B Corp and Cognisess – our journey so far…

3 months into our B corp journey and things are going well

Chances are, you have heard about B Corp and its aim of changing the world for the better, one business at a time.

This is because the quest for attaining B Corp status has become increasingly prominent as an organisational priority. With more than 1300 certified companies in the UK across 58 industries there are more than 59,000 employees involved.

And, as a values-led business passionate about future progression, we, at Cognisess, are on our own journey to joining the B-Corp ranks.

What does it take to become B Corp?

There is no question that B Corp certification is a commitment that gets under the skin of the organisation and its people.

It is a robust and rigorous process that can take years. And so it should…

The time and effort it takes to become B Corp are a reassuring signpost of the quality standards of the B Corp certification.

In brief, to achieve B Corp status a company must:

Demonstrate high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and passing a risk review
Make a legal commitment to change the corporate governance structure so that it is accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders
Exhibit transparency by allowing information about performance measurement against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on the organisation’s B Corp profile on B Lab’s website

Put simply, our aim, in line with the B Corp mission, is to contribute to a global – and local – economy that benefits all people, communities, and the planet.

And we are well on the way…

Cognisess and B Corp

As our fundamental purpose aligns strongly with B Corp we had expected to see – and have achieved – a strong initial start.

But for us the framework is not just about gaining a certificate. It has also helped us understand better where we can improve.

The process has highlighted new ways we can improve our social impact and governance structures.

As we head into implementation phase, we can see the pathway in front of us and are excited by the prospect of introducing these changes.

Our aim is to embody B Corp’s standards and support our clients, partners, and friends to be part of the B Corp experience, too.

Meaningful change is not – and should not – be easy.

But we are ready for the challenge.

Creating more ethical, passionate, collaborative, and transparent workplaces has been our mission from Day One, so we are looking forward to continuing the adventure. Hopefully, as part of this growing global community.

Watch this space.