29 tips on how to get a job at a B Corp
So you want to work for a B Corp? Here’s how to stand out.
So you want to work for a B Corp? Here’s how to stand out.
We all know the feeling when you’re job seeking, browsing job sites, and skim reading endless job descriptions. Suddenly you come across one that piques your interest. You read about the role, the organisation, and the specifics of the job. A sense of excitement starts to bubble up inside your stomach.
This is it. Exactly the kind of opportunity you’re looking for.
Sadly this feeling is all too rare. And it’s partly down to the fact that traditional job ads and job boards neglect to focus on the things most people really care about. Mission. Impact. Culture. These are the things that are increasingly important to job seekers in 2021, and if you’re reading this, it’s likely they are important to you too.
But knowing how to identify the organisations that walk the talk can be difficult from the outside. Which is why the B Corp certification is an important credential for job seekers when hunting for new opportunities.
We spoke to the B Corps and pending B corps in our network to share their best advice for job seekers looking to join the B Corp movement. Check out their tips below, and be sure to browse our B Corp collections page for the latest live opportunities at B Corps...
Show off your entrepreneurial spirit and just apply!
“It’s really important you demonstrate why you’re excited to join Too Good To Go, and what makes you a great fit for the role in question. Take time to reflect on what you think it’ll take to be successful in the role, and show how you can fill those requirements in your application. If you don’t quite meet them all, don’t worry! Express why you think you’ve got what it takes despite any experience gaps you might have.”
David Palliser, Head of People & Culture UK @ Too Good To Go
‘We're going to be hiring lots of roles over the coming months, and so even if you don't see a role advertised that suits you, it's worth dropping us a line explaining how you think you could help us. But please don't be offended if we don't get back to you right away.’
Hermione Taylor, Co-founder @ Do Nation
"Be persistent. If you really want to work somewhere, get in touch with them and have a chat. Our most recent hire was a customer who wrote us a lovely email. " Humphrey Butler, Founder and Managing Director @ Marvellous Maps (Pending B Corp status)
"Demonstrate your commitment through real-world experience. If you want to 'escape', try before you leap. Volunteer at a startup, social enterprise, or NGO and get practical experience before you launch."
Mark Horoszowski, CEO @ MovingWorlds.org
“At Standing on Giants we have an open and supportive culture. We value personal accountability without needless competition. We are subject matter experts so an active interest in online communities is great to have. We also value curiosity, so would recommend that you research our company and the community management industry well before applying. We very much believe in ‘bringing your whole self’ to work. Many of our team have side projects which are very successful and we’d encourage you to highlight these when applying.”
Rob Fawkes, Head of Marketing @ Standing on Giants
Show us, don’t tell us
"Because we're trying to change the status quo, we hire people who think differently. So make our decision easy, by showing us, not telling us. We receive hundreds of CVs and those people who've taken the initiative to go a bit further and submit their vision, a piece of work, a past success, or ideas for what we could be doing better - they'll always make it to the top"
Alec Mills, Co-founder @ DAME
“Do your research, demonstrate your passion for what we do. Don't send us a long list of information about you - tell us what you could do for us! Or, even better, find tangible ways to show us.”
Rob Symington, Director @ Symington Family Estates
"Show that you are keen and are excited by the opportunity."
Freddie Garland, Founde @ Freddie’s Flowers
Focus on our values
“Take a look at our company values - they’re really important to us and we worked with the whole team to define our culture and the skills and behaviours that go along with it. We’ve published our values on our blog for people to read if they’re thinking of joining us. They’re part of how we interview, train and develop people, so it’s important that people who join us share how we see things.”
Tom Fraine, Chief People Officer @ Bulb
"Importantly, our team are passionate about social issues and live our values. We’re always looking for people who share these values of diversity, empathy, curiosity, collaboration and impact, which are at the heart of the way we work.
If you are empathetic, supportive, curious, patient, a critical thinker and good problem-solver then you’re the kind of person we’re looking to join our team. There are many opportunities to work with TSIP whether you’re coming with lived experience of social issues, communities and frontline social work that we are engaged with or a technical specialist in areas like research, evaluation, strategy and design.
If you’re looking for a role at TSIP or any of the other progressive and socially conscious organisations in the Escape 100 list it’s important to get involved, understand what's happening in the world around you, be vocal, volunteer to help others, share your perspective, be inquisitive, go to events, read books and always be learning."
