Top tips from “Responsible business in a time of crisis” webinar
During our latest webinar Responsible business in a time of crisis experts from our Membership Services team provided a series of key insights for businesses. Here are some of their top tips:
Leveraging our Network for impact, Bernadette Phelan, Head of Advisory Services:
Bernadette spoke about the power of the network and how we can work together to learn from each other and collaborate further to respond to the crisis. BITCI is building a collective picture of what is happening across our member companies, and share these insights to help business and the network to design impactful actions and support measures. Our role at BITCI is to:
- Convene to share expertise, reflect & learn together
- Connect our members with employees, community, customers, suppliers, government
- Curate insights on what is responsible business leadership & practice now
- Design collective responses: what is happening, where are there gaps
What is a responsible business in times of crisis? Elise McCarthy, Senior CSR Adviser
Elise demonstrated the link between the crisis and being a responsible business and her top tips were:
- Dig into what your organisation can do uniquely
- Think about the challenges for each stakeholder
- Be proactive – innovate (remember you’ve already innovated around remote working)
- Reconsider contracts and timelines and resources you already have access to – like personnel who can take on new roles (e.g. An Post staff looking in on vulnerable people)
- Ensure a good information flow – use all your channels, internally and externally – even if it is to confirm Business As Usual
- Let’s make a collective effort to manage social stress and panic. Think of retailers showing that their delivery trucks are on the road which is a relief to us all.
- Don’t overplay your hand. Keep it authentic.
Community Impact, Shane Mulchrone, CSR Adviser:
Shane has a wealth of experience in developing strategic community partnerships and his top tips were:
- Check in with your existing community partners – especially those you have a strategic relationship with, how are they coping, what do they need?
- Create an inventory list of supports that you as a company can now provide in this emergency. This may have changed from a couple of weeks ago.
- Consider the themes and objectives of your community investment strategy before making any new investment decision.
- Enourmous negative impact on community & voluntary sector to date and expected to get worse in the near future, especially regarding funding, new resources to support vulnerable communities during crisis, food donations and getting existing services online.
- Department of Rural and Community Development in partnership with Volunteer Ireland have developed a Community Response Action plan which you can see here https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/70be56-government-action-plan-for-community-response-to-covid-19/
- There is no shortage of funding opportunities for corporates to support – individual charity COVID funds and wider community funds such as Community Foundation for Ireland Fund https://www.communityfoundation.ie/insights/news/new-fund-established-to-help-vulnerable-communities-with-covid-19
- For volunteering opportunities visit volunteer.ie , HSE’s Be on Call and www.crisiscover.ie
- Companies can register offers to support the frontline by visiting https://www.gov.ie/en/service/e15fbc-how-business-can-help-with-supplies-and-services-to-respond-to-covid/?referrer=/covidsupplies/
You can access the webinar recording here and please use the hashtag #BusinessResponseIRL anytime you see a great example of a responsible business during this crisis.
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