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The Board believes that companies have a responsibility to play a constructive part within the community at large, and that social, environmental and ethical matters are part of the investment mix in order to create long term sustainable businesses. The Group has been a leader over the last four years in highlighting the importance of employer brand equity when attracting the new generation of leadership talent. Being a member of the Harvey Nash team also means being a valued contributor to society. Our employees are enthusiastic about people and are always ready to support programmes that benefit the community.
The Board’s view is that shareholders and employees must make their own personal choices; it is not the Group’s responsibility to do this on their behalf. The Group is not aligned to a particular political party and neither does it make political donations or charitable grants. However, personal political affiliation, participation in the democratic process and financial support for worthy charities and community projects by employees is actively promoted.
Included below are just a few examples of our recent activity and the Group’s policies are described in the following paragraphs:
(a) Environmental policy
The Group’s operations, being services, are inherently less damaging to the environment than other business sectors. However, the Board recognises that the business must minimise its impact on the environment and utilises recommendations from the Carbon Trust to reduce the carbon footprint of the organisation. The Group’s environmental policy statement commits our company to:
- Re-cycling - reducing the overall amount of waste being sent to landfill by separating out materials for recycling,
- Water – making use of mains water supply for personal consumption through on site water filtration and purification rather than bottled water for hospitality,
- Efficiency - optimising the operation of building cooling and heating systems,
- Energy - introducing low energy lighting wherever appropriate and feasible,
- Technology hardware and software - adding software to each desktop which automatically shuts down computers to reduce power consumption and heat output,
- The introduction of ‘eco-fonts’ – these use less ink on printed matter, with only a marginal impact upon quality,
- Travelling: promoting the use of public transport and increased use of video teleconferencing and online webinars to reduce the impact of business travel upon the environment.
(b) Charitable, political and work in the community
The Group recognises the important role it plays in helping individuals manage their careers; a role that is especially important during and following a deep recession. In October 2009 we launched the Downturn Success Kit, providing free advice to job seekers world-wide through comprehensive white papers, podcasts and forums. We also actively provided career advice and guidance on a one-to-one basis for many hundreds of candidates across our international operations, including hosting careers workshops in the UK and US.
In the UK, Harvey Nash actively engages with the government of the day and other businesses through its CBI membership and headline sponsorship of the flagship CBI conference. Each year the conference brings together the government, the opposition parties and business in one place to debate the pressing issues facing the nation. The CBI works with the UK government, international legislators and policy-makers to help UK businesses compete effectively.
Noorzaman Rashid, Director of Harvey Nash Executive Search - Government and Public Services, is chairman of E-ACT, one of the largest education charities in the UK. Under Noorzaman’s leadership, the organisation continues to promote excellence in education and has educational academies in six major UK cities.
Magnus Tegborg, the MD of Harvey Nash’s Nordic business, is a Director on the City of Stockholm Board, which is responsible for the city’s public utilities, tourism, culture and the arts.
Harvey Nash regularly chairs and hosts trade delegations to Vietnam. The Group also recognises the valuable contribution made by the government of Vietnam in enabling increased investment and trade between Europe and Asia and is actively involved at ministerial level, not only lobbying on behalf of business but also engaging with the Vietnamese leadership on the strategic challenges and opportunities facing South East Asia.
In Sweden, Harvey Nash Alumni consultants contributed to The Hunger Project, a global, non-profit organisation committed to reducing malnutrition and hunger. The Hunger Project mobilises people at the grassroots level to build self-reliance, empowering women as key change agents, and forging effective partnerships with local government.
In the US, Lou Messercola, Vice President, New Jersey and Connecticut for Harvey Nash, is an active member on the Board of Directors for The Boys and Girls Club of Northwest New Jersey, which was conceived in 1970 with a mission to offer core programmes in athletics, education, technology, cultural arts and leadership development. Lou uses his business experience to mentor youngsters from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Melissa Cardiff, Senior Technical Recruiter San Francisco, is an active volunteer for the Adopt A Special Kid Organization, which for 35 years have been the leading agency working to find homes for the more than 76,000 children who reside in foster care in California (0.5 million nationally). Elsewhere in the US our Seattle office was also sponsor to an event for the Hope Heart Institute, the cardiovascular research and education charity.
In the UK, Harvey Nash has been a key sponsor and participant of the Byte Night organisation, the IT industry’s annual sleep out in support of Action for Children. Each year hundreds of individuals and teams from the technology and IT industries spend a night exposed to the elements in a bid to raise sponsorship and awareness of Action for Children, one of the UK’s largest children’s charities helping to raise almost £90,000 in the six years we have been involved. This year, the Group developed a careers advice application for downloading onto mobile phones where all proceeds went to the Byte Night.
