Harris Global has become the first recruitment consultancy in the UK to achieve an overall Gold Award in the Responsible Business Standard from the Organisation for Responsible Businesses' (ORB). The company was handed the award last Thursday at its Croydon headquarters by local MP Gavin Barwell in recognition of the company's stringent CSR (corporate social responsibility) policies which stretch across every aspect of the business.
Harris Global, a specialist in recruitment for the IT and financial services sector, was launched three years ago with CSR built into the business as a fundamental component of its strategy.
Alan Feast, Chairman of Harris Global, comments, "Right from the start we wanted to create a different kind of recruitment business; one that was not only great to work for and successful, but which also made a positive impact on the lives of the people that work with us and also the wider community. The Gold award means a great deal to us as it provides recognition that our strong CSR values are breaking the mould for the industry, making us stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons."
To achieve Gold in the Responsible Business Standard, the company was audited by ORB to evaluate its performance as a responsible business across 10 different areas, with a focus on responsible best practice in the workplace, environment, community and marketplace, as well as ethics, values and transparency. The audit highlighted areas of excellence, including the company's support and ongoing development of staff, its move to paperless operations, its stringent recycling practices and its deep involvement in fundraising and volunteering activities for local causes.
The CSR values are embraced by all staff who recognise that Harris Global is different and leading the way in ethical business practice and who actively participate in the company's environmental and charitable initiatives. As a result, Harris Global has not lost one employee since it launched and it is attracting high calibre staff who are interested in the company's ethos and ideals.
The audit was carried out by ORB licenced auditor, Sharon Cook, who adds, "This was a well and truly deserved Gold for Harris Global. Considering the size of the company, the positive impacts the company already have in their community is very high. The belief the board has in ensuring that they do the right thing, exceed expectations, deliver quality and become a leader in business is inspirational. It's rare that I leave a business with such a positive vibe, but I certainly got that feeling when I bounded out to my car."
Gavin Barwell, MP for Croydon Central, concludes, "This Gold award is a credit to Harris global which is working hard to actively change things for the better in our local area. They clearly understand the value of giving back to Croydon's community which is something we are actively championing and hoping to see more of among other Croydon businesses."
At the event, Harris Global also proposed a joint community CSR initiative, called ‘Croydon Do Something Good Day'. This is a ‘call to arms' for the many local businesses, charities and not-for-profit organisations that are already embracing local CSR initiatives to also work together to create a stronger, more powerful movement for change. Businesses are being asked to sign up to form a steering group that will lead the initiative, with the aim of creating a visible day of activities across the borough, with the whole community taking part.