Participants in the Impact through Workers Workshop took a closer look at the Workers impact area, the B Impact Assessment and what it entails, how businesses can earn points in the area, earn credit for the Impact Business Models, and improve their impact on and for their workers. And, who better to lead us through the workshop than one of our region’s own Best for the World 2022 honourees, ENGEO and B Lab Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand’s (AANZ) experienced and passionate team members.
The importance of fostering worker wellbeing
Workers are craving purpose, more than ever. We are craving flexibility, meaning, balance, and support — as well as opportunities for investment in our future stability, safety and security. With worker wellbeing at the top of every business’ priority list, the Impact through Workers workshop was as timely, encouraging and insightful as ever.
Kicking things off, workshop participants engaged in an interactive activity that uncovered the meaning behind implementing equitable practices and policies into businesses that positively impact employees. The insight gained revolved around supporting workers to feel emotionally happy and healthy, encouraging them to have a voice in the workplace, and enabling workers to bring their full selves to work everyday.
Image: Interactive component of the workshop led by Kira Day, B Lab AANZ’s Impact & Engagement Manager
The group also had the opportunity to learn from one of the 2022 Best for the World honourees, ENGEO, an employee-owned geotechnical engineer and engineering geologist firm. Their Workers impact area score, of 41.3 (contributing to around 50 per cent of their overall B Impact Score), was achieved without the help of Impact Business Models. Rather, the business has made small and meaningful changes in their day-to-day operations, and through continually improving their internal and external processes they make a considerably positive impact on each of their workers during and beyond work hours.
“We really care about our staff and our clients. We support our staff to be their best selves and we feel like we are a professional family.”
— Catherine Loye, Office Leader at ENGEO
Notable factors contributing to their high score in the Workers impact area included:
- 100 per cent of their staff received a bonus in the last financial year, despite COVID-19.
- Their business model is 100 per cent employee-owned with more than 50 per cent of it owned by non-executive staff.
- They provide private supplemental health care cover to all employees whether they are contracted on a full-time or part-time basis.
- They provide numerous training opportunities for their staff, including external courses, as well as plenty of training for new hires.
- They support breastfeeding mothers.
- They provide meaningful performance feedback, importantly encouraging their staff to own their performance reviews. This involves asking employees to choose the questions they prefer to be asked, choosing who they would most benefit receiving feedback from, and eliminating organisation-advised key performance indicators (KPIs).
Each of these practices, supported by their workplace culture which trumpets authenticity, passion, collaboration, selflessness, and positivity, have resulted in 90 per cent of ENGEO’s workers reporting that they feel satisfied and/or engaged in the workplace. To put this into context, research conducted by Curtin University showed that 81 per cent of Australian workers in the private sector are ‘very satisfied’ with their jobs, and 20 per cent are dissatisfied. The workshop participants were buzzing after Catherine’s presentation, each enthusiastic to take a page from ENGEO’s (employee hand-)book.
Image: Catherine Loye presenting during the workshop
Practical suggestions from ENGEO to businesses, B Corps and aspiring Bs out there included:
- Formalising company practices
- Valuing your staff and performance reviews
- Seeking regular feedback from staff such as a regular monthly survey
- Genuinely investing in your staff
- Reimagining the traditional company structure and fostering a culture of selfless commitment to the organisation’s mission and purpose
Participants were also privy to some commonly avoidable mistakes specific to the Workers impact area section of the B Impact Assessment. One of the Business Sustainability Analysts reminded everyone to avoid identifying employees and using names in the assessment, as it creates privacy issues in the certification process. In addition, providing evidence and documentation to back up claims is of utmost importance. Companies, at times, can assume knowledge from B Lab’s Certification Team, providing them with only anecdotal information to support their claims.
“If you’re unsure about how to prove something during the certification process, just chat to your B Analyst and they will support you.”
The workshop concluded with a valuable Q&A, ranging from how a purpose-driven business can attract talent, to how ‘slow weeks’ can improve employee wellbeing, the topical 4-day week work, and the connection between productivity and wellbeing.
The presentation slides for this workshop can be downloaded here.
A big thank you to all those who attended the Impact through Workers: A B Corp Workshop, and Best for the World 2022 honouree, ENGEO.
