November 13, 2024
At B Local, our focus is amplification, collaboration, and supporting fellow B Corps with a mandate to do good as we do well.
Sharesource is the next in our Spotlight series with a goal to promote B Local member businesses, as well as bolster greater community through shared learning and experiences.
What does being a B Corp mean to you? To your team? To your customers?
Being a B Corp is a way of demonstrating to ourselves, our employees, our clients, and our peers that growth and success should not be achieved at the expense of others but by bringing those who need change along for the ride.
This accreditation reflects our values of responsibility, accountability, and a genuine desire to use business as a driver for positive global change. And we love that it keeps us aligned with a larger community of like-minded companies who don’t only care about profit, but about people and the planet too.
We are one of only a handful of B Corp offshores in the world, and another part of our mission is demonstrating that offshoring can be an incredible driver of change, rather than just being a way for companies to save costs or scale faster.
This means a lot to our clients, particularly our B Corp clients: They have chosen to create a socially responsible business because they, too, care about making an impact, so we allow them to give even more meaning to their work by opening up doors to talented people who’ve previously been locked out.
Talk to us about your WHY. Why a purpose driven business and why the pursuit of B Corp?
Sharesource began as a regular, professional offshoring business that connected good people with good jobs, all over the world. We weren’t always purpose driven but a single conversation with a prospective recruit changed that. Our CEO, Brendon, was meeting some candidates in our Philippines hub. He learned that one woman, who had landed a Data Entry job that she loved, actually had a degree in Mathematics. Brendon realized that despite having qualifications far beyond the job she had applied for, her location and the jobs market in that location meant she had fewer opportunities to use them, and this brought around an evolution and a revolution in the way we do business.
So these days, our business is founded on the core belief that no one’s potential should be limited by their location. Since that evolution in 2013, we have made it our mission to link highly-qualified candidates in developing countries with companies that allow them to thrive, democratising opportunities and helping redistribute financial and professional equity through meaningful employment.
Pursuing B Corp was a natural step for us, because it formalises the commitment we’ve had since that day, and we are proud to be part of a community of people achieving good through their business.
Can you share a specific example of how your company values have shaped your business practices or decision-making process?
A good example that truly reflects our values is how we’ve integrated fair wage policies across all our operations. We firmly believe that meaningful employment starts with fair compensation, regardless of where our team members are based. When we enter a new region, we don’t just aim to meet local wage standards; we carefully consider living wages and the impact a good wage can have on the quality of life for our employees. Not to mention properly reflecting their incredible qualifications and the value they add to the teams and companies that they join.
This approach works both ways, we also provide expert strategic consultation to all of our clients, reviewing their situations regularly and advising them on pay reviews so that they can retain the incredible talent we’ve placed within their teams. This is one of the many ways we live our purpose every day, ensuring that our decisions help bridge the gap between countries and their opportunities, while allowing our clients to grow responsibly and sustainably.
