Can you really balance sustainability and CSR with luxury?

At Eventful, we understand that ‘luxury’ can have many interpretations dependent on the recipient. For some it means champagne and five stars whilst to others it represents comfort through personalisation.

A recent Gallup study shows that 87% of employees feel disengaged. This is hardly surprising given the last year that we have all been through, however this statistic cannot be ignored – it underpins the necessity to reconnect with our colleagues. But how and at what cost?

Forward thinking businesses have been focusing on employee engagement levels way before the pandemic. It is understood that employees whose personal values are reflected in those of their employers are considerably more engaged and therefore more motivated.

In addition to this, some of the long-term gains of increased motivation are better staff retention and enhanced productivity resulting in increased profit. This people vs profit balance is therefore key to business success.

It has therefore never been more crucial to understand your employees and what’s important to them. A notably significant outcome of the pandemic has been a shift in people’s priorities – what was once important may not hold as much gravitas anymore. With more and more people donating their own time and money to volunteer for charities during the pandemic, people are appreciating first-hand the benefits of ‘giving back’ consequently shaping their personal values.

Along with their own personal shift, employees are looking to their employers for more purpose-led experiences that inspire them and make them feel good about the company they work for. This craving for ‘conscious experience’ is something businesses have been advised to cater to for the new generations coming through the workforce, but we would recommend it is considered at every level.

In a recent panel discussion hosted by Belmond Lets Make a Change we were asked if you can balance sustainability and CSR with luxury and functionality. From our experience as reward and recognition experts, businesses that incorporate CSR elements within their incentive programmes receive far greater employee engagement levels, so that is a yes from us. In fact, we have been making it our priority to achieve both for true incentive success.

We believe that an incentive programme offers the perfect opportunity to give back to a destination both overseas and closer to home by supporting local economies, but the inclusion must be genuine and well intentioned to be effective. We work closely with our clients to secure the right partnerships to create truly authentic experiences to promote lasting bonds that go far deeper than a ‘one off’ gesture. 

As experts in the delivery of luxury experiences, we remain committed to provide ethically and sustainable solutions to our clients as we whole heartedly believe that you can balance both with luxury.