Ann Chambers, HR Director at Ecotone UK discusses the need to offer added value to employees as part of a workplace culture that makes people feel fulfilled.
We think about people beyond their ‘work self’; the hours they work and the outputs they produce.
Their lives outside of work have huge influences on who they are; their ideas, priorities, opinions and personalities, and add to the true value of what they bring to the business. When we consider ‘the whole’ person and bring them on the journey with us, we can build a more inclusive and resilient business.
Going through our first B Corp assessment over three years ago has strengthened what it means to be a responsible and caring employer in all facets of how we function as a business. We are proud to be part of a growing movement that balances profit with driving positive societal and environmental change.
A recent article via FT.com titled ‘The Struggle for the soul of the B Corp Movement’ questions whether pulling in more multi-national businesses is diluting the values-driven system. While I understand the argument, personally, I don’t think it is. The ultimate B Corp mission is to build an inclusive and sustainable economy that works for everyone. It needs both SMEs and multi-national businesses to fully adopt this new kind of business.
Building a truly sustainable business
Ecotone was recertified as a B Corp in 2022 and achieved the highest score for a multi-national food company of 116.5, which is 21.7 points higher from our first audit – this helps us measure how far we’ve come and areas for further development.
What makes us and other B Corps different is that we hold ourselves to account and consistently work towards a triple bottom-line business – with people valued as much as profit – and our cumulative impact on the planet. We consider the affect our business decisions have on all our stakeholders – our employees, consumers, trade customers, suppliers along with the wider communities we operate in.
This means understanding what motivates each person individually. There is a growing trend known as ‘conscious quitting’ currently circulating on social media. It is predominantly occurring in the Gen Z camp, and refers to the decision to leave employment if they feel the company values aren’t aligned with their own. When we say values that could be sustainability, diversity and inclusion or health and wellbeing; it depends on what matters most to each employee.
The global pandemic was such a pivotal moment in people’s mindsets and caused many to re-evaluate their life priorities, which resulted in the Great Resignation in early 2021 with people voluntarily moving on from their roles.
How can businesses continue to provide more for employees and look to retain and recruit people with values that align?
A purpose-driven culture
Prospective employees often talk about our company culture as a motivation for joining us. Our mission-led status and commitment to Food for Biodiversity stands out as a purpose that people can be a part of and truly shape. It’s essential to get that alignment between personal values and company values to build an intelligent workplace culture that makes people feel fulfilled.
