Why Prospectus - Our Purpose
Peter Beeby
Chief Executive
We have always been a purpose-driven business. For as long as I can remember. I don't think that's the word I would have used when I first joined Prospectus in the year 2000, but I knew immediately we were different from other businesses.
The non-commission structure as a recruitment business stood out for me; how inclusive my colleagues made me feel from day one; and the importance of building relationships and finding talent for a sector that has a real impact on people's lives day-to-day. In those early years, I was able to utilize the introduction of volunteer days (always 6) to volunteer directly for various charities, which facilitated me becoming a trustee. And with others, I was involved in employability projects supporting people who experienced homelessness into work. When the B Corp movement launched in the UK in 2015, we became the first recruitment business to be certified as a B Corp, recognising our approach to business and complimenting our values of Community, Collaboration and Trust.
I know over the years we haven't got everything right and we have faced many challenges, most recently as a result of the pandemic, which tested us all. We have been through a significant amount of change, with many new people joining and many others who have been here a long time. With the support of our Board, and led by one of our non-exec Directors, Fudia Smartt, we decided to take a moment to check in on our purpose, are we clear on our WHY? We even tasked ourselves to summarise our purpose in a way that would reflect what was said and heard by our people, as well as what we aspire to be as an organisation.
This led to our 'Purpose Day' - a day in which we brought everyone together, mostly in person, with those virtual integrated into the day to talk openly and freely about purpose, reflecting back and looking forward. A glorious day of conversations is captured in the image above, which reflects the passion and connection to purpose at Prospectus. We have evolved and changed, but it is clear why we are here.
We are not just a recruitment business. Why? Because we create change by connecting people with purpose. If I had one take away from that day, it was the importance of bringing everyone together to talk and share - we had so much fun and learnt so much about each other by sharing personal stories and experiences at Prospectus, and beyond. All adding to our valuable culture. We have been left with new roads to explore and opportunities to deliver our purpose. We look forward to sharing more of these with you soon.