Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has grown in importance in recent years as consumers, employees and investors are increasingly demanding corporations take a stand on global issues. Businesses are recognizing the need to not only focus on profits, but also to make a positive impact on society and the environment. 

Creating new educational and mentorship opportunities for traditionally excluded communities is just one of the ways that organizations can incorporate DEI and upskilling into their overall social impact initiatives. We’re talking with social impact professionals leading the charge for impactful, educational focused DEI initiatives. 

Tuan Pham is the Head of Social Impact at LinkedIn in APAC.  He has extensive work experience across the globe, specializing in driving social impact programs and partnerships in Australia, the US, Thailand, The Netherlands and Vietnam – at companies including The World Bank, Booking.com and Heineken.  At LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, Tuan focuses on initiatives that connect professionals facing barriers, including women and youth in the APAC region, to the networks, skills and knowledge they need to access opportunity.  He believes in a world where no matter where someone is from or where they went to school, they should have equal access to economic opportunity.

What inspired you to begin working in social impact?

From a young age I’ve always been taught to give back.  My parents, having migrated to Australia in their early 20s, were supported through organizations, friendships and networks they built. They wouldn’t be where they are today, and I wouldn’t have the opportunities that I’ve had, if not for all of those people giving their time and resources to help.  That impact has stayed with me and driven me to have a career where I can have the same type of impact and support others.

I also remember specific moments growing up, where I had the fortune of being able to travel to Vietnam.  30 years ago, Vietnam wasn’t as developed as it is now and there was a lot of poverty.  I would see people facing hardship and it didn’t make sense to me why I had better opportunities than them.  It was kind of like looking in the mirror and then realizing that there was so much inequality in the world that needed to be addressed. This has also been a huge driver for me.

Why does increasing the number of people working in social impact matter?

It matters because there is so much to be done.  With the increasing expectations from boards, consumers and employees for companies to invest in socially responsible practices, there needs to be an increase in skilled employees working on these issues to meet that demand.

From a scale perspective, hiring and increasing the number of people that are dedicated to social impact will drive faster learnings, knowledge sharing, efficiency, expertise and impact.  Increasing this pool of social impact professionals who are working across different industries would have a massive impact on the world.

How have you seen diversity and inclusion influence employee engagement?

I've seen strong examples illustrating that when an employee feels like they belong, they will more actively share their passions and are more excited to advocate for the issues they care about. 

At LinkedIn, we have 10 active Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which build and strengthen communities - I've seen ideas from these ERGs directly lead to projects around fundraising, exploring nonprofit partners, and bringing awareness to issues that employees are passionate about. This has helped us as a team learn about new potential nonprofit partners and helps us engage more of our employees in volunteering.

What is your favorite project that you have or are currently working on?

I’m really excited about a pilot initiative we are working on in India with UN Women. In APAC, women and girls often do not have the same access to education, or type of education, as men and boys do, which sometimes leaves them with decreased digital skills, literacy, and consequently less economic opportunities in an increasingly digital world.

Our collaboration with UN Women will launch a pilot in Maharashtra, India to cultivate the digital, soft and employability skills of 2,000 women and present them with a range of career-building opportunities through job fairs, mentoring sessions and peer-to-peer networks. I’m really excited to see how this project can support digital upskilling, with the outcome being  greater access to jobs and equipping them to fully participate in the formal economy. 

What would you tell others interested in pursuing a career in CSR or social impact? 

I would encourage them to go for it!  This is an amazing time to pursue a career in CSR, Sustainability, Social Impact and ESG.  Throughout my career I’ve seen a real increase in businesses realizing how important it is to be part of creating a sustainable future, not just for the world, but for their businesses to thrive.  This has come with increased investments in social CSR, increased roles and the opportunity for careers in this space have grown tremendously.  I remember when I first started out working in social impact, roles were few and far between, whereas now you can find these types of roles in every industry, increasingly in every region of the world.  There are so many opportunities to do good in your work no matter your field - even if you’re not in a specific CSR or social impact role, you can join your colleagues in designing responsible products, volunteering with charities, creating responsible marketing campaigns and more!

Discover the Next Era of Social Impact

If you're interested in an opportunity to to discuss your social impact initiatives, your story, and how your company is creating impact, email vanessa@paragonone.com

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