We signed up because we believe that businesses like ours have a moral obligation to people, our employees and society at large. Signing the covenant has been a success story for our organisation. We’re even looking to upgrade from Bronze to Silver in January 2023.

Why ex-Armed Forces Staff are so valuable

The military nurtures people who are disciplined, hard-working and able to work as a team. Its officers are often highly-effective managers and leaders. Also, you can never have too much diversity in your workforce. We want skills and experience drawn from every possible background, the military included. 

This is a group that can offer any business unique skill sets and perspectives, combined with a formidable work ethic. Without wanting to typecast, here are just some of the qualities that ex-Armed Forces personnel often display.

•  Highly organised – used to working under pressure in a structured environment
•  Strong leaders – often taking on leadership responsibilities at an early age
• Continuous learners – the armed forces instil a growth mindset that’s focussed on continual learning and development
• Team players who can work alone – equally happy working as part of a team, but also able to take their own initiative
• Take responsibility seriously – respectful of authority and hierarchy and dedicated to doing their job well
• Good decision-makers – ability to make well-evaluated decisions under pressure
• Intuitive and adaptable – can call upon sound judgement to adapt and be flexible and open to new ideas
• Direct, open communication – used to communicating opening to resolve challenges in the most efficient way

There are other benefits to supporting the Armed Forces Covenant. Supporting staff from a range of backgrounds creates a more inclusive and supportive environment for everyone. Ultimately, it helps to build a culture in which everyone wants to do and be the best that they can be. It also feeds into your overarching CSR strategy which is central to your brand values and attracting and retaining talent.

Training and supporting ex-Armed Forces Staff

The military is a great hiring pool. But businesses who want to tap into these unique skill sets need to be mindful of the support and training that may be required in order to get the best from your ex-Armed Forces staff. 

Support may be needed to help translate the skills that new hires already have to the corporate world. As well as mentoring to ease the transition into corporate and civilian life. The right frameworks and access to training are very important and businesses looking to benefit need to take their responsibility seriously.

As part of our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, we have developed a programme that supports military and ex-military personnel through their Ricoh career journey by:

• Establishing a tailored employment pathway for Service Leavers in collaboration with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP)
• Offering flexibility in granting leave for service spouses and partners before, during and after a partner’s deployment
• Providing a Ricoh employee mentor (themselves a veteran or member of the Reserve Forces) to support the transition into civilian employment for Ricoh newly-hired veterans who have left military service within the past two years.
• Establishing an Armed Forces Covenant Network that meets to share experiences, create action for key dates in the diary, review our armed forces covenant commitments and ensure that there is a place of support internally.
• Attending career fairs focused on recruiting from the military.

How do I get involved?

If you‘d like to learn more about corporate social responsibility at Ricoh UK or how to get involved in the initiatives mentioned, feel free to drop me a line on LinkedIn. And you can learn more about signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant on their website.

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Top candidates have high expectations and want to work for companies that adhere to their corporate and social values, with an approach that supports their own beliefs. With Fortune Global 500 companies spending more than $15 billion a year on CSR programmes, it’s important to effectively communicate what you stand for. 

Let’s consider how you might adapt your recruitment process to attract the right candidates and champion inclusion and diversity – while remaining true to your responsibilities and values.

Introducing ‘Ban the Box’ 

One in five adults has a criminal record. That’s over 11 million people in the UK. Of those, less than 8% have actually served a custodial sentence. Yet there is a stigma that makes it difficult for these individuals to get back into work and re-engage with society.

How could it benefit your recruitment process?

The majority of application forms include a tick-box asking about criminal convictions. This potentially removes the chance of someone being evaluated fairly for the role they are applying for and allows unconscious bias to creep into the process.

Acas, the advisory, conciliation and arbitration service, says unconscious bias occurs when people favour others who look like them and/or share their values. They go on to explain that a person may be drawn to someone with a similar educational background, from the same area, or who is the same colour or ethnicity as them.

Similarly, another form of unconscious bias described by Acas is known as the halo effect. This is where a positive trait is transferred onto a person without anything really being known about them. For example, those who dress conservatively are often seen as more capable in an office environment, based purely on their attire.

Behaviour which reinforces the bias is noticed, while behaviour which doesn’t is ignored. This is how decisions based on an unconscious bias are justified.

‘Ban the Box’ calls on UK employers to give ex-offenders a fair chance to compete for jobs by removing the tick-box from application forms, then asking about criminal convictions later in the recruitment process.

Who runs ‘Ban the Box’?

