An interview with Jitka Chocova, CSR Manager, T-Mobile (Czech Republic).
What part does CSR play in your company?
A very important one, we started with a responsible approach towards our business in 2005, since then we have worked to ensure that CSR becomes a vital part of our company culture. Naturally it is long journey, but judging by the reaction of our employees and community, we are doing fine so far. The people in our company accept the fact that CSR is an important part of business in T-mobile.
Does CSR contribute to higher earnings or customer satisfaction?
According to various studies, research and experiences around the world, CSR certainly leads to improved company performance, that is without question. But the truth is, some aspects of success are hard to measure (mentioned in: Do the Math on CSR). I’ll give you an example, in companies that are running CSR programmes, employees feel much better, their work, which now comes with a greater sense of purpose, brings them higher satisfaction. So it’s not only about numbers.
What results is that employee efficiency increases, something that is hard to measure. This is representative of the situation in T-mobile. CSR obviously has had a very positive impact but in order for me to present concrete numbers about revenue or profit I would have to conduct detailed research.
Jitka Chocova, CSR Manager, T-Mobile
What belongs to the Job Description of a CSR Manager?
A CSR Manager is a person who, in cooperation with company management, creates the entire CSR strategy and is responsible for its integration into the everyday work of the company. It encompasses a wide portfolio of activities that include philanthropy for regions where we are active (T-mobile fund), projects focussed on employees, “one day for your good deed”, protection of the environment and representation of the company in associations and professional groups.
What do you consider your biggest success since assuming your position?
Definitely, it would have to be the fact that since 2005 the CSR budget has quadrupled. The 2nd biggest success is that CSR has become a part of the culture in T-mobile, people know about CSR and it’s an integral part of our everyday life. For example, I refer to our volunteer programme, “One day for your good deed” where more and more people have gotten involved (in 2005 it was 109, this summer it was 369), this year all our directors participated as well.
I’m also really glad that I have had a chance to participate in the DMS project (SMS charity giving), it’s a very unique project that managed to help NGOs raise around 200 million.
1st published in Czech in KB Journal.
