CSR and employee experience: commitments lived every day
At FACIL’iti, inclusion is not a commitment we added on top of a CSR approach. It lies at the heart of our story and of our business: from the very beginning, we have been working so that digital technology adapts to the diversity of individuals, and not the other way around.
It was only natural, then, that this conviction would gradually reach beyond our solutions and shape the way we operate as a company.
Inclusion, digital comfort, quality of working life, biodiversity… Our CSR approach now structures and extends commitments that were already part of FACIL’iti. With one conviction: to be meaningful, they must first be put into practice and experienced by the people who make the company, day after day.
In that spirit, several initiatives have emerged within our teams: actions in favour of inclusion, awareness of environmental issues, responsible digital practices, reuse of IT equipment, more responsible purchasing and support for inclusive cultural initiatives.
Different commitments, one shared goal: bringing our values to life in our practices and in the everyday life of the company.
Key takeaways
- At FACIL’iti, the CSR approach extends the values of inclusion the company has stood for since it was founded.
- It takes the form of concrete actions around people, the environment, responsible digital practices and the employee experience.
- DuoDay, Digital Clean Up Day, reuse of IT equipment, responsible purchasing or beekeeping: these commitments take many forms in everyday life.
- Digital comfort and inclusion are naturally part of this approach, in line with FACIL’iti’s core business.
- The goal: bringing commitments to life in the company’s practices rather than simply displaying them.
CSR at FACIL’iti: extending commitments already rooted in the company
Digital accessibility and inclusion are at the core of FACIL’iti’s business. Our solutions are built on a simple principle: it is not up to individuals to adapt to digital technology, but up to digital technology to take into account the diversity of individuals and of the ways they use it.
This attention to everyone’s needs does not stop at the solutions we develop.
It also shapes the way we think about company life and the experience we offer our own employees.
Our CSR approach follows on from this. It allows us to broaden our thinking to different aspects of company life, whether they concern inclusion, wellbeing and comfort at work, or our awareness of environmental issues.
The aim is therefore not to artificially add commitments to our business, but to seek greater consistency between what we stand for, what we develop and what we bring to life every day. An approach that shows as much in our commitment to inclusion as in our environmental choices, our internal practices and the projects we choose to support.
Bringing commitments to life rather than simply displaying them
A CSR approach takes on a new dimension when it is reflected in concrete terms in the life of the company.
At FACIL’iti, this is the approach we want to favour: starting from our convictions to come up with actions that teams can genuinely understand, experience and share.
The idea is not to multiply initiatives to tick boxes, but to create continuity between the commitments FACIL’iti stands for and the experience of its employees.
This consistency can take different forms. Some actions are directly related to our core business, such as digital comfort and inclusion. Others open teams up to different issues, particularly environmental ones.
In both cases, the logic remains the same: moving from commitment to concrete experience.
Commitments that take many forms at FACIL’iti
This ambition is reflected today in a number of actions within FACIL’iti.
On the social and inclusive side, our teams have been taking part for more than five years in DuoDay, a day that brings people with disabilities and professionals together in the workplace. We also support cultural organisations that want to make their events accessible to a wider audience, including people who are usually kept away from them, such as the Opéra-Théâtre de Limoges and the Buis Blues Festival.
On the environmental side, FACIL’iti takes part in Digital Clean Up Day, notably by cleaning up the data stored on our servers. Our company is also housed in eco-designed buildings that blend into their surroundings, while IT equipment we no longer use is donated to non-profit organisations to give it a second life.
This attention also extends to our purchasing: whenever possible, we favour labels that respect environmental values or organisations committed to social reintegration.
And some initiatives allow employees to experience these commitments in an even more concrete way. This is notably the case of our beekeeping and biodiversity project.
Biodiversity: beekeeping as a shared experience at FACIL’iti
It is in this spirit that a beekeeping initiative was born at FACIL’iti.
The experience began with a training session that introduced employees to the world of bees: how they live, their role in ecosystems and the challenges of preserving them.
Beyond the knowledge gained, this time above all offered a different way of approaching biodiversity: by observing, sharing and experimenting.
Over the months, some employees were also able to get close to the hives and watch how they work. An opportunity to better understand the work of bees and to take a fresh look at the natural balances around us.
The honey harvest will soon mark a new stage in this experience, while of course respecting the bees’ production rhythm.
And we have to admit it: some employees are already eagerly waiting to dip their fingers into the honey pots. 🍯
Key point
Beekeeping is one of the concrete expressions of FACIL’iti’s environmental commitments. It complements other actions around responsible digital practices, reuse, purchasing and inclusion.
Employee experience: when commitments come to life every day
The employee experience is not limited to onboarding a new hire or to the benefits a company offers.
It is built throughout working life, through the work environment, relationships between teams, the tools used and the initiatives everyone can take part in.
Bringing certain actions to life collectively gives a much more concrete dimension to commitments that might otherwise remain distant from everyday life.
An awareness-raising action, a shared experience, taking part in an event such as DuoDay or an environmental initiative can also become opportunities to interact differently, to better understand certain issues and to create shared experiences.
These initiatives can thus help to:
- create moments of sharing between employees;
- raise awareness of new topics;
- strengthen exchanges within teams;
- give concrete expression to the company’s values;
- nurture a shared company culture.
An action does not need to be spectacular to contribute to the employee experience. Regular initiatives and small everyday attentions also gradually shape the work environment.
