Want to be seen as one of the good guys in corporate America?

What they really care about is how you treat and pay your own employees.

Say what?

A collective gasp could be heard in public relations firms across the nation last week upon learning that employee well-being matters more to the public than corporate philanthropy—a key finding from a national opinion survey conducted by the National Consumers League and Fleishman-Hillard.

Rather than publicize a company’s public good deeds—fundraisers or volunteer efforts—PR types should look inward and tout how companies treat employees.

The survey, “Rethinking Corporate Social Responsibility: A U.S. Perspective,’ might also result in a closer relationship between internal and external communicators.

Here’s a closer look:

What is CSR, anyway?

CSR is one of those terms that communicators throw around, but can’t really define. Until now.

Fortunately, this survey asked the public to define, in their own words, what corporate social responsibility meant to them.

The response was far from predictable.