By Johnny Sharp

In today’s world, turning a profit and keeping shareholders happy isn’t enough for any company. Creating social value and serving the community is now considered an essential component of a successful business – a fact reinforced by no higher an organisation than the United Nations, whose 17 Sustainable Development Goals challenge businesses to meet a range of environmental and social responsibilities. 

With awareness of responsible and sustainable business practices particularly high among young talent who the sector needs to attract, social value becomes near essential for effective recruitment.

Diversity as an opportunity

The need to keep both eyes on considerations such as diversity, equality and inclusion represents an opportunity for companies to cast their recruitment nets wider. “There is a role for absolutely everyone within the transport sector,” says Nula Krawczynski, Social Value Manager at Marlborough Highways.

In pursuit of that goal, Marlborough have actively put feelers out in different areas of society. For instance, it is one of numerous firms in the transport sector to sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant (and last year was given its Gold Award), pledging to offer flexible employment opportunities and an inclusive working environment to service leavers and veterans . 

“There are quite a lot of natural transferable skills we find among people in the armed forces,” says Krawczynski.  

Marlborough is also a ‘Ban the Box’ employer, promising not to hold criminal convictions  against candidates (the name of the campaign refers to the box that those with records have to tick on some job application forms). “We work with prisons to get people who are finishing sentences into employment to help break the cycle of offending,” explains Krawczynski.

Ringway and AtkinsRéalis are two more firms in the sector who maintain partnerships with prisons to provide support and guidance.

An option increasingly on offer in workplaces across the country is paid volunteering days, with staff getting the chance to take on an altruistic task, from helping at food banks to planting trees, or using their professional skills to support a charity. 

Network Rail encourages employees to organise their own fundraising activities, for example, and offers up to five days of volunteering leave a year, while National Highways allows employees up to three days of paid leave for such activities.

As well as being a Disability Confident Employer (alongside organisations such as Transport for London and Transport for Wales), pledging to recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace, Marlborough are members of the 5% Club, ensuring that at least one in 20 of their employees are in paid apprenticeships or ‘earn and learn’ roles.

Finding apprentices with the right skills is also important, as Krawczynski admits: “We’ve found that our degree-level apprenticeships are perhaps easier to fill than those involving hands-on technical skills, so we're doing a lot of work around trying to grow our operational apprenticeship programme at the moment. Getting people to work outside in all weathers can be a bit harder.”

Reaching out to recruit more women

Another challenge on the recruitment front is to attract individuals who may not fit the traditional male stereotype connected with careers in construction, for example, which is why many companies take part in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) days in schools, with particular focus on engaging with girls.

“We try to highlight the kind of skills that are needed for people to work in the industry,” concludes Krawczynski. “Breaking down the stereotypes around women in construction, and show how the industry is progressing, and why we need young people with newer, different skills, to come into the industry as well.”

Learn how CIHT is encouraging social value through multiple initiatives, including its 5-year equality, diversity & inclusion strategy, 
offering opportunities to STEM Ambassadors, HSC ways of Life campaign and EDI Charter.
 
The views expressed in this article are of the author and contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of CIHT.

Image: flag of United Kingdom on military uniform; credit: Shutterstock