality.

Healthcare For the last several years, Zensar has been providing free health-care interventions within under-privileged

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THE SHIFTING FOCUS TOWARDS CSR communities in Chandan Nagar (Pune) and Anjaiah Nagar (Hyderabad). This has now been extended to a third slum community called Yamuna Nagar in Pune. We address high community incidence of fever, seasonal ailments, body pain, headache, blood pressure, asthma and diabetes through free doctor visits, medicines and health camps. Around 4,000 individuals benefited from these initiatives in 2014-2015.

Employability programs Ganesh Natarajan Vice Chairman & CEO Zensar Technologies Ganesh Natarajan is Vice Chairman & CEO at Zensar Technologies, a global firm that transforms Technology and Processes for Fortune 500 companies. He is a Board Member of the RPG Group, Board Member of Global Talent Track, Chair - Knowledge IP & Innovation CII and member of the Chairmen’s Council of NASSCOM.

At Zensar, we provide courses that prepare under-privileged individuals for promising careers that help transform their destinies. Our Hardware and Networking course has built a demonstrable model for employability within the IT industry, endorsed by a 75 per cent placement. Our Unnati Skill Development Centre, which runs multiple courses in collaboration with Thermax Social Initiative Foundation and Pune Municipal Corporation, has reported 100 per cent placement across its batches for all those willing to work. Our employability training is being scaled through the Employee Skills Development programme where we have trained over 850 students in the year 2014-15, in their last year of college for roles within the country's IT sector, preparing students for full-fledged careers. Our Learnership Development Program is a global training program addressing the growing needs of young South Africans from previously disadvantaged backgrounds to be trained in contemporary technologies with the objective of finding gainful employment.

Volunteering Twenty per cent of Zensarians invest in active volunteering across the Company's CSR projects in Pune and Hyderabad - all in their personal time, that is, outside of office hours. In addition to providing these individuals with the opportunity to transform ground-level realities, these engagements have provided

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Zensarians with the opportunity to enrich their own personalities, in terms of enhancing empathy, patience, listening skills, time management and leadership capabilities. As an endorsement of the fact that volunteering reinforces workplace engagement, people engagement among volunteers in the last year was 300 bps higher than the organizational average. Zensar is an active participant in a city-wide campaign through Pune Action Task Force which has three focus areas, namely, Swachh, Saakshar and Digital transformation. Zensar truly believes that collaboration between corporates, NGOs and the Government will transform Pune city. At city level, state level and participation in national initiatives like the National Digital Literacy Mission, Zensar is an example of one company that has taken CSR as a core agenda and seen the benefits.

Making CSR successful CSR as an agenda can prove to be truly transformational for the companies and the community in the country. While it is oft said that CSR is part of nobody's KRAs but everybody's job, strong leadership from the CEO and the Board can ensure that good intentions are translated into action and results and result in societal transformation. There are three key roles the CEO can and should plan in a successful and scalable CSR program 1. Personal involvement in setting up the vision and strategy for CSR. 2. Ensuring robustness of the governance mechanisms - Board Committees, Trustess, Social Workers and audit and strategy mechanisms are all part of this. 3. Evangelising the CSR agenda to all stakeholders and demonstrating passion with company volunteers, NGOs and the community and government touch points. At the end of the day, CSR succeeds only when it is seen as core to the business of the company and this is why leadership involvement is essential to its ongoing success HC


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