Ban the box is run by Business in the Community (BITC) – the oldest and largest business-led membership organisation dedicated to responsible business. 

As of September 2019, 135 companies including Ricoh, have signed up to be part of ‘Ban the Box’. This means that rather than ask about criminal convictions in a box on their recruitment forms, they ask this question once a job offer is about to be made. 

The conviction is then risk-assessed more fairly against a person’s true skills and abilities. And more specifically for the actual role, they would potentially be employed to do.

How does the partnership work?

Not only has Ricoh signed up for ‘Ban the Box’, we’re also involved much earlier in the process. We work closely with UK prisons on one of our CSR programmes, to host workshops on-site. These workshops are facilitated by Ricoh employees and involve teaching prisoners skills to assist them with employability upon release.

Topics covered include:

• CV writing: focuses on what a professional CV should look like. Allows participants to create their own with advice and guidance
• Job skills: discusses various jobs and industries to give an idea of what opportunities may be available or suited to the participants
• Interview skills: teaches interview skills and then practicing in a corporate environment. Covers best practice, common questions and answers and interview styles with hints and tips
• Interview practice and preparation: roleplay and further workshops in which the prisoners learn when to disclose their offence and how to explain the situation fully. Guidance is also provided on how to talk about the future

It’s an invaluable day that gives both employees and participants the chance to openly communicate. This also helps to appreciate each other’s challenges. There is also an opportunity for your people to understand the prison and the ways in which they assist rehabilitation. For example, with training in vocational skills.

In addition, Ricoh offers a work placement scheme to assist the transition back into the world of work. Currently, we have permanent employees who would not have been employed had it not been for ‘Ban the Box’.

How can this CSR programme benefit my organisation and people?

• Access to more than 11 million people in the UK with a criminal record who may not necessarily have served a custodial sentence
• A wider range of more diverse talent
• New skills; ex-offenders have faced unique challenges
• It’s an opportunity for your people to grow and develop new skills by working with diverse talent
• Enhances your corporate social responsibility program and company brand

This is about changing attitudes, developing aspirations and providing hope. Providing an opportunity to make a real difference at a pivotal point in someone’s life.

How do I get involved?

If you would like to learn more about corporate social responsibility at Ricoh UK, or how to get involved in the initiatives mentioned, feel free to drop me a line on LinkedIn.

Find out more about signing up to Ban the Box here

Read more about our work with HMP Onley

Your people are just one aspect of a modern and responsible business. Download our Optimal Office guide to find out what else you need to consider.

About Business in the Community

Business in the Community is the oldest and largest business-led membership organisation dedicated to responsible business. Created nearly 40 years ago by HRH The Prince of Wales. They seek to inspire, engage and challenge members, mobilising their collective strength as a force for good in society, and help to:

• Create a skilled, inclusive workforce today and for the future
• Build thriving communities in which to live and work
• Innovate to repair and sustain our planet

Ricoh have been members for over 12 years. We use BITC’s knowledge, tools and resources to inspire our leaders.

And we develop new CSR Programmes to help us challenge ourselves to be the very best we can be as a responsible business. 

We will continue to benchmark our progress. We will create a leadership role to help encourage more businesses to work with us on these societal challenges. There is a current focus on the circular office and on supporting the most disadvantaged enter the workforce.

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Did you know that young people make up 25% of the global working-age population, yet they are almost three times more likely to be unemployed than other adults?

There are things businesses can do to support the employability of young adults. We’ve chosen to focus on youth employability in partnership with The Prince’s Trust. 

The Prince’s Trust helps 11-to-30-year-olds who are unemployed or struggling at school to transform their lives. They believe that every young person should have the chance to embrace exciting opportunities, and we couldn’t agree more.

How does the partnership work?

We’ve been supporting The Prince’s Trust programmes through youth employability work placements and workshops for around five years now. The placements and workshops are included within a 12-week training programme which runs 3-times a year. The charity covers topics such as life skills and employability. The objective is to get the participants back into employment or further training.

Topics covered include:

• Mentoring: A Ricoh mentor shares their knowledge, skills and experience on an ongoing basis with a young person to allow them to develop and progress in their career.
• Interview practice & skills: Workshops are carried out where interview skills are learned and then practised in a typical interview environment. Common questions and practical answers are also discussed and understood.
• CV writing: Workshops focus on what a professional CV should look like, and guidance is given to the participants to help them create their CV.

