Engage Employees with What It Means to Be a B Corp

Discover how B Corps Vector Global Logistics and HigherRing are celebrating B Corp Month with activities like B Corp Bingo and scavenger hunts to help employees understand the purpose behind the certification and spread awareness about what it means to be a Certified B Corporation.

Pick up litter in a park, discuss B Corp Certification in your team meeting, calculate your carbon footprint, attend a B Corp event. All are among the potential actions that employees at Vector Global Logistics can complete as part of B Corp Bingo. The game is among several activities that Vector is using to spread awareness about B Corps within the company and beyond as part of B Corp Month — the annual celebration of the purpose-driven business community. 

“We have a global team, and for some, it’s the first time they’ve played bingo,” says Kristi Porter, Chief Marketing Officer at Vector. “Others are enjoying the nostalgia of it and like that it’s something new and different for us. The prizes are gift cards to their chosen B Corps, so it also allows them to choose their own prize in a way.” 

For the more than 9,000 B Corps around the world, B Corp Month offers an opportunity to share with their employees and others how they are shifting business culture to make a positive impact on society and the environment. Activities like a B Corp Handbook book club, staff presentations, and other games and contests build knowledge of the B Corp community. For instance, HigherRing organized a scavenger hunt to encourage employees to find B Corp products and services in their communities. Whoever finds the most wins a gift card to the B Corp of their choice. 

“That’s important for us to create awareness for other B Corps, but also we think about it from a business development perspective,” says Katie Carano, COO of HigherRing, an ethical outsourcing company. “What if somebody in their area has found a brand that we know we’ve not yet said hello to or let them know that we exist? It’s helpful for everybody to be on each other’s radar.” 

Below, learn how Vector and HigherRing engage with their employees for B Corp Month and find inspiration for activities at your business. 

A Win-Win for People and Planet

In addition to the bingo game, Vector Global Logistics, a logistics and supply chain partner headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, put together a B Corp Month presentation that it shared with employees during a staff meeting, by email and WhatsApp, and in a special B Corp 101 internal workshop. Vector has about 150 employees around the globe, and Porter says team members attend B Corp events online or in person during B Corp Month. March is also Vector’s one-year anniversary of B Corp Certification, and Porter says the hope is to continue building on B Corp Month activities and engagement in the years to come. 

“We’re just trying to make a big splash where possible, both internally and externally,” Porter says. “I’m thrilled that we have U.S., UK, Peru, Chile, and Mexico employees attending events, and that is definitely a win.” 

Vector celebrated its B Day, or B Corp anniversary, on March 5 and formed its B Team of internal B Corp champions during the certification process. Currently, it consists of Porter, Vector’s Co-Founder and Managing Director Enrique Alvarez, Mexico Marketing Director Astrid Aubert, and Senior Human Capital Associate Paulina Garcia. Porter says there is less B Corp awareness in Latin American countries where most of Vector’s employees live, so the B Team will continue to add members and spread the B Corp word. 

Vector Global Logistics, a logistics and supply chain partner headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, put together a B Corp Month presentation that it shared with employees.

For Vector, B Corp Certification is deeply intertwined with the company’s mission. “Vector’s motto since its founding in 2013 is ‘Logistics With Purpose,’ so B Corp was a natural extension,” Porter says. “We were already embodying much of what it means to be a B Corp, so we wanted the certification to have the third-party verification to back up the claims we’ve made. Our other two core values are ‘Results-Only Mindset’ and ‘Passionate About Purpose,’ and those also align well with the B Corp community.”

Vector sees B Corp Month as an opportunity to connect and celebrate. “This is especially meaningful since we have a global team because it gives them a chance to not only celebrate with our team but in their local B Corp communities as well,” Porter says. “I’m excited to continue spreading the B Corp message throughout our company, and also see it grow around the world and become more personally meaningful to them all.” 

Sharing the B Corp Message

As a fully remote company with around 45 employees working in about 20 states across the U.S., HigherRing’s B Corp Month scavenger hunt represents an activity with some friendly competition that also increases employees’ awareness of the B Corps around them. The activity is part of an almost daily series of posts on HigherRing’s internal channels throughout March that include informational articles as well as special offers from other B Corps. 

“As a service organization that’s also remote, we really focus internally on our employees and use B Corp Month as a fun awareness campaign for the movement, but for all the other B Corps as well,” Carano says. “We really try to make the most of it and have a lot of fun.” 

Specifically, Carano says she posts about six times per week and shares articles from B The Change, resources from the B Lab U.S. and Canada newsletter, and special offers that other companies share on the B Hive, the networking platform for the B Corp community, and on social media. Because HigherRing also serves many B Corps as clients, Carano also posts HigherRing’s own directory as a reminder that employees are likely working with a B Corp. 

“It’s good engagement at a low cost, and I think people really love all the offers,” Carano says. “It’s also a way for us to give exposure to our team about other B Corps that are out there.” 

HigherRing was founded on the idea of providing ethical customer service and has since expanded to additional back-office operations services. Carano says B Corp Certification was a natural choice after HigherRing founders Michelle Hirons and Susan Hopkinson started the business. She says Hirons had found in her prior career that customer service was rarely staffed by employees. Instead, customer service representatives were contract workers, which meant no benefits and no paid time off. 

“They were opening their business with the mission of changing that reality, and being a B Corp was part of that,” Carano says. “It was the foundation of why the business was opening and continues to be its foundation as it has expanded.” 

In addition to the scavenger hunt and information sharing, HigherRing celebrates its employee appreciation day in March with a partnership with a fellow B Corp. This year, HigherRing partnered with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, and employees received a thank-you note along with a voucher for a pint of ice cream. These activities are followed in April with a B Corp trivia event. Carano says HigherRing’s employee engagement during B Corp Month and throughout the year helps spread awareness of the movement and its values. 

“It’s all part of sharing the message, so folks know that who they’re working for matters,” she says.