Hope Solutions is a leading sustainability consultancy and solutions provider for international businesses, projects and events.
Hope Solutions is committed to improving diversity within the environment
and sustainability sector and among environment and sustainability
professionals.
In 2023:
Achievements from 2023:
1. Successful flexible working model - maintained as the company grew and welcomed a new employee in April 2023.
2. Completed an internal assessment through surveying and interviews with employees of our internal company structure, looking at core demographics, salaries, engagement and other key areas to better understand our people and performance.
Also compared with industry standards and sector competitors (where available).
3. Completed our first engagement survey with a 100% engagement and satisfaction scores across all employees achieved in year 1.
4. Took the company through the B Corp certification and certified with a score of 118. Raising the level to which we commit ourselves to accountability, transparency and continuous improvement. We will be required to recertify every 3 years to maintain our standing as a B Corp business.
5. Took our first client through their B Corp certification - an acknowledgment that this client meets high standards of social and environmental impact. This will be a service we expand in 2024.
6. Held our 2nd Company strategy and values meeting. This was extended to 2 days to encompass external speakers and a wider remit in order to assess our company and individual employee’s values, motivations, boundaries and expectations, to align on our agreed vision, missions and values.
7. All employee salaries continue to be reviewed and adjusted accordingly in line with experience, training undertaken and their position. There will also be a continuous review as we onboard new staff and as individual staff knowledge develops to maintain pay equity. This is in addition to ensuring all staff and regular subcontractors receive the real living wage (as a minimum).
8. In line with 7 above, we formalised becoming a Real Living Wage Employer to solidify our commitment to fair wages and pay parity.
9. Introduced bimonthly confidential wellbeing check ins with employees to provide a safe space for employees to air concerns or frustrations, raise any issues and feel empowered to challenge the company (and if applicable our clients) on anything.
10. Reviewed all terms and conditions and contractor agreements to embed human rights, ED&I, Living wage, environmental and social impact clauses to take the first step in extending accountability to our suppliers, freelancers and clients.
11. Introduced company wide Income protection, Life insurance and employee assistance programme. All employees are eligible following probation, regardless of part time/full time and it is offered at the same level across all employees.
In 2024:
Hope Solutions is committed to improving diversity within the environment and sustainability sector and among environment and sustainability professionals.
We endeavour to maintain our commitments we made in 2022. In addition targeting some
of the action points we didn't achieve and aim to improve on. We acknowledge that we are
on a journey with ED&I and are developing our knowledge and continually learning to
ensure a more equitable workplace and industry.
1. Develop a Company ED&I action plan through collaboration with diverse voices and
experts.
2. Maintain flexible working to support employees and working parents to strike the balance between work and home life.
3. Repeat our company employee engagement and demographics surveys to monitor our people and performance compared with industry standards and sector competitors (where available)
4. Provide leadership and training opportunities for all employees with a focus on ED&I.
4a. Provide at least 1 ED&I workshops and training for the team and increase staff competence around ED&I discussion.
5. Review our H&S documents and Risk register - Adding EDI as issues to be considered at senior management meetings.
6. Continue to remove barriers to employment and explore options for anonymised recruitment to reduce unconscious bias.
6a. Candidates to be screened and assessed on skills, experience and best fit for the job role requirements in order to reduce any unconscious bias.
6b. We would like to take this two steps further in future recruitment, firstly by reviewing job descriptions for accessibility and inclusion requirements before posting, and to explore an anonymised application process.
7. Introduce a mentoring scheme for female and non-binary professionals as well as those who identify within minority groups. (not achieved in 2023.
8. All employees will continue to receive the real living wage (as a minimum) from hire, reviewing all salaries annually to ensure we’re maintaining salaries in line with cost of living /inflation.
9. Continue to maintain pay parity for all staff according to position, by reviewing regularly and revising accordingly.
10. Aim to provide 5 new or existing clients with additional services focused on social impact and ED&I to support clients growing requests