There is hope that lessons have been learned.

The ABC’s recent ‘Australia Talks’ national survey revealed honesty is still the most important personal attribute to Australians; however, this is closely followed by ‘caring’.

At a time when community values mean everything, organisations must reflect these qualities in the way they do business.

In 2020 Australians will be looking to see that organisations not only do the right thing, but do it because they care about people, not just profit. Australians want to see businesses show they care, not just talk about it.

That doesn’t mean just pumping up the corporate social responsibility program.

Ethics Centre CEO Simon Longstaff recently said, “Corporate giving is not a substitute for responsible business practice. Nor is it an offset for irresponsible business practice”.

Aside from contributing to the wider community and actively protecting the environment, consumers want to see businesses actively caring about the way they do business. This should be reflected in their policies, procedures and customer service, as well as in the way they manage employees.

Why care?

Word about good corporate behaviour may not spread as quickly as news about bad behaviour, but it is the cornerstone of two things that are critical for successful businesses in 2020:

1. Attracting and retaining employees in a tight labour market
2. Building and maintaining your corporate reputation

If you think Australian consumers are only concerned with price, and not the way businesses handle themselves, just look at the way they reacted to some recent bad business behaviour. For example, Westpac’s money laundering/child abuse scandal, numerous businesses caught out underpaying employees, supermarket giants exploiting dairy farmers and rolling out plastic toy promotions while simultaneously campaigning to reduce plastic bag use.

Australians do take note and will boycott businesses they deem to have behaved badly.

What does corporate caring look like?

Caring is simply a corporate conscience. In everything they do, businesses must genuinely care; however, in business, ‘ít’s the thought that counts’ doesn’t really apply.

In this climate, showing that they care is equally important. It must be ingrained in everything organisations do and say. At each step, businesses must ask themselves ‘does this show we care’ or ‘how can we show we care’?

Five steps to corporate caring

1. Pay fairly – Employees run your business. Take a leaf out of Iceland’s book – pay your people accurately and with gender equality.
2. Be kind to customers – Show you care for customers in your policies, particularly when dealing with returns, complaints and loyalty. Aim to go the extra mile and communicate with the customer every step of the way.
3. Responsible conduct – Manage the business within regulations and act in the interest of the customer to the extent that the business is fair and does not exploit the customer in any way. The recent exposé of bet365 is an example of what not to do.
4. Support the community in which you operate – Always keep your stakeholders in mind and consider how your business would operate without their support. Make decisions in the best interests of your customers and the community.
5. Don’t operate in a bubble – Don’t do a ScoMo. Keep your head up and in touch with the issues being felt by Australians, from the economy to the environment and maintain a flexible operating model to adjust your practices as required.

The last two years of corporate life will not easily be forgotten, but the test will be whether and how quickly businesses turn a new leaf. Stand by for 2020, the year that will define the decade for corporate Australia. 

Find out more

If you want to add to the conversation or chat about corporate reputation, please contact Belinda Toward.