People want to make a difference

It is now four years since Gi Group UK made the conscious decision to place corporate social responsibility at the core of its business. Since then the company and its people have evolved to the stage that being a responsible business is now an unconscious foundation of its everyday operations.

This presents itself in many ways but perhaps most profound are the impacts we have on individuals within the communities in which we operate. Whether it be broadening the horizons of youngsters from underprivileged backgrounds, improving the employability of those seeking work or safeguarding the wellbeing of those at risk of exploitation, we have made the most of our unique position and been able to bring about positive change.

Integral to being a responsible business is consistent presence and a genuine desire to improve the lives of the people you support and engage. It has to be more than a PR exercise and you have to be in it for the long haul. It doesn’t disappear when the cameras have gone. There is no point opening a child’s eyes to new possibilities if you don’t help that child seize them. And there is no point putting forward a candidate for interview if you don’t improve their chances of securing the role. Our proudest achievement in this field is that the programmes we initiated several years ago have flourished into long term partnerships that have created a legacy and will continue to make a difference to communities and families for years to come.

Organisations have a genuine responsibility to the communities in which they operate, especially in disadvantaged areas. They owe it to the communities that help make them successful to empower residents to become more successful too. From our work, we see that many youngsters in particular are disenfranchised. With the potential absence of role models in their family life they are often unaware of the work opportunities available or lack the confidence or skills to grasp them. We are striving to upskill, inspire and instil the belief in these groups, through workshops, mentoring, work experience and apprenticeship opportunities to prepare them for the world of work.

CSR has risen in prominence in recent years and the driver for this, is of course, people. The people that need our support but also the people, within our team, that are delivering programmes for clients, for candidates, for schools and for charities. Across the country and throughout our organisation it is clear that younger generations care as deeply about being part of something meaningful as they do about being part of something commercially successful. Employees now believe their employer has a duty to make a positive impact. They want and expect to work for socially responsible businesses and they fully embrace opportunities to contribute to that mission. Our people genuinely want to make a difference – and they unquestionably do.

THE GI GROUP DIFFERENCE

At our 20th Anniversary Conference earlier this year, over 200 leaders from Gi Group’s global network shared the learnings from Simon Sinek’s ‘Start With Why’. We recognised that demonstrating a meaningful purpose is crucial to attracting the next generation to your organisation and engaging them in your business. They are driven by a desire to leave a greater footprint than when they arrived.

Responsible Business Week is the perfect time to consider our own footprint. How have we made a positive difference? Here’s some of the highlights of our responsible business activity:

• Our commitment as a Stronger Together Business Partner along with our active participation as members of the Association of Labour Providers, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and the GLA Labour Provision Group sees us continue to play an integral role in the fight against Modern Slavery.

• Our work with schools which has grown significantly in recent years and now sees us hold direct partnerships with six schools where activities take place on a continual basis, as well as a further twenty schools with which we have participated in individual events. Gi Group UK has passed the milestone of helping its 1000th pupil – with that figure set to rise over the coming years.

• We are on course for our fundraising target of £100,000 by the end of 2018. Whether for our nominated charity – Macmillan Cancer Support – or for specific programmes for local causes such as our Big Egg appeal, our team has truly gone above and beyond.

• A continued focus on environmental performance has seen the implementation of robust additions to our policy and procedures with a commitment to low emissions travel and recycling at the forefront.

• Our global Destination Work initiative helps job seekers gain core skills to increase their employability and matches them to existing opportunities. A one-day annual event, running simultaneously across the countries in which the group operates, the programme has already seen employees dedicate many thousands of volunteer hours to helps thousands of people get into work.

• By providing people from all groups with access to formal training opportunities and increasing the awareness of our customers about the available labour pool – we are helping to close the skills gap in the employment market place and get more people into work.

• Our Employability, Skills & Learning team works with the awarding bodies, Ofsted, SFA and clients to ensure that our Apprenticeship Programmes are of the highest quality, maximising the potential of the temporary workers. We have delivered well over 3000 courses since 2009 and are helping employers navigate the Apprenticeship Levy and the commercial benefits it presents.

• We have fostered an environment within Gi Group where every employee has the chance to thrive. Being a responsible business also means being a sustainable one, and so investing in our people, across all levels, and helping them to develop is an important focus for us.

DRIVEN BY VALUES

Gi Group’s vision is clear: we want to contribute as a key player – and on a global basis – to the evolution of the labour market and to emphasise the personal and social value of work.

Our commitment to our values, our employees and our candidates, forms part of our raison d’être and underpins all business activity. Indeed, written into our code of ethics is that our business behaviour is guided by the principles of integrity, loyalty, honesty, transparency, and respect for the rules and the law.

Working at Gi Group UK is about opportunity, ethics, involvement, influence, recognition and reward. We combine our learnings from working with some of the UK’s most successful companies with the vast experience and passion we possess within the group of companies to make it an organisation people want to join, enjoy, grow with, make a difference to – and ultimately succeed at.

This has been achieved by enhancing every single aspect of the business, culminating in the inclusive, engaged and effective team Gi Group UK is today. It is reaffirmed by our commitment to become THE agency for candidates – by putting their interests first and ensuring a positive and rewarding candidate experience.

This year marks a significant milestone for Gi Group as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary. The dedication to being a responsible business, now at our core, sees us well placed to thrive in the Next 20.