The programmes are aimed at those who fall under the government’s NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training) group, and workshops are hosted by Ricoh employees. It’s been a fantastic opportunity for our staff to give back and utilise their skills and knowledge. This also gives young people access to our workplace and new opportunities. It gives those participating in the workshop a glimpse into the corporate world. And also the chance to learn and practice some key skills they will need when pursuing further education, employment or training opportunities.

Participants who receive training stand to gain more than just new skills. Ricoh currently employs eight staff members who previously participated in the youth employability scheme. Beyond Ricoh, more than 50% of participants have gone on to find full-time employment. And 35% are engaged in higher education, meaning 85% of those taking part have progressed successfully.

How does supporting youth employability help?

Thomas Rowen, a Ricoh Customer Services Administrator, was one of the Prince’s Trust participants involved. He shares his thoughts on the programme:

“I became involved with the Prince’s Trust when recommended by the job centre to attend a course run by Paul Hamblin. During my time at the Prince’s Trust, I participated in many activities. From simple team exercises, building a makeshift wooden structure and volunteering at a holiday resort for disabled people. Even abseiling off a 100ft Bridge.

Many of these activities were designed to throw me out of my comfort zone and also get new experiences in working environments. My first contact with Ricoh was through a CV workshop during week 3 of the prince’s trust. After that, I came back many other times for help with interviews. I then did my 2-week work placement and have since stayed on as a Customer Scheduling advisor for Ricoh.

I am enjoying my time here. My colleagues are all really helpful and easy to talk to about anything. My managers have also been very understanding during some complex personal issues and are always helping me try to improve myself. I occasionally speak to Paul from the Prince’s Trust and have helped them out a few times during my early time here.

I would definitely recommend the Prince’s Trust; it will give you so many opportunities and experiences.”

How can better youth employability benefit my organisation and people?

• I may have been missed through traditional recruitment methods.
• Enhances and empowers your people, allowing the organisation to embrace diversity and inclusion further.t brings a fresh perspective and a different way of thinking to your business.
• Given the right opportunity and skills, young workers are mostly eager to learn and bring enthusiasm to the workplace.
• It allows your employees to give back to the community, improving their sense of well-being and advocacy for your organisation.
• Allows your organisation to access employees with valuable skills that bring new and diverse value to your workforce.

This is an excellent opportunity to reach untapped potential in the youth community. Bringing rich talent into your organisation and the chance to work in partnership with a fantastic charity.

The Prince’s Trust has been an invaluable part of our CSR & People strategy and is absolutely where you should begin when looking at supporting youth employment.

How can I get involved?

You can read more about our work with The Prince’s Trust. And if you want to support the Prince’s Trust, you can find more information on how to do so on their website.

If you would like to learn more about what it’s like to work at Ricoh or our youth employability programme, please feel free to contact me via LinkedIn.

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image of people looking happy in the office with good culture because of CSR

How can CSR help my organisation?

There are many ways in which your organisation can benefit from a cohesive, forward-thinking corporate social responsibility strategy:

Enhancing your brand

CSR gives you the ability to differentiate your brand and take part in conversations wider than the products and solutions your organisation offers. People feel good about, and want to buy services from, companies that are giving back to the community. By adopting a strong CSR program, you will have an engaging story to tell and the opportunity to increase brand awareness and reputation.

Engaging your customers

The initiatives that you take part in also allow you to connect with your audience in new and varied ways. Helping you to shape the purpose and values of your brand, deepening connections with customers and enhancing your communications. It’s about making your business stand for something bigger than the products and solutions you sell. Giving you the ability to lead forward-thinking discussions with both your internal and external customers.

Attracting and retaining talent

The best people want to work for the best companies and an important part of that is your CSR strategy. Millennials particularly resonate with these messages and actively seek to be employed at companies that are giving back. You will attract employees who are already aligned in their thinking about ‘doing the right thing’ both within and outside of the workplace.

Being human

People want to help people, it’s a fundamental human instinct. Taking a more human approach to your corporate strategy can make your business more approachable, increase employee engagement and job satisfaction.

Ricoh’s CSR activity

There are loads of great organisations and causes out there to support. In fact, there are so many that it can be hard to know where to start. We’ve partnered with countless organisations over the years. Right now, we’re running three great CSR initiatives that may be worth exploring if you’re looking for ideas.

We’ve worked with the Prince’s Trust since 2013, particularly on youth employment and working with NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Ricoh employees provide direct ‘Employability skills’ coaching and support to groups (typically 15 to 20 in each cohort). The participants engage in the Trust’s 12-week ‘Team’ training programme on-site at Ricoh and we operate three cycles per year.

