ASA recently asked Georgia Staffing Association, a 2015 ASA Care Award honoree, a few questions about how the company incorporates corporate social responsibility (CSR) into its culture, and why the firm feels CSR is so vital in today’s business world.
Why is CSR so important to your company?
GSA is committed to being a socially responsible corporate citizen. We recognize that our membership and their companies can only thrive in thriving communities. Key to GSA achieving its mission is to help develop the workforce in the state, provide opportunities for our members to enhance their skills and exposure, and to advocate for staffing and employment issues state-wide.
Why did your company choose Junior Achievement’s Finance Park to partner with?
GSA partnered with Junior Achievement’s Finance Park because we saw an opportunity to have a positive impact on the development of the workers of the future. Junior’s initiative provides more than 30,000 Atlanta-area middle-school-aged children with dynamic and hands-on learning opportunities designed to enhance their financial literacy and prepare them to enter the workforce. Our membership, comprised of staffing company executives, recruiters, and industry suppliers, was uniquely qualified to bring focused, relevant, and useful information to the students as they engage with the curriculum. We wanted to show the kids how being prepared for the working world would lead to more opportunities for them down the road. And it’s fun! Interacting with the kids is refreshing and hopeful. Everyone spends the day talking, laughing, and sharing—and everyone comes away having learned something new.
How has your CSR program affected your company in the long term—any ROI?
Working with the kids through Junior’s allowed us to raise awareness about the opportunities and benefits of working in and for the staffing industry. It thoroughly engaged our members, who participated and generated excitement about our organization and its demonstrable impact on the community. This led, in turn, to a greater investment of several members’ time and energy in helping their fellow GSA members, providing legal advice, peer-to-peer coaching, and outreach to prospective new members.
Why is it so important for staffing firms to be involved in CSR initiatives?
It is important for staffing companies to actively engage in developing the workforce of the future—to ensure that they can continue to deliver quality services to their clients and a quality experience to their workers. CSR takes this engagement to a new level, providing a rewarding and enriching experience for all who participate. It enables our staffing company members to remain connected to their constituents and responsive to the needs and trends in the developing workforce. It also ensures that staffing firms are integral and valuable members of the community—not just for the jobs we fill or the people we place, but for our commitment to improving the lives of our neighbors.
Thank you, GSA, for embracing CSR and being a role model for others in the staffing industry. Congratulations on being a 2015 ASA Care Award winner!