Organizations are adopting greener alternatives to improve their environmental credentials. However, social and governance aspects have received less attention. Dr. Sue Shortland discusses some actions employers can take to address social issues to provide a more holistic approach to achieving ESG goals.
This article is excerpted from the Fall 2023 issue of the magazine.
Think Global People Magazine
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Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues have attracted attention in recent years. One of the key concerns that is capturing the attention and imagination of organizations is how global mobility can be made environmentally sustainable.Businesses are increasingly adopting this aspect across a wide range of policy areas. Therefore, the focus is on actions that can be taken for a more environmentally friendly approach to supporting employees financially, for example in terms of travel, housing, furniture, utilities and living expenses.Perhaps surprisingly, however, social and governance aspects within ESG seem to receive less emphasis. These three ESG pillars are mutually supporting andCompanies that want to improve their employer brand and actively contribute to a better society need to focus not only on improving their environmental credentials, but also on social and governance issues.
DE and I actions
Regarding the social pillar, organizations can focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE & I) goals here. This is beginning to extend beyond the traditional remit of typical organizations and into the global mobility realm. The global mobility field is a business field that has traditionally moved relatively homogeneous people. To attract and address greater diversity within the international realm, organizations are beginning to modify their allocation approaches and support policies, thereby aligning these with the organization’s goals of improving DE and I. can do.In addition to increasing diversity, organizations should consider practical steps to ensure equity and inclusion once more diverse candidates join. A key focus for mobility experts around the world now is on updating policies to ensure the use of more inclusive language, along with more flexible approaches to supporting employees with diverse needs. It seems that. But you also need to take steps to ensure that employees and their families understand that their personal needs are being considered. In other words, good communication is needed so that individuals and their families understand that organizational policies are becoming more individualized rather than generalized and prescriptive. .Another current trend is towards the provision of cash lump sums rather than predetermined policy elements. Again, this shows how to address individual needs, but employees and their families should be guided through the complex process on how to apply the cash benefit that best suits their circumstances. It’s important to remember that you will likely need some support. global mobility. Therefore, achieving equity and inclusivity for a more diverse profile of individuals and families on the move requires personal, customized communications and Support will become increasingly important.But to truly focus on the social pillars, organizations need to go beyond blanket language and flexible application of benefits. To encourage and support a more diverse workforce, including nationally or globally mobile talent, organizations need to ensure that relevant employment opportunities are accessible to the widest possible range of candidates. This may include supporting the placement and growth of local talent as well as individuals who are ready to move the country to further their careers. Organizational leaders should consider aspects such as how diverse people can be socially and culturally integrated within the workforce and how access to opportunities can be provided to individuals who are considered nontraditional postholders. need to be considered.
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Nontraditional Candidate Access
Transparency in position offers is critical to ensuring that a diverse range of applicants can apply for career opportunities. Organizations need to remember that non-traditional applicants may be turning a blind eye to job markets where organizations traditionally advertise roles. You should also be cautious about the use and nature of your social networks. This is because social networks tend to create opportunities for those who form part of that particular network and may exclude those who consider themselves irrelevant to that network.To diversify the workforce and make regional roles and international mobility more widely available, organizational leaders need to consider how to access less-connected populations. maybe. While organizations can, of course, attract sufficient numbers of well-qualified candidates through traditional advertising and networking, it takes considerable effort just to expand the market to individuals who may or may not be a good fit for the role. You may feel that it is. However, the message here is that more diverse profiles can provide organizations with a wider range of options to address gaps in their talent pipeline.
Record keeping and monitoring
To effectively manage social ESG aspects, it is important to ensure that diversity records are kept so that organizations can understand where areas need further input and support. Keeping records of diversity is also paramount to monitoring behavior and determining its success.The starting point is to clearly define what constitutes diversity and which aspects should be recorded and monitored. Thus, for example, organizations may wish to record diversity statistics according to established protected characteristics, such as those published in the Equality Act (2010). Such demographics may include gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, religion, and sexual orientation.However, organizations that want to monitor other characteristics as part of their diversity efforts may also want to record aspects such as family size, children with special needs, and non-traditional families. The argument behind this is that when an individual relocates, the move has something to do with it. The social pillar therefore includes accommodating the special needs not only of the employees themselves, but also of their accompanying family members.Additionally, organizations may want to consider collecting data on issues such as educational background, international experience, and other social background information. The aim here is to widen diversity to include people with different experiences, information, social networks, and a diversity of values.
Entering the global mobility feature
In terms of actions that international mobility and global mobility functions may take, practical initiatives include, for example, adding additional allowances for DE and I cases, and implementing diversity requirements within the selection process. This may include considering actions that may be taken to support and increase flexibility. In addition to providing cash alternatives, introducing new policies to support a more diverse workforce will also be part of policy design. Policies may also include the use of specialized service providers to support diversity needs.Communication is at the heart of success, which is why global mobility departments or service suppliers employed to manage mobility should consult with employees and families to determine the individual requirements that need to be addressed within and as part of the employment situation. It is important to understand. of mobility processes. Organizations may need to broaden the definition of ‘family’ to reflect the diversity of family situations and the support provided by other individuals in family life to include other members other than spouses/partners and children. I don’t know.
CSR values ​​and initiatives
There is also a corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective here. Organizations increasingly have social and moral obligations to the people and places in which they operate. Organizations that are deemed socially responsible attract attention and become highly sought after places to work, once again attracting the best talent from the market. There’s a positive message here. Employers who are corporately and socially responsible are highly valued members of society, and this increases brand visibility.Therefore, in addition to placing a social focus on hiring and/or relocating employees and their families, organizations should also ensure that local leaders and employees relocating abroad have a social focus on this. You should also consider expanding it. This means that CSR objectives can become part of a leader/personnel’s job specification, along with her CSR/DE&I principles applied to the realization of role objectives and the development of local populations.Therefore, it is important for organizations to look beyond a narrow social DE and I focus in the selection and deployment of leaders, managers, and globally mobile individuals. There should also be a focus on the social pillar within the ESG policy, covering the outcomes of the appointment or mandate and the local impact on her CSR and DE&I principles in the host environment.
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