Here, Lisa Geason-Bauer, founder of Evolution Marketing, discusses the importance of diversity, inclusivity and employee engagement; as well as how B
Corps are ideally placed to meet the rapidly changing needs of businesses today and in the future.
Many businesses today strive not only to make a profit but also to do so in a
way that makes a positive impact on society and the planet. The growing number
of successful B Corps shows that concern for the environment and the welfare
of communities can underpin a successful business model. Perhaps this is why the
B Corp
movement
is expanding across a whole range of industries and types of business from
bakeries to marketing and even dentistry.
We recently spoke with Lisa Geason-Bauer, founder of Evolution
Marketing — the only advertising agency in
Wisconsin that works within the environmental, socially responsible and
sustainability space. Drawing on her background in sociology and her experience
of building her own B Corp-certified business and advising others, Geason-Bauer
talks about the importance of diversity, inclusivity and employee engagement; as
well as how B Corps are ideally placed to meet the rapidly changing needs of
businesses today and in the future.
As interest in the B Corp movement grows, what would you say to companies who might want to incorporate some of the principles but can't make the changes right away?
It takes time to become a certified B Corp. If you start the organization using
either triple bottom line or quadruple bottom line thinking and make your
decisions through the lenses of those frameworks, that will help to put you on
the path to someday becoming a certified B Corp.
Or, they could start by putting in place an employee engagement
program.
Big companies have the resources, but even small ones could do a simple survey
to find out what your workforce is interested in. For example, ask them what
project they are interested in working on, or what they think the company could
do better.
Another good start is to look at the employees you are recruiting. I would argue
that the more diverse and engaged the workforce is, the more engaged and
successful the business is. The B Corp movement’s Inclusivity Challenge helps
businesses to be part of a more inclusive economy.
A lot of big companies have been putting sustainability programs in place in the
last few years. But small to medium-size companies can do that, too. For
businesses who aspire to become B Corps, it's all about engaging your employees
and working towards creating a more holistic system.
I think this was very relevant pre-COVID, and it is going to be even more
relevant post-COVID — as we try to negotiate how to move businesses forward in
an equitable and just manner.
What role can B Corps play in meeting the needs of the next generation of workers?
The youngest Gen Zers are now 20-25, and they entered the workforce a couple of
years ago. We see that their value
system
is very different, even from the Millennial value
system.
Millennials were more progressive than Generation X. For Millennials, it is
really important to work for a company where they were able to give back. In the
last ten years since the Millennials entered the workforce, there has been an
increase in corporate social responsibility programs. We see that both in
Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller ones.
The Millennial generation moved us in one direction, and Gen Z is taking us
even further. Some say they will only work for a company where they feel they
are doing some kind of work that benefits society and impacts the world in a
positive way. They want hands-on opportunities to give back and to become better
leaders within their companies. So, there is this bigger shift — that you don't
just go to work to make money; you are going to work because you want to make
the world a better
place.
What about the role of education? How can colleges and universities ensure that students learn the skills they need to lead and support the sustainable, ethical businesses of the future?
The first thing is that, if someone is taking a four-year degree, it is
important that the student gets a chance to interface with the business world or
with the community — for example, through internships. This is particularly
important because the business world is changing so fast. Businesses are getting
more innovative and the COVID-19 pandemic is showing us how innovative business
can
be.
It is really important for students and young people to see businesses pivoting
and making strategic decisions in the workplace.
The second thing is that, when businesses take someone straight from school,
they are more and more likely to ensure that they provide opportunities for
young professionals. This could be through on-the-job training or some sort of
certification that is relevant to the job. Many young people don't want to run
up huge debts to pay for a college education. So, companies are bringing in
programs to help grow the workforce. And that is part of having a robust
employee engagement program, where the business is investing in the workers and
the worker is then investing back into the business.
There also needs to be flexibility in courses, such as opportunities to do the
program online. That is the future of what education is going to look like. We
see that happening, for example, at the University of
Wisconsin. They have flexible degree programs; as well as
a more holistic, balanced
approach
which means more diversity of classes as well as opportunities to engage with
the world of business.
There is also interesting work going on in high schools, where students can get
the chance to intersect with businesses working for good. One example was a
project where high school seniors worked at a nonprofit that provided utilities
advice. The students translated guides and information about saving energy and
avoiding scams into Spanish to help people make better choices. It also involved
shadowing staff in the organization. Students saw business for good being
modeled; and as a result, when they go to college or into work, think that is
the norm.
How do you see the B Corp movement developing over the next five to ten years?
One big change is that in the future we will see fewer jobs that require a
four-year degree. Research by the Wisconsin Policy Forum predicts that by
2024, 60 percent of jobs will not require a four-year degree. Many will require
just high school, with some level of on-the-job training — such as a vocational
program and certificate. Only 10 percent will require an Associate's Degree and
30 percent are expected to require a Bachelor's or higher.
B Corps will adapt to these changes because they are more flexible in how they
look at their workers and the organization.
Instead of looking for a four-year degree for any job, employers are beginning
to realize that is not necessary or even realistic anymore. What we need are a
lot of very specialized skills that come from certification or on-the-job
training.
B Corps are very good at thinking that way. They are also good at asking how we
can work with individuals in the population who don't have opportunities. A good
example of this is Greyston Bakery in New York,
which has an open hiring program — anyone can walk in and can get a job for that
day. One of the things they found was that many of their best workers are
ex-offenders, who had a hard time finding any other type of employment because
they have a criminal record.
B Corps want to make sure everybody has the opportunity to make money to support
their family in a sustainable manner. In the future, social sustainability is
likely to become just as important as environmental sustainability.
Published May 6, 2020 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST