The greatest impact that most businesses have on their community is through their suppliers and their staff. Here are seven useful questions to ask yourself...
1. How quickly do you pay your suppliers?
It’s a good idea to have a policy that pays small business earlier – preferably within 14 days.
2. How many of your staff believe you are a great place to work?
If you’re having trouble answering this, you might want to consider an anonymous staff survey.
3. How many of your senior management work less than a 5 day week or work flexibly?
Managers are staff too! Organisations that require longer hours from management contradict the idea of flexible working. It is also likely women will be under-represented at senior levels.
4. Is your company carbon-neutral?
Do you measure your emissions? Becoming carbon-neutral is generally about investing in forests to counter the effects of your use.
5. How many of your job advertisements include a generic ‘degree required’ clause?
Afro-Caribbeans, the disabled and the working class are all hugely under-represented in our universities. Practicing a degree-only policy may inadvertently be practicing discrimination.
6. How quickly can customers get through to a real person on the phone?
Part of social responsibility is about customer service. A client taking 15 minutes to reach your team is a comment on social responsibility.
7. Do all your staff understand and practice social responsibility?
Agreeing clear social responsibility policies is only the first stage. How certain are you that all your staff know what this means in terms of their day-to-day actions?
What now?
Happy People is the division of Happy dedicated to helping organisations become great places to work. We provide training, coaching, consultancy and public speaking for anyone looking to permanently change their culture for the better.
To see how Happy can help your organisation, visit our Happy People area, or call 020 75757300.
All of the ‘seven socially responsible questions’ are discussed on the course: Creating a Great Workplace.
