B Corp: Making Business a Force for Good
I’ve often relayed the importance of doing business better – but who are we actually doing business better for? The path to becoming a B Corp Certified company was never about adding designation to our name, an addendum in our handbook, or leveraging the certification for our benefit. In fact, it was never about us. We owe it to our stakeholders to be transparent in every endeavor and provide them with real, lasting, and tangible results.
#BehindTheB
This past month, our colleagues joined to celebrate B Corp month by sharing what #BehindTheB means to them, and I wanted to join them by sharing some of the ways operating as a B Corp has changed the way I view business and how it has changed our business for better.
1. Work hard to consider what clients want – not just what will turn profits.
We don’t achieve a 95% client retention rate by simply telling our clients what to do or providing solutions that benefit our business. We listen to their concerns, craft strategies and solutions around their needs, and invest in the resources required to solve problems holistically. This comprehensive approach has proven time and time again to secure our clients’ trust and long-term partnerships because we make decisions with their interests in mind over our profit margins.
2. Invest in the long-term.
Our people are the foundation of our success. When we pour into in their well-being, growth, and development, we invest in the continued success of our business offerings. Often, employers assume that by offering competitive wages and comprehensive resources to employees, they’ve done the investment work needed to win over candidates. But what happens after they’ve signed an offer letter? At Burnham, we don’t just attract top talent – we retain it by identifying growth opportunities based on individual strengths, skills, and passions.
3. Don’t work in a bubble.
We thrive when the communities we’re a part of are thriving. That’s why we create active coalitions and committees dedicated to listening to the needs of our communities through financial support, philanthropic events, in-kind donations, and volunteer work. These committees instill a sense of personal and collective responsibility to our communities that advance advocacy, equity, and inclusion both in and outside of our workplace.
4. Caring for people means caring for the planet.
As one of the nation’s largest benefits firms, we are uniquely positioned to utilize our resources and expertise to limit our environmental impact. After all, human health and well-being is at the center of what we do best. That’s why we set real goals and do our part to create a more sustainable, clean and accountable work environment and world by offering remote workstations and minimizing our carbon footprint.
Though B Corp month is coming to an end, the work is far from done. I remain committed to our #BCorp designation, continuing to learn from and work with one another to fulfill the vision of an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy. Stay tuned into our B Corp initiatives by visiting our business page and let me know below what’s #BehindTheB for you!
-Kristen Allison,
Regional President