How HR Departments are Embracing Corporate Social Responsibility During the Pandemic

We’ve always seen the impact of positive employee engagement correlated with strong company performance. We’ve also witnessed a growing role for Human Resource (HR) departments in embracing corporate social responsibility (CSR) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In early 2020, we set out to do this research with Valoir, an independent research firm, to find out whether this trend was picking up momentum. Then, of course, COVID-19 hit, followed by waves of social and racial unrest that changed the trajectory of the year — and this study. The research was finalized in October 2020, providing unique insight into the accelerated evolution of HR roles in driving DEI and social impact — often side by side.

To better understand the challenges facing HR professionals in the current environment, Valoir partnered with HR Executive Magazine to survey 128 HR leaders from a variety of industries and company sizes about their priorities, challenges,