PrintIT Reseller - issue 65

VOX POP 01732 759725 46 Jeremy Spencer: “Our customers range from small businesses to large corporations and most, if not all, are keen to demonstrate their social responsibility. However, many don’t have a clear and defined approach to CSR so, by aligning with our Carbon Zero scheme, they gain access to projects that allow them to enhance their green credentials and help people change their lives for the better. “Separately, our employees are a vital part of the scheme and are enthusiastic advocates of its aims. We review the environmental impact of everyone in the business, offsetting this through the widely recognised PAS 2060:2010 scheme.” Sarah Mackay: “In today’s society, more and more people are expecting businesses to be socially responsible and to have a CSR policy. Customer expectations have changed, and quality and affordability are no longer the only factors that are taken into account when looking at a product or business. People want to know that the company they are dealing with, be that as a customer or an employee, are making a concerted effort to give back, as much as possible, and a socially conscious business is more likely to care about customers and employees.” Adrienne Topping: “I think this has never been more important, people are more interested in and actively participate in global initiatives. For example climate change and single use plastics. Customers want to know if a company is environmentally and socially responsible and this is not just reflected in a company’s marketing materials but the conversations and interactions they have with their account managers, engineers and office-based employees. Outside of bids and tenders, we are seeing it increasingly added to the agenda during a customer’s selection process, which is really positive, and Sharp is proactive in meeting these changing attitudes.” James Turner: “I believe we are now living in a more ethically aware society, where more people are conscious of what they eat, where their products are from and helping out those in need. Social responsibility might not be at the top of every customers’ list when choosing a new business, but I think it does play a role for ethically conscious customers. “As an organisation we take social responsibility seriously and I believe that as a result, our company culture attracts employees with a similar mind-set. The ‘culture match’ means our employees share the same views on democracy, civic society and independent journalism. Our employee survey results showed that our ethical approach is supported by our workers and we hope to attract more employees with a similar mind-set. “So, in other words, it is not only about having the competitive advantage on the labour market by doing CSR, but it is also about finding the right people that fit in to your company culture by clearly demonstrating what your corporate values are in the initial interview stage, even though they might not necessarily align with some of the candidates.” Sam Johnson: “The increasing prominence of social responsibility on requests for tender demonstrates its growing importance to businesses and organisations across sectors. “We take our social responsibilities incredibly seriously at Brother, so much so that we’ve recently promoted one of our apprentices, Gemmer Crozier, to a new role of Sustainable Development Coordinator. Gemmer is now responsible for advising our sales and marketing teams on how they can effectively communicate with our stakeholders, showcasing Brother’s work in the community, its staff development and its efforts towards a greener future. The creation of this post reflects just how high social responsibility is on both our agenda and that of our employees and customers.” Gillian Anderson: “For Konica Minolta, the essential element for our CSR activities and partnerships are they align with our core values and our vision of being a company that is vital to society as well as us building and protecting our reputation. “We can only realise our vision by working with our customers, employees, suppliers and partners to drive impactful change and focusing on how we can all work together to share best practice and solve society’s challenges. We know this is becoming increasingly important to them too. “Our employees want to feel connected and part of something bigger. As well as contributing to economic development, through our partnerships we can also focus on improving the quality of life of our employees and their families, as well as the local community and wider society.” In next month’s issue, we include the channel’s perspective. www.toshibatec.co.uk www.utaxuk.co.uk www.sharp.co.uk www.ysoft.com www.brother.co.uk www.xerox.com www.konicaminolta.co.uk I believe we are now living in a more ethically aware society, where more people are conscious of what they eat, where their products are from and helping out those in need ...continued PrintIT Reseller: To what extent do you think customers (and employees) want to align themselves with organisations who place social responsibility high on the business agenda? James Turner