responsible business attracts the best people

Research published today amongst 1,000 employees across Britain shows that they see a clear connection between responsible business practice and positive impact on the bottom line. It found that responsible practice can help to attract, motivate and retain a talented and diverse workforce, that employees think such a workforce would be more creative and innovative, and that this would in turn improve competitiveness and profitability. However, only 45% of employees find the recruitment rhetoric about corporate values that helped attract them to their employer is actually implemented.

The research was sponsored by BUPA and carried out by Business in the Community in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) and the Future Work Institute. The report, ëResponsibility: driving innovation, inspiring employeesí was presented to an invited audience of senior business leaders on Wednesday, July 9 - the eve of Business in the Communityís annual conference, ëA better way of doing businessí.
The key messages from the research are:

Employees are convinced that a talented and diverse workforce enhances creativity and innovation and contributes to increased focus on customers, improving competitive edge

They want to be treated as individuals - not categorised according to whatever ëdiversityí group they fall into

They want to see the organisationís values practised throughout the business - from corporate social responsibility through HR to products and services.

The report says that organisations seeking to translate responsible practice into improved bottom line results should make sure they put into practice the five key characteristics of a responsible employer identified by employees. These are:

Treating individuals fairly
Responding to the changing needs of individual employees over time
Providing good quality products or services
Listening to employees
Understanding the importance of values.

Many employees considered that a responsible organisation would be particularly good at having strong and inspiring senior management, but scored it low in their organisation. Leadership, which is visible and connected to the organisation, is crucial in influencing the extent to which it lives its values.

Val Gooding, Chief Executive, BUPA explains: îThe marketplace is changing. If all other things are equal, we each have to ask what differentiates us as an organisation, both to our customers and to potential employees. This research shows the close connection between responsible organisations, engaged, motivated and inspired employees and business success.î

The report goes on to show that attitudes to responsible business practice evolve as peoplesí careers develop. The financial package is the more important aspect in deciding on an employer, particularly for younger recruits, but once in employment, sharing the employerís values becomes crucial to staying with the organisation.

Julia Cleverdon, Chief Executive of Business in the Community, says: îThe research confirms how critical the integration of responsible practices is, offering business the opportunity to leverage success through the way it attracts, retains and motivates staff. In doing so, businesses can generate an innovative working environment, enhance employee motivation and increase their positive impact on all stakeholders.î

Duncan Brown, Assistant Director-General, CIPD, concludes: îThe challenge for HR departments is to make sure that the voice of employees is heard loud and clear throughout the business.î