Nearly 76% of employees do not feel involved in or convinced by their company's CSR approach, so there is a real need to engage staff. Raising awareness through play offers an effective response to this challenge.
While more and more companies are now factoring CSR issues into their governance, nearly 76% of employees feel disconnected or unconvinced by their company's CSR approach, according to the 2020 CSR Barometer published by Occurrence. Yet, the effectiveness of CSR strategies depends on the commitment of all employees. There is therefore a real challenge in raising employee awareness. Gamified awareness-raising, which has been booming in recent years, offers an effective response to this challenge.
CSR is a subject of real interest to employees, as shown by the 2020 Occurrence CSR Barometer, with 70% of employees wanting to be more involved in their company's CSR strategy. A lack of communication or clarity regarding a company's CSR approach often creates a gap between the company's actual goals or ambitions and its employees.
Choosing an awareness workshop helps clarify company values and brings employees together around shared goals. The 2020 Occurrence CSR Barometer highlighted that 45% of employees don't know what their company is doing regarding CSR. Collective awareness games help get everyone on board, serving as the perfect medium to inform and involve employees in the company's CSR strategy. The activity can effectively kick off a new CSR initiative, project, or strategic direction.
According to the 2021 CSR Barometer from the platform Vendredi, 49% of companies believe that the difficulty of getting "middle management" (the hierarchy between executives and employees) on board is a major obstacle to deploying corporate sustainability strategies. According to this report, it is even the main challenge faced by large groups! Indeed, CSR is a global issue within companies. Even if it can be initiated and led by a specific team, the effectiveness of a sustainability strategy relies on its ability to resonate with all employees, ensuring they support, develop, and act on the company's impact projects.
The purpose of awareness workshops is to provide a better understanding of CSR topics through a fun, engaging format.
The idea is to equip employees with knowledge while offering them a space for reflection and discussion. Collective awareness is then driven by the sharing of knowledge and the emergence of initiatives within the group.
Employees are key players within the company and are often best placed to identify relevant levers for action within their own roles. Collaboration between different departments on environmental or social issues can bring interesting ideas and priorities to the surface.
Finally, organizing awareness workshops helps identify key drivers for certain topics. Employees' personal inclinations can shine through and even lead to the emergence of motivated working groups or informal teams that champion initiatives, giving a real boost to the company's CSR strategy.
From the most well-known "fresks" to serious games, there are now many ways to raise your employees' awareness through play. We offer a selective overview of the most effective awareness workshops to help you identify the solutions best suited to your company.
The workshop that immediately comes to mind when talking about climate change awareness is the highly popular Climate Fresk. This workshop invites employees to gather in small groups of 5 to 10 people to reflect on environmental issues related to the climate. Together, they explore the connections between human activities and environmental consequences.
After the workshop, participants enjoyed some social time and left with a clearer understanding of the mechanisms behind climate issues.
While highly effective, it’s important to note that the Climate Fresk only covers climate change. Fortunately, the wide variety of other "fresks" available allows everyone to explore the topics that matter most to them. You can find workshops on biodiversity, digital technology, textiles, diversity, and much more.
The 2 Tonnes workshop adds a more personal dimension to climate action. Beforehand, participants calculate their annual greenhouse gas emissions, which they then try to reduce throughout the activity using action cards. 2 Tonnes offers solutions that participants can apply immediately, as they see the impact of their decisions on their carbon footprint in real-time during the game.
Above all, this workshop is a collective experience. Participants reflect together on the best ways to reduce their personal carbon footprint, as well as the global footprint, through policy decisions made by consensus.
The 2 Tonnes workshop provides a real wake-up call regarding the impact of our choices, and it’s so impactful that it often sparks new personal perspectives.
The serious game is a great format for discussing CSR because it leverages the emotional connection that is so vital to these topics. By using video game mechanics, serious games become a vehicle for emotion and empathy, which are essential when talking about CSR.
- For a fully personalized gaming experience, you can create a custom game centered around one or more SDGs, using mechanics and a universe specific to your company.
- For a turnkey experience, The Impact Agency offers an original and entertaining way to raise awareness. Immersed in the adventures of a private detective agency, your teams are encouraged to step back and reflect on various topics (QWL, mental health, workplace equality, responsible digital practices, etc.).
Serious games prove to be highly effective educational tools for CSR because they offer a fun and instructive activity: helping people realize the issues to foster a desire to take action.
Altopi developed My Job Has Impact by adapting the frameworks of existing workshops specifically for businesses.
This workshop invites employees to reflect on one of the company's flagship products to map out its life cycle and identify both positive and negative impacts.
Design, transport, usage, end-of-life... The entire product life cycle is examined by employees, guided by thematic cards. This workshop helps staff understand the company's specific challenges and, with the help of a facilitator, identify ways to improve these impacts—either by strengthening the positive ones or mitigating avoidable negative ones.
Gaming is a powerful solution for engaging employees. It’s an engaging and enriching approach that combines business with pleasure for both staff and management. Beyond just raising awareness, it provides the group with a bonding experience that can sometimes lead to new initiatives that shape company culture.
Sources:
Your company's sustainable performance
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