People prefer companies with APPositive impact on society.
Amid widespread distrust and misinformation, the voices of corporate leaders served as a light in a time of darkness and ambiguity.
Learning how to address the critical issues surrounding the pandemic was just the beginning. Over the next 18 months, he sparked more than 11,000 protests against racial injustice across the United States alone. Protesters called on the state, especially employers, to begin addressing urgent sociopolitical issues related to racism and prejudice.
In a 2019 Gartner survey of more than 30,000 people around the world, 87% of employees said companies should take positions on social issues that are relevant to their business.
Additionally, a 2021 survey of members of the Corporate Governance Institute found that of the 125 CEOs who responded, 45% felt compelled to speak out on social, political, and environmental issues, and 14% said they felt compelled to speak out on social, political, and environmental issues; It turned out that the company’s directors responded that they had made such statements.
Employers who choose not to get involved are likely to have a negative impact on their workplace culture and bottom line. And once you reach that point, it’s hard to make up for lost time. They lost trust and credibility. Meanwhile, when business leaders speak out against women’s rights and violence against minorities, they build a strong foundation on which to build their diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies.
Some may argue that speaking out can invite legal challenges and create division rather than uniting people. So how can employers minimize this impact by effectively communicating their positions on hot-button social and political issues?
First, they should ask themselves the following questions: Who is looking for our allies and support? By taking a reflective approach rather than being reactive, you can distance yourself from the core of the problem, seek feedback from your team, and be honest and responsible. This will give you the space to communicate in a certain way. This approach makes the decision to speak up easier.
Moreover, talking about important sociopolitical and environmental issues becomes less about playing it safe and more about doing what is necessary. Simply put, employers who maintain a myopic position are nothing more than buildings, products, and services.
But employers who take a holistic view of what matters can increase their influence in the marketplace by demonstrating a commitment to inclusion and innovation to their employees and communities.
For companies that take a courageous stance, the return on investment will generate higher levels of employee engagement and enable people to make conscious choices to align with organizations that share their interests and values. In a 2021 survey by software company Atlassian, 61% of millennial respondents said they prefer companies that address social issues.
Taking a stand can help companies intentionally attract and retain employees who reduce turnover and add an element of diversity to the culture.
There is no better return on investment than the intrinsic value of being able to have transparent, empathetic conversations with internal and external stakeholders about the topics that matter most. By doing so, we can build trust and have a positive impact on society.
Rochelle M. Thompson, SHRM-CP, has a PhD in psychology and is the founder and CEO of The Black Voice Project Institute in Washington, DC.
TakinThis attitude can alienate employees and customers.
Companies expose themselves to potential HR liability and public relations risks by taking a hard line on high-profile issues.
In my experience working in human resources for several decades in some highly regulated industries, primarily finance and health care, it is neither advisable nor beneficial for employers to take a stand on controversial issues. there is no.
Taking a public stand will inevitably alienate customers and employees who have different views on the issue than the company. This is an unacceptable risk for most companies, especially in today’s highly polarized competitive environment. Additionally, expending the resources and effort to communicate and defend your position can be costly in time and money. Otherwise, it could be spent on achieving highly important corporate goals, such as increasing revenue or attracting more effective talent.
Research published in Journal of Applied Psychology found that taking a hard line on political or social issues has a negative impact on a company’s recruitment efforts. Researchers have found that employers who are affiliated with a particular political party or who take a stand on political issues reject some applicants who have different feelings than the company. . In fact, this research shows that up to 40 percent of current job seekers can be deterred from applying due to a company’s political stance.
Taking a position on social or political issues can also have a negative impact on a company’s existing employees. For example, some employees may feel that their employer’s stance on controversial social or political issues creates a hostile work environment.
If employees find themselves on opposite sides of a hot issue on which their employer has taken a position, they may claim that they are being marginalized or discriminated against. Consider the unfortunate timing of documenting or disciplining an employee for a performance-related issue, when the employee has just publicly voiced opposition to a cause that they strongly support, or vice versa. Let’s. Perceptions about the timing of disciplinary action can feel discriminatory to employees and cause them to question the company’s true motives.
Even if disciplinary action is warranted, as the saying goes, “perception is reality.” At best, candidates will keep their bad feelings to themselves and look for another job where they will be more comfortable. In the worst case scenario, you could file a complaint or lawsuit against your employer.
An exception to this guidance is when the issue is inherently “embedded” into the company’s mission or its products or services. For example, a religious group may take a pro-life position, while Planned Parenthood would clearly be pro-choice. Additionally, Patagonia is an example of a company founded around specific environmental standards and issues. Therefore, it makes sense to consider the environmentally friendly aspects of any issue.
Any employee or consumer of these companies already knows where the organization stands on these issues, so voicing the company’s position will not cause conflict or friction and will Nor is it a deterrent to patrons or employees.
In short, unless it’s an integral part of your business model, taking a position on hot-button issues can do more harm than good. It is better for companies to stick to their immediate business goals and devote valuable resources (time, money, effort) to serving clients, growing the business, and fostering a collaborative and supportive workplace for employees. More productivity and less risk.
Lisa McDonald is the founder and CEO of Integrated Connections, a national healthcare recruiting and consulting firm based in Fort Collins, Colorado.
