In honor of the official start of summer, this June edition of The Goods is a scorcher – likely along with your local temperatures – providing fresh insights and best practices to keep your internal communications sizzling. We also explore emerging trends and shifting tides in the ESG landscape and share insights from one GSG partner that continues to make waves. (Did someone say beach?)
The Goods is a newsletter for social impact communicators that helps you keep track of the latest updates, trends, industry best practices, and much more. This content is compiled and curated monthly by Jade Floyd, Victoria Dellacava, and Mia Saponara.
Leveraging the Power of Communicators
Internal communicators foster collaboration and give voice to employees at all levels. Their contributions have the potential to build strong employer brands and turn employees, both new and tenured, into vocal advocates. Here’s how:
Forming Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Through activities such as training sessions, career counseling, discussions, meetups, senior staff Q&As, and panels, ERGs encourage employees to engage in their community and speak up on issues important to them. ERGs offer valuable information about your employees’ needs and how to best serve them.
Bridging the Comms Gap: Effective internal communicators act as brand ambassadors and conduits, ensuring leaders hear about employees’ accomplishments and ensure career growth paths are transparent.
Fostering Relationships: Strong relationships between internal communicators and leadership allow for healthier communication organization-wide. Leaders can learn about employee needs and initiatives while employees gain insights into leadership decisions.
Telling the Brand Story Together: By highlighting accomplishments and showcasing how even junior employees are driving results, internal communicators can maximize the impact of storytelling to strengthen the employer brand. This motivates employees at all levels and demonstrates the value companies place on fresh ideas and diverse perspectives.
(Ragan)
Hitting the Mute Button on ESG?
Conversations about ESG are slowing at the C-suite level. Bloomberg recently reported that boardroom mentions of climate change, human rights, and diversity in earnings calls dropped significantly compared to last year, with some terms decreasing by nearly half in 2024.
As we reported in last month’s edition of The Goods, this drastic shift comes amid lawsuits and pressure from ultra conservative groups, sparking fears of litigation and political blowback. Companies are also wary of setting ambitious ESG goals that they might not be able to meet. The recent Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action has also fueled anxieties, leading some companies to scale back or eliminate DEI initiatives altogether.
In spite of these challenges facing ESG – many advocates remain committed to progress, viewing ESG as crucial to their reputation and a driver of long-term success. Either way, ESG communicators must remain nimble and shift strategies as needed.
ESG in Action: The Las Vegas Raiders Campaign for Mental Health
This past year, the Las Vegas Raiders partnered with GSG to establish the organization’s first-ever Impact Playbook, highlighting how the team and Allegiant Stadium are stewarding their resources for the community. The Raiders organization has placed an emphasis on mental health care and, as evident from their recent announcements, they are expanding their reach to impact their community at large.
The Raiders’ head office recently announced an initiative aimed at reducing mental health stigma and supporting critical mental health resources year-round in the state of Nevada. The organization is utilizing its platform to raise awareness for mental health by funding critical Nevada-based nonprofits. Recently, they announced a partnership with the Legal Aid of Southern Nevada’s Resiliency & Justice Center, a facility that provides resources for those who have been victims of trauma and violent crime. In addressing the needs of the community and aligning them with the values of their organization, the Raiders are not just champions of mental health but true leaders in social responsibility. Read their latest opinion piece in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
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