New Research Shows that 88% of Employees Would Prefer to Work for an Organisation That Runs its Business Sustainably
(3BL Media) March 2, 2012 - UBM, one of the largest exhibition organisers in the world recently carried out a corporate responsibility survey among its customers. It asked about if they thought that the organisation they work for reflected their own personal values; what attributes are important to them when considering a new employer and to what extent they supported charities and the community in which they operate
Encouragingly, the research revealed that 88.1% of respondents would prefer to work in an organisation that takes sustainability seriously and almost the same number agreed that the company they currently work for reflects their personal values.
These figures also reflect the growing importance of CR across all areas of business – from staff retention to winning more customers. Employee engagement is crucial to business success and factors like company volunteering programmes and charitable giving can make a huge difference. The UBM research showed that 77% of businesses support at least one charity but just 54% run a volunteering programme whilst 30% had a matched giving scheme.
Doing their bit for charity and employee engagement
In March 2012 UBM will put their expertise as event organisers to work as part of its own CR programme and host Responsible Business at London’s Business Design Centre. The event comprises an exhibition featuring 150+ charities – UBM has ‘donated’ stand space and furniture to give charities of all sizes an equal opportunity to engage with over 2,000 visitors from the world of business – and the BITC Responsible Business Convention.
In addition, the exhibition will feature a series of free seminars and workshops aimed at helping charities to operate more successfully and businesses to achieve their own CR goals through mutually beneficial partnerships with charities and social enterprises.
UBM staff will donate their time and expertise to help exhibitors get the best out of the two days and many of the suppliers that they use for the event have reduced their rates to reflect the spirit of the Responsible Business Exhibition.
“Everywhere I looked there were UBM folk working hard to make this event a success. This was done graciously, energetically, passionately and without any consideration to the fact that it was ‘outside the day job’. It made me incredibly proud” commented Ruth Carter, ceo of UBM Conferences after the inaugural event in 2011.
Last year’s event attracted over 2,000 people and had some amazing outcomes. Amie Willenberg of HSK (Harambee Schools Kenya) commented: “As a small charity this event gave us opportunities that we would never normally be able to take part in. We met some great and interesting prospects and were able to get some top tips from other charities. We also found a new trustee and had an anonymous donation which will make a huge difference to our campaigns.”
The Responsible Business Exhibition is free to attend: to find out more and to register visit www.responsiblebusinessevent.org
The BITC Responsible Business Convention, running alongside the exhibition, will bring together global business leaders for a two-day top level conference delivering practical solutions and insights to help businesses create long-term social, economic and environmental value. It features a full stream of sessions on Employee Engagement delivering key insights from companies including: American Express, BT, BBC, National Grid, Proctor & Gamble, Santander, Microsoft, Edelman and UKCES.
UBM is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world’s buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to successfully pursue their professions. We focus on serving professional communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.
Contact:
Diana Little, Marketing & PR Manager, Responsible Business Exhibition
+44 (0)20 7921 8244