For more than 20 years we’ve worked with Business in the Community, the oldest and largest business-led membership organisation dedicated to responsible business. Ricoh are members of their Ban the Box initiative which provides fair access to employment for ex-offenders.

We recognise the value that serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our organisation and have formalised our support and commitment by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.

How do you measure success?

The real benefits of corporate social responsibility can be difficult to measure and quantify, but it’s important to understand the value that CSR can add and how to communicate this internally. This will help when you’re getting stakeholders and participants onboard and outline where you should focus going forward, allowing you to align your CSR strategy with your overall business goals.

Every organisation will have different CSR goals and objectives, but here are a few things you can measure to gauge the success of your initiatives.

Employee engagement with initiatives

Understanding the impact that your CSR strategy has on your people is key and employee engagement is an important indicator of success.

Measuring the signup numbers for initiatives will help you get a feel for how much they’re being embraced and what kinds of initiatives get the best response. You can also ask employees who were involved with what they thought. And ask those who didn’t sign up why they decided not to.

Brand recognition and marketing value

CSR can support your online and offline marketing activity, giving you another story to tell and another way to engage your audience. You can measure this by tracking engagement on social media, any PR coverage you manage to secure and traffic to webpages or blog posts involved with CSR.

The success of the initiatives you’re involved in

It’s important to understand the goals of the organisations you’re working with and how they measure success. A good way to manage this is to set up regular reviews to look at what you’ve done together, what the results were and make plans for the future. You can then take these results back to the business to demonstrate the impact of your efforts.

If you‘d like to learn more about corporate social responsibility at Ricoh UK or how to get involved in the initiatives mentioned, feel free to drop me a line on LinkedIn.

Your people are just one aspect of modern and responsible business. Download our Optimal Office guide to find out what else you need to consider

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Companies can contribute to a more sustainable Europe in a number of ways, for example:

• Developing environmentally responsible products and services,
• Reducing the carbon footprint of daily operations, and
• Cutting resource consumption

These can all have a lasting positive impact but I think there’s still more that can be done. I believe that businesses have to take responsibility to foster environmental awareness among their employees and partners, encouraging them to incorporate sustainability into their daily work. Much work is already happening and it’s clear that sustainability has risen up the agenda, but what may be more difficult is how to measure the impact of these initiatives.

Digital transformation

Digital transformation is one measure that can help to mitigate negative environmental impacts, improve productivity and cuts costs. Even a simple change, such as switching from paper to electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) can bring significant savings. Research commissioned by Ricoh revealed that companies pay 2.6 times less for receiving an electronic invoice than for its paper equivalent. In the long-term, the switchover from paper invoicing to e-invoicing could drive cost savings of €243 billion for businesses across Europe.

iWorkers are the breed of the future

Companies which have already launched a digital revolution in the office will be better prepared for a future shaped by ‘intelligent workers (iWorkers). This new breed of skilled employees thrives in a digitally-connected workplace, where they have 24/7 access to all the necessary information to meet the needs of the business and its clients. While another Ricoh-commissioned study found that only four per cent of business leaders considered the majority of their workforce to align with the iWorker definition, they expect this number to rise to 37 per cent by 2018.

The potential for a sustainable economy

The European Commission is encouraging companies to exploit the great economic potential of a sustainable economy. The global market for environmental goods and services is already worth around €1 trillion per year and this is expected to double by 2020. Forward-thinking business leaders are now preparing their organisations for the upcoming era of green growth because they have realised that sustainability is not a burden but a chance to improve their company’s overall performance, build consumers’ trust and drive profits.

Beginning a green transformation may seem daunting but with the right expert help, it’s possible to produce a sustainability roadmap that offers manageable steps for companies to take. Following an initial audit, you’ll get a much better insight into where inefficiencies are and some proposals on how to find solutions to the challenges that are identified.

This is the first step in exploring eco-improvements but it is important to keep monitoring progress to make sure your company stays on target with its green commitments. We have found that a systematic approach can bring significant results to both large multinationals and SMEs alike. This includes a considerable reduction in paper and electricity consumption, along with a renewed motivation for employees to contribute to their company’s green goals.

A journey towards sustainable business

Remember, you’re not alone on your journey. There are many companies – large and small – who have already started this journey, which means there are some great examples out there to give you ideas. Our sustainability strategy at Ricoh followed three phases. It started with passive compliance and environmental regulation, where all the legal boxes are checked but there is no ambition to drive positive change. Next, the company’s leaders defined their own environmental goals and proactively implemented green practices, setting the bar above basic regulatory requirements. It is usually at the end of this phase that sustainability efforts start to pay off, boosting profits and performance. The ultimate destination of this journey was ‘the responsible stage – a rewarding turning point where ecological solutions and business strategy complement each other to drive economic benefits for the company, consumers, the environment and the wider economy.

