CSR is an integral portion of a company’s operations and it not only is a way to show to the people that the for-profit companies do care about the community and its people but also a way to promote their brand through a variety of social occasions. A company’s CSR programs can appeal to the public and optimize people’s sentiment toward a particular company.
Many CSR campaigns can help promote a company’s employer brand because many Burmese people actually do care about who they work for - are they just profit making organizations that ignore the negative ramifications that they leave to the environment or are they caring and responsible people who always calibrate their actions so as not to harm the communities they’re established in ? Therefore, it has become more important than ever for companies that operate in Myanmar to occasionally engage in or organize CSR programs for a positive employer image.
There are three generic kinds of CSR programs that a lot of companies choose to participate in or organize and here below are these three programs along with the positive impact they can have on your employer brand.
Supporting Charitable Causes
This is a very common and simple act of philanthropy the companies can engage in. There are various ways a company can represent another non-profit organization or community to help them procure funds. One of them is to make donations of any amount and in return, as a token of appreciation, they will mention about your company during public occasions or your company’s name in prints, which can definitely promote your company’s profile within the society especially these days when people do care about others’ welfare and the community wholesomeness is an interest of the public. Donations can really multiply the favor your company can earn from the people particularly in a country like Myanmar where generosity, hospitality and philanthropy are the bedrock of its people.
Another way to support the charities and non-profit organizations would be to help them fortify their fundraising drives or awareness campaigns especially if your company is more or less established in the market and can convince more people to donate for these charities; having a familiar brand support a charity can add up to the credibility of that charity and usually rake in much more funds that it would without the backup of a reliable business name. This is also a very common trend in Myanmar where a lot of brands make appearances on an awareness raising TV ads or incorporate the information about the charities on the company’s marketing collaterals. Most of Myanmar’s banks including KBZ and CB Banks are reputed for supporting the charities in abovementioned ways.
Third, your company can also choose to have your employees represent the charities more interactively and get them to volunteer for these organizations. You can assign the employees for certain volunteering activities to engage them with the communities they care about. Although such an initiative may have limited success on other business environments, companies operating in Myanmar definitely should consider this way of creating a linkage between your employees and the communities because Burmese people are always helpful and it is never an extra burden to give a hand to those in need.
However, companies and their representatives should always take note that supporting random causes and making extravagant donations can result in insincerity and monetary loss which is why it should always be advised to wisely select which cause your company wants to support. Some factors to consider while making such a decision might include the credibility and impact level of the charity and the relevance of the charity to your company’s vision and missions.
Supporting charitable causes can show your potential employees which causes you, as an employer, support and which societal sectors your company is passionate about. It also informs the public that the company is more than a profit making body. Company-wide CSR engagements can also give the employees an opportunity to volunteer and give back to the communities they belong to and create a bigger sense of affiliation between the company and the community.
Sponsoring Education
Participating in educational programs and supporting them could be another ideal way a company can get themselves known in the youth community. Funding the universities for either research or scholarships can be a good way the companies can link up to the students; the companies can design scholarship packages for students and those who receive those scholarships might be exemplary individuals that other students might follow and from there, these scholarship packages can become a representation of academic merit that a lot of students might be vying for. This is how your company can establish a good brand not just in the commercial market but also in the educational one.
Merit scholarships provided by the profit-seeking companies is something relatively new in Myanmar’s educational segment because most of Myanmar’s public universities are tuition-free and there is not a particular need to provide scholarships to cover the tuition but it should always be noted that some degree programs in Burmese universities come with additional expenses like medical or engineering schools where the supplementary equipments and reference books are expensive and that could be where the companies come in and be the benefactors for students who can’t afford them.
As an alternative, the companies can partner with colleges and universities to provide loans or bursaries for students who demonstrate a financial need for their studies. Many students in Myanmar now are not able to afford tertiary education and low interest loans can really put them on the right track for their careers. In most of Myanmar’s rural areas, students who finish their secondary education might be required to cut their education short and opt to work for minimum wage instead of advancing to colleges and universities because they need to provide for their family and going for higher education might strain their family economy. Myanmar companies can really seek out such less fortunate groups of people and let them have access to many opportunities they could not normally have.
Sponsoring educational causes can forge meaningful partnerships with colleges and universities from where your company can get leads and recruiting opportunities. Your company can scan the student body and network with students before their graduation to see if there are any potential candidates who would be great fits for your company’s roles. This kind of university related CSR schemes can make your company known to the universities and students, brand yourself as both a good employer and a benefactor.
Organizing Competitions and Public Events
Business plan pitching competitions, technological and entrepreneurship hackathons and startup challenges are some examples of competitions that can be made open to people of a particular age segment. The more the participants or contestants who sign up for the competitions that your company organize, the more outreach and exposure your company can enjoy. Though not a lot of Myanmar companies have shown an initiative to organize public competitions for the sake of CSR, Petronas Company in Myanmar is known for organizing annual social project competitions called “Yetagun Youth Program” which is going to have its fourth season this year.
You can observe and scout the brilliant teams or contestants from these competitions for potential employment. You can hold ownership of prestigious competitions, make them part of the company’s brand and establish your company’s name in various segments of society based on the type of competitions (high school Olympics or college-level pitches, etc). You can even have the winning contestants as the ambassadors of your company, incentivize them with rewards and promote your company through them. Eventually, you might even be able to recruit those ambassadors for your future job openings.
Other sorts of public events like seminars, forums and conferences are also a good way to engage with the general public or a market segment of your company. These seminars and forums can be education- or commerce-based and can extend to several days and the purposes may include empowering people, disseminating knowledge and promoting a product. Most Burmese university students are enthusiastic to participate in summer programs, conferences and seminars that relate to their fields of studies and the companies can cater to these kinds of students through fully or partially sponsored networking and conference opportunities.
Moreover, public holiday and community milestone celebrations could be one of the ways your company can connect with the public. Burmese people are known for their festive and celebrative spirit and there are numerous public holidays, cultural and religious events and political celebrations every year; companies can support these occasions through funding or manpower and try to get to know the members of the communities better. Your company can host ceremonies, parties and open fairs relevant to Myanmar’s special days and milestones. You can also consider incorporating into these events what you want people to know about your company’s brand and show the existing employees how much you care about them, their families and communities alike.