About Us
Society is a global executive search firm and a certified B Corporation. Every year 10% of our profits go straight to The Society Foundation, an independent charity dedicated to tackling issues of workforce inclusion.
From our offices in the United Kingdom, the United States, and New Zealand, Society's global team solves senior recruitment challenges for responsible businesses and purpose-driven organisations around the world on a retained basis.
We work broadly across many different functional areas, tackling everything from individual ‘C-Level’ appointments through to mid-level programmes of recruitment resulting from expansion or restructure. Our clients come from a range of different industries and niches across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, however we are careful and selective about who we work with. We use a simple framework to avoid client relationships that would be incompatible with our core values.
A Certified B Corporation
Society is a certified ‘B Corp’. We are committed by our Articles of Association to balancing stakeholder interests, rather than to pursuing profit at all costs. The firm is also independently audited every three years in line with rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. We want to play our part in securing a fairer world and a more sustainable future, so we have chosen to put responsibility at the very heart of our company and how we run it. We are also an accredited Living Wage Employer, paying all our staff, including contractors such as cleaners, a Living Wage.
Our 10% Pledge
Every year we donate at least 10% of our profits to The Society Foundation. This is an independent charitable trust we set up in 2014. It provides grants to help potentially vulnerable individuals, including ex-offenders and the recently homeless, into employment. Society’s colleagues also support the Foundation through fundraising efforts and by volunteering their time.
Serious About Sustainability
We take our impact on both the environment and our community very seriously. For this reason, we have joined with other businesses in the B Corp movement to declare a Climate Emergency and we have publicly committed to reaching Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Our partner Supercritical is helping us to measure and reduce our emissions (circa 36% of which are currently from business travel). For those emissions we cannot eliminate, we have agreed only to use verified offsets, emphasising carbon removal projects.
THE IMPACT WE SEEK
We believe that exceptional leaders can catalyse positive change in the wider world.
Our Values
We believe that organisations can have a positive social impact, and that careers should have purpose and meaning. Our goal is to change the world for the better – one appointment at a time. We’ve given a lot of thought to how we want to do business. It boils down to five core values:
Partnership
We work in genuine partnership with our clients, remaining communicative and transparent throughout the appointment process. We're also a close-knit team, not just a collection of individuals. We collaborate and share expertise across sector boundaries.
Authenticity
We’re not 'salesy'. We ensure that our clients meet the colleagues who will actually lead our work for them. We hire people who are genuine and personable. We value being trustworthy and approachable.
Integrity
We treat people as people, not as a means to an end. We’re fair and straightforward in our dealings with clients and candidates. We never 'blag'. If we don't know something then we'll admit it. We also seek to practise what we preach .
Creativity
Excellent search involves effective storytelling. We listen to the nuance of each brief, put bespoke research into every project, and think outside the box when sourcing great people. We're also continually on the lookout for innovative ways to use technology in the service of our clients.
Diligence
We’re all about the details. We take in-depth briefings. We follow up leads and leave no stone unturned when searching. We hold ourselves to the highest quality standards. You can count on us to be thorough.
OUR ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT
Every year we produce a detailed Impact Report in order to keep our various stakeholders updated about Society's work and activities. It's part of how we celebrate successes, admit our shortcomings, and clarify our priorities.
