CSR is worth the investment

When prospective employees attend interviews at The Co-operators Group Limited, a national insurance provider, they often have the company’s sustainability report in hand. “They ask us if the information about our social and environmental performance is real, and we tell them - what you read is what you get,” relates Barbara Turley-McIntyre, director of sustainability and corporate citizenship. “The insurance industry is facing a war on talent, and we want to be an employer of choice. Our sustainability program is a big part of that.” New research findings from the Hewitt Associates 2010 Best Employers in Canada study confirm that the experience of The Co-operators Group is growing across a range of industries. There is a strong link between employee engagement and the way employees view their employers’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach. (Read the May 2010 article "CSR is worth the investment" at CAmagazine online.)