Being a Good Business

More and more we are seeing the emergence of Good Business.  Businesses who want to do things differently to the norm and make a difference to society  It is heartening.  But what constitutes being a Good Business? Here are a few points to consider:

That Good Business Feel

Most HR professionals get that certain ‘feeling’ as they walk through door of the corporate office. Does this business feel good……or not!

We see it in the faces of the workforce, the welcome we receive, the set up of the staff areas, the messages on the corporate TV – the atmosphere.  As we delve down deeper – we can feel it in the decision making processes, the promises that have been made by leaders and the way that senior leaders engage (or don’t) with their workforce.

Start at the Top

Who’s at the very top?  It’s obvious that they set the agenda and the behaviours and that their approach permeates throughout the business.  Good or bad, Leaders tend to get the business they deserve.

Good Business Leaders have a solid business plan – but it is not all about money. They also care about the community they live in, the people they employ and that their customers are genuinely satisfied with their product. They have a good heart and a passion for those they serve.

Engagement

Good Businesses recognise the importance of regular engagement.  Leaders who don’t want to engage with their people will never win their hearts and minds. It’s a two way street.  Good Businesses listen to their people and take action on their opinions and requests for change. When the business wants to make change they get a good payback.

Decision Making

Good Businesses enable decision making at the optimum level.  The level of trust in these businesses allows people at all levels to understand what decisions they can make and what needs to be escalated.  That leads to job satisfaction.

Glassdoor

A rule of thumb is that generally, (and I say generally – because you will always get the odd complainers) businesses get the glass door reviews they deserve too.  Candidates read reviews about your business before accepting an offer so it’s best for Leaders to face up to what reviews are pointing out as it’s valuable evidence for change

Gender Pay Gap

There are oodles of reasons for the gaps that are being reported.  We need change both inside businesses and outside, in society, with the help of Government.

Research conducted by Business in the Community found 92% of female respondents would use gender pay gap data to choose between two potential employers. That means that good businesses who address pay gaps as soon as possible, will attract the best female workers going forward.

A Good Business leader will put in place a plan for change and keep the promises he or she has made

A Blog isn’t blog unless we mention Millennials

Report after report shows Millennials are very willing to contribute to worthy causes. In fact, they care very much about ‘non-profit’ causes.  Businesses are therefore changing their tune to attract them as both customers or workers.

When it comes to choosing the Leaders that they work for,  “Authenticity” matters deeply to them.  They want to know the how they are helping customers  through their work and they love a personal connection with a good cause. It’s not just about the money.

CSR

In a Good Business, corporate social responsibility is not seen by leaders as PR exercise giving for the annual accounts look good.  Leaders who really care about society will look for projects that they can fund in the community that have a real connection with their own product.  They will utilise their funds to harness the support of their people to get involved and make the world a slightly better place to live.

When it comes to Good Business, sometimes it’s doing good work for others – work that has no significant revenue payback, but shows that you and your people actually care about society – that really gets noticed by customers old and new.

Great Employees

Finally, our experience is that the difference between an average Employee and a Great Employee is the Employer.  If you want great people delivering great service to customers then join the growing revolution doing ‘good’ business.

The Change Directors work with organisations who want to ensure they are a valuable part of society. We help them to understand how the world around us is evolving, what this means for their business and their people in the future so that they prosper and grow.