How Good Companies Work

Today’s employment landscape is changing, and B Corporations are leading the charge.

With millennials destined to dominate the workforce and boomers continuing to retire, employers are feeling pressure to provide not just benefits and opportunities for advancement, but also a chance to make an impact.

In fact, a 2012 survey from Bain & Company reported that 15 percent of employees have taken a pay cut to work at a company that embraces sustainability, and that 70 percent of employees are more concerned about company sustainability practices now than they were three years ago.

Certified B Corporations are on the leading edge when it comes to meeting the demand of today’s cause conscious workforce.

Back when I worked in the for-profit space, it became clear to me that employees and executives, both at my company and others, were becoming increasingly passionate about solving social and environmental problems through business. As the head of community development for B Lab, I see how difficult it is for companies to balance their desire to make a difference while aiming to maximize shareholder profits. My work now supports companies aspiring to achieve Certified B Corp status, the establishment of Benefit Corporations as a legitimate corporate form, and the development of B Analytics, a new platform for impact investors.

B Corporations are companies that have been certified to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. Today, there are over 800 certified B Corps in 27 countries, including companies like Chicago-based Mightybytes, GreenChoice Bank and Ideaction Corps, as well as Happy Family Brands in New York, and Ben & Jerry’s in Vermont. It’s companies like these that are attracting today’s top talent and catering to the workforce of the future.

Today’s top performers prefer to work for companies with strong social and environmental performance, and B Corps fill that need, providing higher quality jobs at companies with a high purpose that is built to last.

The benefits of working at a B Corporation go far beyond simply feeling good about what your employer stands for. Each of the 800-plus Certified B Corps are doing unique, innovative things to make an impact and establish themselves as employers of choice among talented young workers.

Today, I’d like to share a behind-the-scenes look at how a few diverse B Corps are run.

These five companies have incorporated corporate social responsibility into every aspect of their business practices, and along the way have exceeded customer, client and employee expectations.

For example, the three Chicago-based companies are the center of what the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development calls a regional specialty in green buildings and retrofitting. Mightybytes and GreenChoice Bank both operate out of sustainably-designed and retrofitted workspaces. The bank’s Green Exchange branch is located in a historic structure that was once home to a lamp factory and is now a LEED Platinum facility. Ideaction Corps is completely virtual, powered by a mobile workforce without a designated workspace.

Additionally, Mightybytes, a full-service creative firm for conscious companies, has seen strong growth in spite of a bleak economy. In my mind, an ability to maintain profitability during a recession is an essential hallmark of a sustainable company, as financial health results in stable employment and increased time to see good ideas grow.

“Since becoming a B Corp in 2011, Mightybytes has doubled our staff and increased revenue by 86 percent,” says Tim Frick, Mightybytes’ owner and principal. “We have moved into an office space over twice the size of our last space, and we have scores of activities and benefits budgeted that did not exist prior to becoming a B Corp.”

Employees enjoy office vermicomposting and company cycling teams, all in an effort to diminish their collective carbon footprint and meet B Corp standards. The company also puts a distinct spin on team-building activities with “brewstorms,” where employees brew beer in the office while brainstorming new ideas for product development. One of Mightybytes’ latest products, an online sustainability measurement app for websites, called EcoGrader, was the result of a brewstorm earlier this year.

GreenChoice Bank became a B Corp in 2009, and provided leadership support for Benefit Corporation legislation that was signed by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn in early 2012. The bank’s executive team and staff strive to impact the triple bottom line of people, planet and profits through sustainable lending policies, and ensure a meaningful customer experience by doing away with impersonal big-bank formalities. Internally, the bank’s staff are treated to paid volunteer days off and sustainability training.

Giving back to community in a variety of ways is a critical part of business culture, it’s a practice that I look for in B Corp certification candidates. GreenChoice includes bank-sponsored activities and public events, coupled with customer banking initiatives and appreciation for customers’ sustainable choices. As a result, customers feel respected as part of a tight-knit community.

“Through partnerships, we strive to make a positive, long-term, social and environmental impact on each customer we touch and each community we serve,” says Steve Sherman, GreenChoice Bank’s Chief Operating Officer.

Ideaction Corps is a great example of a small but thriving B Corp. They serve businesses in a consulting capacity and Kelly O’Brien, president and founder of the firm, prides herself on the company’s position at the intersection of talent and purpose.

“With the capacity of a large agency and the overhead of a lean startup, we bring clients the expertise of an incredible talent bench that is not only deep but also wide. It’s an inspiring way to work,” says O’Brien. “Ideaction Corps provides a platform for collaboration for projects that build a better world, so clients get access to A-team talent who are passionate about their work.”

The company recently led Chicago’s first designathon, similar to hackathons that have taken the tech scene by storm, on behalf of early childhood education. Over 30 respected design professionals gave of their time during the invite-only sprint session that boasted well-known speakers and a cash prize. The resulting infographics are currently being distributed across the web to encourage Congressional support for early childhood education funding.

Happy Family Brands is supporting children in a different, but also highly impactful way. The company is a trusted name in children’s nutrition thanks to its premium organic baby food. While Happy Family has grown significantly since its establishment in 2006, it has retained the qualities that are central to its company culture.

“We really are a family,” says Shazi Visram, the company’s founder and CEO. “Everyone pitches in and works together to reach our bigger goal: to get the best, on-the-go organic foods to as many little ones as possible.”

Happy Family’s business practices reflect its commitment to childhood nutrition and connecting with communities.

“We work with sustainable family-owned farms to source the organic fruits, vegetables, grains and meats in our products; we often use post-consumer recycled materials for packaging; and we offer recyclable packaging whenever possible.”

Well-known companies like Ben & Jerry’s have become certified B Corps as well, and in the process, solidifying their status as leaders of corporate social responsibility. I find it exceedingly important that companies like Ben & Jerry’s, which is owned by a major corporation, Unilever, be highlighted for their sustainable efforts. This shows B Corp ethics are not just reserved for smaller companies – the big dogs can play big for all too.

“For 35 years, Ben & Jerry’s has operated its business on a three-part mission focused on product quality, economic reward and a commitment to the community,” says Ben & Jerry’s social activism manager, Chris Miller.

“We believe that by building shared value into our day-to-day business, we can help improve the lives of all those touched by everything we do. We understand the success of our company is inextricably linked to the success of the communities where we live and work, source our ingredients and sell our ice cream.”

Ben & Jerry’s City Churned campaign illustrates the company’s commitment to community. Fans vote on which ingredients to include in new flavors based on the unique attributes of different U.S. cities. The NYC City Churned ice cream flavor made its debut in July with free scoops doled out during a weekend that also included a community river clean-up and park revitalization. The NYC flavor, Borough Brew, includes brownies sourced from a fellow B Corp and New York state’s first benefit corporation, Greyston Bakery.

As these five companies show, the 70 percent of job seekers looking for more sustainable company practices no longer need to choose between making a difference or making a living wage. It’s now an accepted part of our corporate culture to have both. I’m happy to report that Certified B Corporations are leading the charge.

via Business 2 Community http://www.business2community.com/strategy/good-companies-work-0600449?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=good-companies-work