Senior Research Executive - Zara Marouf, reflects on what it means to work at a B Corp accredited company

It has been excellent to witness, in recent years, organisations reflect on the impact their work and decisions have on their workplaces, community, and society more broadly. Objectives are being reviewed, so wider considerations exist beyond simple revenue generation. Patagonia is an example of an organisation that has really paved the way in terms of this, with owner Yvon Chouinard announcing that all of the company’s profits will go to fight climate change. It is clear there is a continual shift in the objectives and priorities of companies.

What is even more exciting is to be a part of a workplace that is taking active steps to cement this thinking into how the business is run. Here at The Nursery, we are in our own small ways reflecting on the impact of our decisions.

The Nursery is an Employee-Owned organisation, so I have always felt as though my colleagues and I are thinking about each other’s best interests, our workplace and culture, so we do the best work we can. And as a junior Partner at The Nursery, it is motivating to work together with other Partners so as to ensure we are supportive, continually motivated and doing our best work.

As well as being Employee-Owned, I am a voluntary member of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group, and have also encouraged and facilitated sustainable business travel within our qualitative team as part of our Carbon Reduction Plan. So, I have an overt sense and day-to-day understanding of the responsibilities we hold ourselves to as an organisation, as well as how these are valued by all of the Partners. 

So, it is amazing to hear after a great deal of hard work, that we have achieved BCorp status. It is a legally binding commitment to promote success for the benefit of the Partners, to act fairly and to think of long-term consequences of any decision the business makes. Integrating this pledge into our thinking, decision-making and strategy is what makes becoming a BCorp impactful.

Such considerations are embedded into the decisions we are making, so The Nursery becoming a B Corp organisation not only reflects the work we already do and the sort of culture we are developing, but it is a strong and transparent sign of commitment. We are taking a stand to be held legally accountable, as well as becoming part of the BCorp community, which I am looking forward to engaging with.

Zara Marouf - Senior Research Executive