Start your company Responsible Business Group

It has become increasingly important that senior management understands their employee's views on the company's corporate culture, their perception of what it is now and where they would like it to be. People nowadays, increasingly just leave if there is a disconnect between their values and the company values.

It is important to understand the needs, views and opinions of your employees.

Many company leaders are unaware, despite the use of staff surveys on the views of their employees on corporate culture. Where employees feel happy in their job, valued and respected, it will improve staff retention, engagement, morale, creativity, productivity, and ultimately bottom-line profitability.

So, how does a CEO and her senior management really know how her workforce feels about the company, its values, ethics and purpose? How can she prove to employees that she and her management team are serious about understanding employee feelings about their company.

How can she prove to future and potential employees, investors and other stakeholders, that the company is serious about having a deeply embedded ethics-based culture, that is serious about people and planet issues?

Staff surveys can provide a useful tool but are sometimes seen as a box ticking exercise and the survey may be asking the wrong questions.

But, most importantly, do many companies allow their employees the opportunity, outside of these impersonal staff surveys, to express their opinion about the ethics of the organisation, its culture and its purpose? As the company’s most vital asset, does if not seem sensible from a business perspective, to allow employees the opportunity to express their views about the values of their organisation?

So, what is to be done?

Responsible Business Group – the conscience of the organisation

But one idea you, as a Responsible Business Activist may consider is to start a Responsible Business Group (RBG), an employee network, within your organisation. This Group (essentially, an Employee Resource Group – see side bar below) would provide an open forum where RBG members can discuss critical ethical issues facing society, the planet and the business itself.

Employees – the company’s most vital asset

As the company’s most vital asset, does it not seem morally right, but also sensible from a business perspective, to allow employees the right to express their views about the values of the organisation where they spend a substantial proportion of their waking hours? What better way to find out their views on ethical and moral issues.

The Responsible Business Group

The Responsible Business Group would be voluntary and open to any employee of the company who wishes to play a part in creating a positive future. It would meet on a regular basis (perhaps monthly) and discuss critical issues affecting the company.

Company approval

The RBG would need to be approved and supported by the company but it would, essentially, be employee driven.

It would enable the company senior management to learn the views of its workforce on critical ethical issues. The RBG would not be a decision-making forum,

In many ways, the RBG could be seen as acting as the conscience of the company.

The Benefits of a Responsible Business Group

Allowing employees to voice their opinion and express their views on critical ethical issues through the RBG, would contribute towards creating a culture where employees feel valued and respected. It will improve staff retention, engagement, morale, creativity , productivity and ultimately bottom-line profitability.
It will help the CEO and senior management to better understand how her employees feel about the company, its values, ethics and purpose. It provides and opportunity for senior management to have a greater understanding of, and, be in step with, their employee’s feelings and views on ethical issues.
The existence of the RBG, allowing employees the chance to express their views would play a vital role in developing employees confidence, building community and fostering belonging to the organisation.
Over time, the RBG will play a part in instilling the company’s core values and Code of Ethics into the DNA of the business. It will be the conscience of the organisation.
Companies are facing increasing pressure from all stakeholders (consumers and employees, in particular) to take a definitive stance on ethical and human rights issues. The RBG will provide evidence that the company is respecting this desire.
It will provide some evidence to current and future employees, investors and other stakeholders, that by allowing an open forum for debate, the company is serious about having a deeply embedded ethics-based culture.
Although the RBG is not a decision-making forum, it provides an opportunity for employees to voice their opinions about the ethical values and the culture of the organisation. It will help in the battle for talent as many people are, nowadays, only prepared to work for a company where they feel psychologically safe expressing their views.
It will help the company develop as a diverse community allowing people with different viewpoints and from different backgrounds, departments, countries and seniority to collaborate on key issues facing the company.
With the strong emphasis on respectful listening, the development of trust, achieving consensus, collaboration and team-building, the Group has the potential to find future leaders of the company.

Employee Resource Groups

Employee Resource Groups (also known as ERGs, affinity groups or business network groups) are groups of employees who join together in their workplace based on shared characteristics or life experiences.

ERGs are generally based on providing support, enhancing career development and contributing to personal development in the work environment.

In the past, ERGs have been focused on personality traits or characteristics for underrepresented groups for example women, sexual orientation, gender etc. but now ERGs are expanding to interest groups gathered around particular activities including job responsibility, environmental advocacy community service and volunteerism.

ERGs are normally approved by the Company.

Source: Wikipedia.

What the Responsible Business Group is not

It is not a forum where employees can just criticise the company. It is intended to be a place where employees can express their views on ethical issues in a safe environment. Of course, every group will have its own code of conduct but we suggest that Members are required to sign a Pledge agreeing to the principles of responsible behaviour, responsible decision-making and respect. This will be the backbone of the Group.
The Responsible Business Group is not a replacement for the Ethics Committee, if there is one. The Group is intended to be the conscience of the business.
The Responsible Business Group is not intended as a substitute for speak-up and whistle-blowing procedures which are normally focused on illegal activities and inappropriate behaviour. The Responsible Business Group is focused on ethical issues.
Neither is the Responsible Business Group a substitute for more specific groups, those concerned with such issues as environment, well-being and DE&I.
The Responsible Business Group would not be a decision-making assembly. This would be left to senior management.

There is no fee to join the United Voice for Responsible Business - everybody is welcome.

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