Employees: New Change Agents for Corporate Responsibility

To succeed in today’s business world, organizations need to become involved in more than just economics—they also need to become actors of change around large-scale environmental and social problems.

However, responsible business is being nudged forward not only through business case logic, but because employees increasingly expect their employers to act responsibly.

At the same time, many employees are themselves acting as powerful advocates and change agents. Forward-thinking companies understand the need to engage their workforce in inspiring ways about global issues. Corporate responsibility (CR) programs are an important part of the equation, as are efforts to decentralize CR so it is woven throughout the company and all employees have a voice.   

Despite their aspirations to “do well while doing good,” many organizations face a crisis of distrust among their workforce and in the broader global marketplace. With this in mind, businesses first need to take a look at themselves, recapture the understanding of true leadership, and recover the trust of their employees in an effort to begin working towards a better future for all.

This trend examines new developments in corporate responsibility, with insights from Neil Barrett, Group SVP Corporate Responsibility at Sodexo, and four panelists from Sodexo’s 2017 Quality of Life Conference: Fabian Dattner, Founding Partner of Dattner Grant; Jon Duschinsky, Social Innovator; Marion Darrieutort, CEO, Elan-Edelman; and Pedro Tarak, Co-Founder, Emprendia.

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About the 2018 Global Workplace Trends

Every year, Sodexo looks at the main factors affecting the world’s workers and employers now — and in the future. These trends resonate across the spectrum of employee experience and can serve as a useful tool for employers navigating a landscape that is ever evolving.

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Other trends that might interest you

 The Internet of Things: Shaping the Future Workplace

In an environment of constant progress, more organizations are questioning how future technology could impact their operations. More so than almost any other development, the Internet of Things (IoT) offers immediate improvements to the employee experience, from enhanced organization to more efficient facility management that boosts productivity.

 Human Capital Management 3.0: Transforming the Employee Experience

While new technologies have delivered significant benefits, workplace complexity continues to rise and global employee engagement levels remain low. As organizations look for ways to simplify interactions and reduce overload, the employee experience has come into focus as a key area for improvement—and Human Capital Management (HCM) is increasingly being leveraged as a solution.

 Getting Ready for Gen Z

2017 marked the first full year with Generation Z in the workforce—a cohort typically defined as being born between 1995 and 2012. As these new employees set their sights on becoming future movers and shakers, organizations need to know what Gen Z brings to the workplace in order to foster the vibrant multi-generational mix that every enterprise depends upon.

 Creating the Emotionally Intelligent Workplace

Our lives are a kaleidoscope of up to 500 emotional experiences per day. We may only be conscious of a fraction of them at any one time, but they color every interaction. With this understanding comes a recognition of the need to navigate these emotions in the workplace, meaning that emotional intelligence (EI) has become a core skill set for high-performing organizations and outstanding leaders today.

 Re-imagining Resources in the Sharing Economy

Faced with an often difficult “new normal” in the post-2008 economic sphere, both individuals and corporations are re-examining how their resources are used. Out of this has grown a “sharing” or “gig” economy; one that eschews traditional ownership to promote maximum efficiency of labor and materials.

 Moving the Needle on Gender Balance

For much of the recent past, business has taken a more direct approach to improving diversity in the workforce, particularly when it comes to addressing gender imbalances on teams. Now, with a growing awareness around the unique challenges faced by women in the workplace—and because of the significant value generated by improved diversity—it’s clear that the focus of diversity needs to include not only making the numbers add up but also instilling a true feeling of belonging and inclusion.