How to drive social impact in your career and business, according to experts on LinkedIn

Once confined to the charity sector, the notion of ‘social impact’ is now embedded within the business ecosystem. Companies are more open in their financial support of charitable causes through giving programs and sponsorship with environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies becoming more visible. Robust diversity and inclusion practices are being introduced, and more employers offer policies such as dedicated leave for staff to volunteer for social impact organisations. 

Social impact roles across the board are on the rise too, LinkedIn social impact-related job postings showing a year-on-year increase of 59% in 2021 and 35% in 2022 in Australia.

However, the current economic uncertainty in Australia and New Zealand and a rental crisis following years of pandemic disruption has caused a huge uptick in demand for help — and the need to focus on social impact for those who are disadvantaged has never been greater. This could mean education or employment opportunities for economically challenged or Indigenous people, providing food security, housing, safety from violence or any one of the myriad social impact causes. 

The Australian Charities Report, released in June by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), revealed donations increased by $676 million to $13.4 billion in 2021 — but expenses also went up by $7.1 billion to almost $175 billion. The report also revealed the number of volunteers, whose unpaid work immeasurably assists social impact efforts, dropped to 3.2 million from 3.4 million.

So how can companies of all sizes attribute energy, resources and funding to making the world a better place while still posting a profit? Here, LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Social Impact, whose expertise lies across governance, leadership, social enterprise, refugees and housing scarcity, offer their perspectives for workers and their employers to start making a difference to the lives of others. 

How do you think employers and staff can drive greater social impact? Add your thoughts in the comments below.

This campaign has been launched in collaboration with LinkedIn’s Social Impact team. Names featured may be recipients of LinkedIn’s Global Impact program, which provides grants and resources to partners who are committed to expanding economic opportunity (find out more here). Participation in this program does not guarantee inclusion. Our Top Voices articles are editorially curated by the LinkedIn News team focusing on knowledge sharing and insightful content.

Don’t reinvent the wheel

CARMEL MOLLOY , CEO and Co-founder of The For Purpose Alliance , says it’s heartening to see businesses and staff embrace social impact as a core tenet of their DNA.

“The success of a business is no longer determined solely by the quality of their product or service, but also by how well they can demonstrate their social licence to operate,” she tells LinkedIn News Australia. “Employees and consumers alike are actively seeking out companies that align with their values. It’s no longer enough for a corporate company to simply deliver what their consumer needs, they must also try to deliver what society needs; and what the planet needs; and genuinely embrace the philosophy and practice of making the world a better place.”

But Molloy, who posts about collaborative leadership knowledge sharing and fundraising regulations for the sector and advocates for mental wellbeing of non-profit leaders, says there is already a wealth of experience and knowledge in the non-profit and social impact space, and companies looking to make a difference should look to partner and collaborate with them.

“We all need to play our part in addressing the issues of concern that impact on our people and the social and environmental world that we are so privileged to inhabit,” she tells LinkedIn News Australia. “Social impact is everyone’s business, but don’t reinvent the wheel. Find a NFP/for-purpose organisation that’s aligned to your purpose and support them — work together to change the world. Please don’t mistakenly think you can do it better (corporates), or do it alone.”

The ACNC report also revealed Australia’s charities delivered $190 billion in revenue and employed 10.5% of the Australian workforce in 2022. “They are critical to societal success and wellbeing; they are extremely innovative and competent; and they can be trusted to deliver social impact,” she says.

💡 Follow CARMEL MOLLOY for the latest insights on non-profit leadership.

Adopt the right ESG strategy

For companies to create meaningful change, they must identify the causes that they want to prioritise and adopt environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies that suit — and stick to them, says Tharani Jegatheeswaran , Partner and National Social Impact Leader with Deloitte .

“For companies to have greater social impact, I encourage them to focus their effort on ‘going deep’ and putting their effort, resources and energy into solving a few key social issues that are closely aligned to who they are as a business and their strategy, rather than lots of social issues with no/ limited strategic alignment,” she says. 

“This helps to ensure a longer-term, sustainable focus, that holds the test of time beyond the current CEO or leadership team and unfavourable economic headwinds.”

Jegatheeswaran, who posts about the Voice to Parliament referendum, corporate social impact initiatives, gender equity and LGBTQIA+ diversity, says leadership needs absolute buy-in for ESG policies to work, and recommends a top-down approach, along with strict measurement and reporting of results.

“For ESG policies to be successful, they need to be seen as ‘core business’ and embedded within a business’s strategy, rather than as a philanthropic endeavour or ‘nice to have’,” she says. “It is important that ESG is the shared responsibility of the Board, Executive and broader leadership team, rather than delegated to an individual (such as the Chief Sustainability Officer) and that collectively the leadership sets the ‘tone from the top’ that ESG is important to our business.” 

Many companies run corporate giving programs to encourage staff to donate to charitable causes and, in some cases dollar match. According to the Philanthropy Australia Giving Trends and Opportunities 2023 report, an estimated $2.4 billion was funnelled via structured giving, which includes employer programs. The report also revealed Australia ranks 19th globally as a nation in total giving, including individuals, with 0.81% of GDP compared with New Zealand (1.84%) and the USA (2.1%).

Jegatheeswaran says companies have an increasing responsibility to create a sustainable, equitable and inclusive future.

