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Essential ESG for SMEs
Wondering how to tackle ESG in your organisation?
We have trusted people experts on hand to support you every step of the way
What is ESG?
ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) is essentially a set of standards set out by organisations to measure their impact on people and the planet. Based on the idea of “planet, people and prosperity,” it has been growing in urgency and importance in businesses across the UK in recent years in response to environmental, societal and political challenges. It is a framework to make an organisation’s impact measurable, and it is rapidly becoming an essential requirement for every business.
Finding ways to identify, implement and measure that impact can be complex, however. Organisations are under increasing pressure to be transparent about their policies, but where do you start? What’s right for your business? And how can you get your people on board?
We can help. Our nationwide team of trusted People Directors can work with you to explore what ESG means for your organisation, what you are already doing, and how you can take the next step. Strategic HR plays a vital role in supporting businesses to develop and deliver a customised ESG strategy. We have developed a comprehensive toolkit to help our clients navigate this complex but rewarding area more easily.
ENVIRONMENTAL
- Climate change strategy /action – adaptation to climate risks and impacts
- Pollution and waste
- Energy and water efficiency
- Carbon intensity
- Environmental management system
- Biodiversity and ecological footprint
SOCIAL
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Health and Safety
- Product and consumer responsibility
- Community impact
- Human rights
- Good health and wellbeing
- Quality education
- Modern Slavery
- Full alignment of ESG through People Strategy
GOVERNANCE
- Business ethics
- Compliance
- Leadership and corporate governance
- Risk management
- Anti-corruption and bribery
- Board independence
- Exec compensation
Book a Discovery Call with an HR Expert today
Risk-free, affordable access to some of the best People Directors in the UK who can help to design your business around growth
Book a Discovery Call with an HR Expert today
Risk-free, affordable access to some of the best People Directors in the UK who can help to design your business around growth
The benefits of ESG for SMEs
There are many benefits of implementing an effective ESG strategy. These may include:
- Competitive advantage
- Avoiding risks to current revenues and business growth
- Enhanced brand reputation
- Stronger customer loyalty
- Talent attraction and retention
- Increased employee engagement
- Securing investment
- Streamlined regulatory compliance
- Better shareholder relationships and return
- Doing the right thing: becoming a purpose-driven business, making a genuine difference to social and environmental causes
The benefits of ESG for SMEs
There are many benefits of implementing an effective ESG strategy. These may include:
 |
Competitive advantage |
|
Avoiding risks to current revenues and business growth |
|
Enhanced brand reputation |
|
Stronger customer loyalty |
|
Talent attraction and retention |
|
Increased employee engagement |
|
Securing investment |
|
Streamlined regulatory compliance |
|
Better shareholder relationships and return |
|
Doing the right thing: becoming a purpose-driven business, making a genuine difference to social and environmental causes |
How People Puzzles can support your organisation
People Puzzles will work with you to develop a customised ESG plan that meets the unique needs of your business.
Our Process
Working with a local strategic HR Director, you can feel confident in defining and delivering an ESG strategy that creates a meaningful difference – environmentally, socially and commercially.
We take a tailored approach to every client, and can help guide your business through the process. This will typically include some or all of the following steps:
Why do ESG and Strategic HR make a perfect partnership?
Strategic HR plays a crucial role in delivering ESG initiatives. It’s all about aligning human resource practices for sustainability, diversity, ethical governance, and social responsibility, helping to drive a business towards achieving its ESG goals. Below are just some of the ways in which HR supports each of these pillars.
Ensuring people are aligned behind your ESG policies and practices is key to successful delivery. Without a co-ordinated effort, impact will be compromised. It is therefore important not only to define your vision and process up front, but to communicate it effectively and work to create a sense of purpose and shared accountability. That can only be achieved through your people. Whether you want to establish employee resource groups or nominate champions throughout the business, clarity of purpose and function are vital, and a strategic HR Director can help you build those foundations in the best way.
The “social” of ESG is wide-ranging and can have impact both internally and externally. It incorporates everything from your own organisation’s diversity, equity and inclusivity approach to the wider social impact of your business and how it contributes to society. Understandably, this is a complex area, and an expert People Director can provide the guidance and development resources required to equip your business and workforce for delivering real change through an aligned, strategic approach.
Getting to grips with governance requires patience and expertise, as ESG is not a straightforward area to master. Your strategic HR Director will be able to guide you through the process of identifying which ESG practices and policies to adopt for your organisation, and provide advice and support in achieving measurable progress. From environmental necessities like carbon emissions and incorporating every aspect of the reporting and measurement of your environmental and social impact, we are here to support you.
Want to know more about ESG?
Have a look through our expertly written guides from our People Directors
What the heck is ESG?
Is ESG a legal requirement in the UK?
Are ESG and CSR the same?
What are the three pillars of ESG?
Book a Discovery Call with an HR Expert today
Risk-free, affordable access to some of the best People Directors in the UK who can help to design your business around growth
Book a Discovery Call with an HR Expert today
Risk-free, affordable access to some of the best People Directors in the UK who can help to design your business around growth
CASE STUDY
People Puzzles helped this pioneering, Sheffield-based renewable energy company develop its employer brand and internal systems to not only attract but hold onto talented engineers in a challenging job market.
When the success of your company depends on attracting highly specialised and technically qualified people, it’s important to have a great employer value proposition. This will not only attract the best people into the business, but also encourage them to stay and develop their career with you.
BLOG
Talent attraction and retention continue to rank amongst the toughest challenges facing SMEs today. How do you stand out from the rest of the market in the first place to create a high quality, reliable talent pipeline, and then continue to motivate, engage and develop your people in the longer term?
Recent studies* have shown that a purpose-driven organisation can be nearly three times more likely to retain its best people, and as demographics and attitudes to work and sustainability shift, ESG is becoming an ever-most essential part of the employer brand proposition.
CASE STUDY
People Puzzles has been helping Community Led Initiatives, a Manchester/Bedford & Milton Keynes based peer mentoring organisation, to rapidly scale up, expand its services, and gain recognition as gold-standard Investor in People.
Community Led Initiatives (CLI) supports people on probation who are trying to rebuild their own lives after being in prison. It was launched in 2013 by two founders who had managed to rebuild their lives after addiction and crime and wanted to help others do the same.