HR Magazine met with Mukta Arya, Head of People and Talent Development, and Frank Drouet, Deputy Head of Global Markets, Société Générale—Asia Pacific (SG) ahead of their Siem Reap Charity Bike Ride that took place on 8 & 9 October 2011. We found out what CSR means to organisations today and how it’s helping HR.
What does CSR mean to you?
Arya: Doing things in the company will have a positive impact on society and it makes us more responsible–a more responsible employer.
What role does CSR play in Société Générale?
Arya: We have a long history of CSR. In different countries we have associations, employee committees, etc. catering for CSR. In 2009, a CSR department was officially formed at group level and our mission statement is ‘social inclusion via education’. We prepare activities to support education—education of women and underprivileged children.
How are staff involved in the SG bike ride?
Arya: Around 80 people participated in this event and each individual has pledged to raise EUR 600. The participants spent two days cycling in Cambodia’s hot and sultry weather. Seven different offices in the Pacific region sent representatives to participate including Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India and Singapore. The representatives are raising money for CARE Cambodia and can also choose to donate money to local charities from their own countries such as the earthquake relief needed in Japan. SG gives the participants the freedom to apportion their money. The common passion shared is the same—it’s an opportunity for employees to bond and is important to SG as a means of employee engagement. Many spouses came along too! Family members are more than welcome as this further encourages participation and helps raise more money for the charities. Furthermore, two days of CSR leave is given to staff. The bike ride takes place on a weekend so with two extra days of paid leave; employees can take the Monday and Tuesday off to relax.
Drouet: The participants receive financial support from SG regarding accommodation and required equipment, but they have to pay for their own flights. Sponsorships are also available for junior members of staff—to encourage all employees from every level to take part.
How will the event help the community?
Arya: The money donated will go to three different programmes that are under the umbrella of the CARE foundation in Cambodia: the Highland Communities Programme, We Bloom and Young Women in Business. The focus is on the education of those who are from underprivileged backgrounds.
Drouet: We value the promotion of education as the development of a country is reflected in the education of its children. Education is at the core of SG. With education playing a significant role in our professional life, it was easy to choose education as the foundation for our CSR initiatives. Development starts with education.
What do participants get out of the event?
Drouet: Apart from stronger calf muscles, employees benefit greatly. Staff from many different countries and business lines do not often get the opportunity to meet in their normal business lives—here they can come and share something together. It is also a cultural event—employees get to experience something truly wonderful as they cycle in places such as Beijing and Siem Reap. We share videos of the experiences at staff events such as the Christmas party so that those who have participated can really feel good about what they’ve done. The event also helps break down communication barriers between employees and creates a working environment in which people can easily turn to one another without fear.
Arya: The participants cycle together in groups of seven or eight and they help each other face challenges. If one is lagging behind, they encourage each other. These outcomes tie in with our mission 2015 which aims to make SG an even more relationship-focused bank chosen for the quality and commitment of its team. What the participants get out of our CSR initiatives helps us to achieve this particular goal.
How important is HR to the success of CSR?
Arya: CSR is employee related, for example when we are at campuses recruiting graduates, the younger generation has shown to be very interested in how we approach CSR. It is HR’s responsibility to inform our future employees. We publicise the CSR events during the graduate training induction week because for new employees it is a positive way to integrate better into the company–it is a platform for meeting new people. When SG holds a CSR event, it is those from the younger generation who sign up first to take part. We believe that the link between CSR and HR is so strong that, in 2006, we launched a global game for university students called Citizen Act in which they needed to work together to create a bank based on CSR.
Drouet: Without HR planting the seed and pushing the CSR initiative, it will never grow.
How does CSR help HR?
Arya: By welcoming employees’ family members, we feel the bond between the employee and SG is strengthened. Through CSR we are encouraging our employees to be responsible, so we are portraying SG as a responsible bank. This image builds trust and this leaves an impression on our customers. The effect is often difficult to see in the short-term, but in the long-term it will be rewarding.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