All businesses have the potential to move from the passive to the responsible stage.

This transition is imperative in turning the Europe 2020 sustainability targets from a grand vision into reality. Now is the time for those lagging behind on green goals to join the sustainability revolution. Inspiring examples of environmental champions and encouragement from policymakers can position green growth as a compelling target for businesses. Going green is no longer a jump into the unknown, but a smart step towards a sustainable and profitable future.

To learn more about sustainable business, fill in the form to the right to download our Ricoh UK Responsible Business Report 2017.

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The print industry has been conscientiously pursuing green printing techniques and there has been a real push in recent years to look at more sustainable printing techniques. While there is a drive for digital innovation, it’s a fact that for many businesses it’s not possible to just stop printing and go completely paperless.

As an environmental manager at Ricoh, I’m often asked how companies and large organisations can introduce more sustainable printing practices. I meet people from many different sectors and everyone is very aware of the need to embed sustainability into their company’s vision.

The key to sustainable printing is integration into the larger business strategy

When sustainability is integrated into your company’s mission statement or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plan, this allows all stakeholders (management teams, employees, board of directors, even suppliers and customers) to be better aligned with broader corporate goals – both environmentally and economically.

Implementing sustainable programmes takes teamwork and experience. Our guide gives you 10 initial steps you can take, based on environmental best practice in document processes and printing, which will contribute to a larger corporate sustainability strategy.

And it can do more than just conserve energy: it can help control costs, increase productivity and reduce material waste.

Your 10-step guide to sustainable printing

1. Think e-documents over paper

Electronic document workflows reduce the amount of hard copy output. Use scan-to-email technology to distribute documents electronically, and store scanned documents in an electronic repository. If you do need to print, switch to use recycled paper.

2. Analyse and optimise the number of printers you need

By assessing usage patterns and where devices are placed in the office, you could minimise redundant or under-utilised copiers, fax machines and printers. Introduce more energy efficient multifunctional printers (MFPs) that copy, fax, print and scan wherever possible and limit the use of single function devices.

3. Asset management, recycle and responsible disposal

With good asset management processes in place, you can easily keep track and identify equipment that needs upgrading. Always look for environmentally-friendly ways to dispose of printers, fax machines and MFPs, including recycling toner cartridges and toner bottles.

4. Encourage sustainable habits

Employee behaviour is perhaps the single most important factor in successful environmental sustainability practices. A training and education programme will familiarise your employees with procedures to improve processes, eliminate waste and ultimately achieve performance targets.

5. Redirect printing to the most cost effective device

Rule-based printing automatically redirects print jobs to the most suitable output device to optimise energy consumption, ensure use of resource-saving features and control access to colour output. Maybe it means employees have to walk a few extra steps to collect their printing, but perhaps that not a bad thing either.

6. Minimise power consumption

Purchase or lease devices that exceed ‘Energy Star’ and other industry ratings. Most modern printers and MFDs have energy saving modes and ‘Quick Startup’ technology, which means they are put to sleep when they’re not being used. When set up correctly, this helps to reduce the amount of energy used and reduces costs.

7. Reduce paper usage

Turn on the paper-saving features in the hardware/software of your device – the user manual often explains what’s available but in most cases you can choose duplex/double-sided printing, combining print, lock printing and scanning. When you encourage electronic sharing of documents and document previewing, this can prevent unnecessary reprints.

8. Print on-demand

Use digital print technology to print corporate and marketing materials on-demand – where and when they are needed – instead of printing large volumes to then find something has changed and it’s redundant.

9. Re-set settings and save

High-speed duplex printing, toner saving modes, ‘print selected text’, even default toner selection settings can have a surprising impact on your paper, toner cartridges, and carbon footprint.

10. Measure, manage, optimise

Environmental initiatives, such as carbon offsets, cannot be implemented without accurate measurement and reporting. When it comes to print, the environmental programme must be designed for document processes that not only address reduction of overall energy consumption, hard copy output and CO2 footprint, but also include future recommendations.

Integrated real-time data reporting and monitoring tools that provide enterprise-wide visibility on sustainability performance are critical for documenting success and reinforcing achievements with stakeholders.

Sustainable printing is good for business and for society. Click here for more information on Ricoh UK’s business sustainability services. 

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