BCO NextGen Ideas Project 2022

Introduction

As a progressive generation, we have a higher demand and expectation from our potential employers. Organisations must put the work in when it comes to attracting and retaining talented team members. Our workspaces must be healthy, resilient, sociable and flexible, but that’s not all. Companies have a social responsibility to give back when they can.

The professional world is currently reflecting on the relationship between worker and employer. Workers are re-examining the path forward and looking at the roles their employers should play in supporting their purposes and values.

Research shows that 44% of millennials and 49% of Gen Zs said they made choices over the type of work they were prepared to do and the organisations for which they are willing to work based on their personal ethics, in the past 2 years. A further study shows employee engagement rises from 40% to 60% when companies and employees’ key values are aligned, such as their stance on diversity or climate change.

The Issue

The cause in this latest shift in dynamic is due to a mixture of high talent supply and government impact. With government funding and resources now easily available, it frees employers from basic obligations and allows them to address their own purpose agenda. When there is a high talent supply, employers and employees alike are empowered to search for professional matches which align with their own values.

In providing evidence that your organisation is devoted to a certain cause, it adds an extra layer of commitment and connection between employer and employee. Of course, many companies currently exploit this passion for change and progress. ‘Greenwashing’ has now become a regular term coined for those companies who make loud statements about climate change yet fail to carry through with any actions or promises, which inevitably breaks down the trust and loyalty between employer and employee. During the George Floyd movement, many companies issued statements and promises to the effect of supporting diversity and the lives of their black employees, again with very little actions followed through once the initial hype had passed.

How can we ensure the companies we apply to work for truly care and provide impactful change in their chosen purpose or causes, and why is this important?

The Proposal

When both worker and employers are driven by a common sense of purpose, the relationship is communal, with both sides viewing their shared goal as the most important tie that binds them together. Workers feel they have a meaningful voice and that their contributions are vital to the company’s success. Commitment to purpose becomes critical to the employees’ brand – it shapes everything from its ability to attract and retain workers to the extent in which workers experience meaning and fulfillment in their employment. It infuses meaning into work to mobilize workers around common, meaningful goals. Employers need to know how to nurture that sense of purpose, how to go beyond soliciting input and offer employees a seat at the table, helping to define and execute actions, granting workers influence and decision rights. To achieve this, one must collate a set of values that are measurable and comparable, which will serve as a benchmark against which actions and decisions can be weighed.

‘Common Grounds’ is a concept which encourages this change in social dynamic, providing a platform which pushes companies to compete to create the most supportive, sustainable, and charitable environment for its staff.

This website and app-based service is more than your standard company review site. This software allows users to search for companies with specific goals and values which align with their own. They can filter through results to connect with companies who have the same ethics they do, whether that be a focus on sustainability, charitable works, diversity, or physical activity levels. They can also take the quiz to establish their priorities if they are looking to develop a clearer understanding of their options.

This purpose lead vision allows employees to be more vocal and visible on social issues, encourages companies to integrate purpose into operations and talent programmes and puts the employee at the centre, increasing depth and transparency of reporting on purpose driven outcomes.

Organisations will have to communicate real, tangible progress on the ‘Common Grounds’ website. They will have to provide ‘behind the scenes’ evidence of their actions towards progressing their chosen purpose. Whether this is photographs of events which are updated regularly, reports backed up by accurate data from the organisation, reviews from previous and current staff members, the site will act as a bridge, matching candidates with similar values to that of the organisations.

This can all be viewed by prospective applicants, who can now make a fully informed and transparent decision on whether this company is the right fit for them.

The site will use an algorithm to award a score system based on how regularly the company provides updates, the content the provide behind the scenes and the reviews section. Users can easily filter through the top companies available to ascertain the level of action against climate change or charitable engagements, without having to search individual websites or take the companies word for it.

Conclusion

The goal is to move towards a more sustainable workforce in the future. One which is based on mutual trust and continued progression. To balance the power between employer and employee and create a more secure and supportive environment for all.

If you would like to discuss this concept further please don’t hesitate to get in touch, we would love to hear your thoughts.