“Companies have access to resources, influence, and ecosystems that they can leverage to achieve sustainable social impact at scale and increasingly, stakeholders and society will expect them to rise to meeting the important social challenges of our time."

💡 Follow Tharani Jegatheeswaran for the latest insights on corporate social impact strategies.

Support minority communities

Providing employment, work experience or education opportunities to underprivileged people, including refugees, and improve their quality of life is a shared responsibility, says human rights advocate Craig Foster AM . He's a former Socceroo and current board member of the Australian Multicultural Council who posts often about refugees and the power of sport in community building.

“All of us, whether individuals, companies or sector groups have a duty to uphold the basic rights of all and to contribute to a more equal and just society not only for an organisation’s own customers, or employees and staff, but for all community members — and certainly for the traditional owners of the Australian continent,” he says.

“Most important is that companies, irrespective of sector or size, recognise that community expectations are very clear in needing to see evidence of a commitment to building a more just society and supporting minority communities, in particular.”

Foster, who regularly posts about the Voice to Parliament and aims to amplify the voices of First Nations people, says a company’s “social capital”, or its reputation from an impact perspective, is inextricably linked to its policies or actions when it comes to minority and marginalised communities.

“The Voice to Parliament is an excellent, contemporary example. Contrary to some public commentary, the evidence shows that Australians expect to see, and want to know exactly where Australia’s most prominent companies stand on issues of major, social importance and support for the self determination and elevation of First Nations is such an issue,” he says.

According to new LinkedIn research, 79% of global employers have hired refugees within the last 12 months, and 97% of those workplaces said they would recommend it to other companies. The study of 2,001 HR decision makers revealed the top benefits of refugees were more diversity in the workforce (57%), enriched workplace culture (57%) and access to an increased talent pool (56%).

💡 Follow Craig Foster AM for more commentary on human rights, refugees, Indigenous Australians and sport.

Find your purpose

Employees can make a huge social impact within their career — whether it’s a dedicated role or an auxiliary component, says Trina Jones , CEO of Homelessness NSW . Her career spans youth advocacy, community management, and senior leadership within government and charity organisations. She posts regularly about the housing crisis, champions the voices of those with lived experience of homelessness and showcases corporate collaborations with companies looking to make a social impact such as Canva.

She says social impact careers aren’t just about getting a job — it’s about “finding your purpose and committing to making a difference in the world”. 

“In finding meaningful ways to make a difference people should first connect with their own values, passions and communities.

"Then seek to gain relevant skills through reading, volunteering, connecting with others and undertaking formal and informal learning.”

Each year thousands of Australians volunteer their time to charitable causes, citing connection, gaining self-confidence and the ability to create real change as the reasons why. Jones also recommends pursuing higher education in fields such as community development, social entrepreneurship, sustainable development and public policy, to grow your network with other like-minded professionals and have an open mind about job opportunities. 

“Social impact careers may not always follow traditional paths. Consider entrepreneurship, social enterprise, volunteering or freelancing opportunities as alternative ways to make a difference,” she says.

For those working within companies engaging in the social impact space, she advises, “Put your hand up to lead on issues you care about. Work with others to understand how you can best contribute your skills and times and influence your peers and organisation to take a leadership approach with commitment of resources and time to improve social impact.”

💡 Follow Trina Jones for the latest insights on homelessness, the housing crisis and careers in social impact.

Adopt a caring mindset

The foundation for making a positive impact on the lives of others who need a helping hand is quite simple, says Justin Hogg , Managing Director of Right Source , a business accounting firm dedicated to the social purpose and not-for-profit sectors — it’s care.

“To have greater impact, companies should care,” he says. “Only through caring can you truly make both a difference and a sustainable business because care leads to quality.”

“Care also leads to innovation ... Only through care, by being driven to find a better solution will you find innovation. This is why the not-for-profit sector is the most innovative sector in the economy. You don’t hear NFPs saying ‘we need to be more innovative’ — they are innovative every day in trying to solve the unsolved problems of society with whatever they can find.” 

Hogg regularly posts videos on LinkedIn offering advice to prospective or current founders and employees of non profit organisations on topics such as independent governance, workloads for board members and starting a non-profit.

💡 Follow Justin Hogg for the latest insights on non-profit governance and advice on creating social enterprises.

What do you think employers and staff can do to drive greater social impact? How are you making a difference in your career? Share your insights in the comments below.

Reported and proofread by: Cathy Anderson

Senior Managing Editor: Capucine Yeomans

Special Projects Leads: Natalie MacDonald (APAC) Michele Pierri (International)

Regional Lead: Pooja Chhabria

International Executive Editor: Sandrine Chauvin

About this article

This article features experts from LinkedIn's Top Voices program covering the Finance community. Top Voices is an invitation-only program featuring a global group of experts on LinkedIn covering a range of topics across the professional world, helping members uncover valuable knowledge relevant to them. You can learn more here. You can also revisit our other Top Voice articles including AI, Finance, Gender Equity, Next Gen, Greener Together, Mental Health, First Nations, Job Search and Careers, Tech & Innovation and LGBTQIA+ here.

Who is eligible to be a Top Voice

LinkedIn members who meet high trust standards, are consistently active on the platform and share valuable expertise are eligible to be a Top Voice, with the exception of LinkedIn and Microsoft employees, members who have violated LinkedIn’s User Agreement — including our Professional Community Policies — or individuals currently running in a political election for an executive, legislative or judicial position.

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