Commitments that are also part of teams’ everyday life
Bringing commitments to life also involves much more everyday actions.
At FACIL’iti, this attention shows, for example, in providing solutions that allow employees to adapt their work screens to their own needs.
Text size, contrast, spacing, brightness… We do not all use a screen in the same way, and our needs can also change over the course of a day or a period of our lives.
Being able to personalise one’s digital environment therefore makes everyday use more comfortable and reduces some of the irritants of screen work.
Other choices are part of daily life more discreetly: weekly deliveries of fruit baskets to the office, a more responsible purchasing policy, reuse of IT equipment and attention paid to the work environment.
Digital inclusion, environment, solidarity, wellbeing at work: these actions neither have the same scope nor the same purpose. Yet they reflect the same will to align the company’s commitments with its everyday practices.
To find out more, read our article on the challenges of digital comfort at work (in French).
From digital comfort to inclusion: back to real-world use
This attention to everyone’s experience directly echoes FACIL’iti’s purpose.
In digital technology as in the workplace, there is no such thing as a “standard” employee.
Some may need larger text to read more comfortably. Others may need a different contrast, wider line spacing or a less demanding visual environment.
These needs are not necessarily linked to a declared disability. They may depend on age, tiredness, a temporary difficulty or simply on the way each person interacts with a screen.
Taking this diversity into account also means recognising that the employee experience now partly depends on the digital tools used for several hours every day.
Digital comfort then becomes a matter of inclusion and of quality of working life.
FACIL’iti Talents: applying this conviction to the world of work
This is precisely the thinking behind FACIL’iti Talents.
The solution allows employees to personalise their digital environment according to their needs and habits, without having to declare any particular situation and without stigma.
Eye strain, reading difficulties, cognitive overload, the need for a different contrast or an adapted display: so many situations that can affect the digital experience at work without necessarily being visible to others.
FACIL’iti Talents lets everyone easily adapt their digital tools to gain comfort and autonomy every day.
With FACIL’iti Talents, this conviction reaches beyond FACIL’iti’s walls: enabling other organisations to offer their employees a digital environment that adapts to their needs and habits.
Learn more about FACIL’iti Talents.
How can CSR commitments be brought to life for employees?
There is obviously no single action that turns a CSR approach into an employee experience. A few principles can nevertheless help connect commitments with teams’ everyday life.
1. Involve employees
Taking part, experimenting or simply being able to talk about an initiative helps move beyond a purely top-down approach.
The goal is not necessarily to involve every employee in every action, but to give them the opportunity to understand their purpose and, where relevant, to take part.
2. Favour concrete actions
An action you experience is easier to understand than a commitment that only exists in a document.
Training, workshops, experiments, adapting the work environment… Formats can vary widely depending on the company and the issues at stake.
3. Link each initiative to the company’s commitments
A CSR action becomes more consistent when it is possible to understand why the company is carrying it out.
The idea is therefore not to pile up initiatives, but to favour those that make sense in light of the organisation’s business, values and challenges.
4. Make commitments last
A CSR approach is not built through a series of one-off actions.
Event-based initiatives can raise awareness or create highlights, while other actions become part of everyday life. It is the combination of the two that gradually brings commitments to life within the company.
FAQ: CSR and employee experience
What is the employee experience?
The employee experience refers to all the interactions and situations a person experiences within their company throughout their career. It covers in particular the work environment, the tools used, professional relationships, work organisation and the initiatives offered by the company.
What is the link between CSR and the employee experience?
A CSR approach can have a direct impact on the employee experience when it concerns, for example, inclusion, quality of working life, environmental practices or the conditions in which employees carry out their work.
How can employees be involved in a CSR approach?
Employees can be involved through training, workshops, shared experiences, consultations or actions built directly into their daily working life. The format depends above all on the commitments and the way each organisation operates.
How does FACIL’iti turn its CSR commitments into concrete actions?
FACIL’iti acts on several complementary fronts: digital inclusion and accessibility, quality of working life, biodiversity awareness, responsible digital practices, reuse of IT equipment, responsible purchasing and support for initiatives that promote inclusion. The goal is to bring these commitments to life in the company’s practices and in employees’ everyday lives.
Why is digital comfort part of the employee experience?
Much of today’s work is done through digital tools. How easy they are to use, how well they adapt to individual needs and the comfort they provide therefore contribute directly to the work experience.
What is the link between digital inclusion and CSR?
Digital inclusion aims to enable as many people as possible to access digital content and tools and to use them in good conditions. In the workplace, it can thus be part of broader commitments to inclusion, diversity, quality of working life and social responsibility.
Conclusion: turning commitments into a lived reality
At FACIL’iti, our CSR approach is not a commitment separate from our business. It extends a conviction that has guided us from the start: taking into account the diversity of individuals and their needs to create more inclusive environments.
This conviction is naturally reflected in our digital solutions, but also in the life of the company: taking part in DuoDay, acting for more responsible digital practices, encouraging reuse, evolving our purchasing practices, supporting inclusive cultural initiatives, raising awareness of biodiversity and improving our teams’ comfort at work.
These actions neither have the same scale nor the same purpose. It is precisely their complementarity that gives substance to our CSR approach.
The challenge is not to multiply initiatives, but to gradually build practices consistent with the values we stand for, and to make them last.
Because, in the end, a commitment only takes on its full meaning when it is truly lived.