In The Netherlands, Harvey Nash supports the Semmy Foundation which is a local community based charity established to help children and families suffering from Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), while raising awareness and money to finance studies that will lead to a cure for paediatric brain cancer.
In Vietnam over 60 staff joined the Terry Fox charity run in Ho Chi Minh City and donated money for cancer patients in Vietnam. All local employees in Vietnam are provided with crash helmets to ensure their safety.
In addition to its work with the CBI, Harvey Nash has engaged with the UK’s Trade & Industry Department to facilitate strategic partnerships across the world in sourcing investment and talent. This partnership has been extremely successful in Vietnam where Harvey Nash is one of the largest investors in the Vietnamese software and BPO markets.
In partnership with the UK government, Harvey Nash raised funds in support of the Hiati disaster. This global co-ordinated programme involved raising funds centrally, as well supporting local offices hosting initiatives such as quiz nights and sponsored sporting activities.
In September 2009 a multi-national team of Harvey Nash, Alumni and TechDiscovery cyclists, led by CEO Albert Ellis, undertook a 90 mile charity cycle ride from Oxford to Cambridge raising over £2,500 for a global childrens charity ,Plan International, as well as supporting the British Heart Foundation.
(c) Employee engagement
The Group is a strong meritocracy, where talent comes first. An attractive culture and strong corporate values are at the heart of what we do. Integrity, openness, transparency, fairness, passion and excellence in delivery are just some examples of the professional attributes to which we all aspire. We wish to work in the longer term interests of our clients and candidates and we know this, in turn will work in the longer term interests of our shareholders.
The Group underlines this commitment with our membership of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation which requires the Group to observe the highest principles of ethics, equity, integrity, professional conduct and fair practice.
The Group’s commitment to its employees means that it takes actions to achieve a common awareness of all employees in relation to the financial and economic factors that affect the performance of the company. Employees are also systematically provided with information on matters of concern to them and are consulted on a regular basis to ensure their views can be taken into account when making decisions that are likely to affect their interests.
(d) Equal opportunity and diversity
The Harvey Nash Group fully supports the aims of the UK Equalities Act 2010, not just because it is the law, but because we believe equality matters and is necessary for:
- individuals: everyone has the right to be treated fairly and the opportunity to fulfil their potential. To achieve this we must all tackle inequality and root out discrimination;
- the economy: a competitive economy and successful organisations draw on all the available talents and ability and are not held back by prejudice; and
- society: a more equal society is more cohesive and at ease with itself.
Everyone and every company has a stake in creating a fair society. Fair societies grant companies a favourable environment, the “licence to operate”, which in turn creates the foundation for a prosperous economy and a peaceful society.
The Group seeks to fully promote diversity and opportunity for all in the workplace and also actively engages its clients in this regard. Harvey Nash’s unique and groundbreaking diversity initiative called “Tbay” is designed to increase its pool of diverse candidates using the internet but also actively promoting candidates from under-represented groups of the community and advising clients on their own diversity programmes. (www.harveynash.com/tbay). We also link with organisations such as the Asia Business Network, Professional Muslim Institute, Women in Business Forum and many more. We are corporate members of the Association of Disabled Professionals as well as a strategic partner for Leonard Cheshire Disability’s initiative, Suitability.
Supporting and securing female candidates in senior executive business positions is the key objective for Harvey Nash’s Inspire womens network and programme of events. Harvey Nash Scotland’s active participation in the “Girl Geek” dinner network is also aimed at supporting the community of business women in the technology and creative sectors.
Harvey Nash not only ensures that employment decisions are made consistent with equal opportunities legislation in each country, but, the Group actively encourages a diversity consciousness among its management, staff and clients. One of our key principles is that the Group’s senior management is made up of nationals in the country in which they operate, who understand the market and are naturally integrated in the local business culture.
Due consideration is also given to the recruitment, promotion, training and working environment of all staff including those with disabilities.
(e) Health & Safety
It is the policy of the Group to take all reasonable and practicable steps to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of its employees, visitors and other persons who may be affected by its activities.
The Group:
- assesses the risk to health and safety,
- implements safe systems at work,
- provides information, instruction and training,
- regularly reviews its policies.
(f) Supplier payment policy
It is the policy of the Group to agree appropriate terms and conditions for transactions with suppliers (from standard terms to individually negotiated contracts) and that payment should be made in accordance with those agreed terms subject to compliance with the agreed contractual supplier service levels.
The Group endevours to pay sub-contractors providing technology services within 27 days (2009:27 days) of receipt of their invoice. This contrasts with the Group’s trade debtors who settled their invoices within 46 days (2009: 47 days). Other trade creditor days of the Group for the year ended 31 January 2010 were 63 days (2009: 70 days) based on the ratio of Group trade creditors at the year end to the amounts invoiced during the year by trade creditors. The company has no trading activity.
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