The Social Innovation Partnership
“It is amazing to work with people who identify with our mission and care about our culture and team values. If you are keen to apply to Lightful my advice is to read our blog, do some research on our website and tell us why you are interested in working with us based on what you found out. Our team culture and spirit is what makes Lightful unique. We are a diverse, inclusive and welcoming team. In applications and interviews, we want to get to know the person and love reading authentic cover letters."
“At Oppo we hire both on skillset and by measuring team members against our key company values. It is important not only to demonstrate your previous roles and responsibilities but also to show us other aspects of you like your personality passions!”
Charlie Thuiller, Founder @ Oppo Brothers Ice Cream (Pending B Corp status)
“For people interested in working at Beam, a good starting point is to check out our core values. Everyone at Beam lives and works on our core values. We even put them in our employment contracts. Whether it’s “We Make An Impact” or “We’re Open and Transparent”, each value has an important role to play. Beyond this, we’re always on the look-out for people who are just as excited as we are about solving the hardest social problems. What we’re doing at Beam is really tough, so you’ll need to have lots of energy and resilience.”
Beam (Pending B-Corp status)
Be yourself throughout the interview process
“Be yourself. Tell us what excites you about working with us, where you come most alive in your work, and what your ideal working arrangement would be - and, importantly, what you love to do outside of work. We’re interested in you as a rounded human being and how, through working with us, you can thrive in all aspects of your life.”
Richard Alderson, Founder @ Careershifters
“Be curious and passionate about your interests beyond ‘work’. When we chat with folk we look for personality and that special sauce ahead of specific skills. Why do you love interaction design or trying new dev frameworks? What gets you out of bed? Talk to us like you’ve known us for ages - be a friend, be familiar. We want to know who *you* are.”
Owen, Chief Nerd/ Co Founder @ Big Lemon (Pending B Corp status)
"Be yourself. We hire based on emotional intelligence, so through the recruitment process we ensure that every member of our team - whether or not they are customer-facing - will mesh well with everyone else. As a team, we all share the same values and attitudes to work. The meaning behind the company name 'Work.Life', is to bring your whole self to work... and that's what we want our team to feel comfortable doing."
Jess, Inbound Marketing Manager @ Work.Life
"Be you, not the job title. Yoyo is a group of unique individuals that share the common goal of building great digital products. We work best in collaboration. And while your talents will always be needed across multiple projects, it's character that we value the most."
Hannah Smith, Head of Delivery @ Yoyo
“We welcome all people who are passionate about making a positive impact on our planet to get in touch! Be open, be honest, and be yourself. If you’re interested in creating a world that environmentally, economically, and socially regenerative, we’d love to hear from you.”
"We are committed to equality of opportunity for all, we welcome & encourage applications from all candidates regardless of ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, or disability status. We want people who can be themselves, feel supported, and be proud of the work they do. Above all, be yourself!"
Anna, Sustainability Coordinator @ teapigs
“Be yourself. I repeat this to people in their first few days at the company, and can't emphasise it enough. We are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive culture, and want to hear from a diverse set of voices whether it be discussing company strategy or our favourite board games.”
William Newton, President & MD @ WiredScore (Pending B Corp status)
Be clear on why you care about our mission
“I’d encourage anyone looking to make a move to a purpose-led, mission-driven role with Oddbox to let us know why they’re drawn to our mission and how their individual and career experiences will help us to continue to increase our impact on the issue of Food Waste. We aim to provide a progressive working environment and believe that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better results.”
Fiona Wallis, People & Business Operations Manager @ Oddbox
"We really value people who love our mission and want to help us take things to the next level in this very exciting high growth phase."
Charlotte, Senior People & Talent Manager @ Fire Tech
"Show us you care about the cause. We’ve had many candidates who’ve answered, “I just want to do something good” when asked why they want to work for us. That’s great news but it doesn’t tell us WHY you want to work for Matchable. The best candidates are those who have clearly researched into what we do and don’t give a generic, unhelpful answer to this question!"
Sareeka Linton, Non-Profit and Startup Lead @ Matchable
“At Butternut, everything we do starts with thinking about how we can do better for our customers. Without them, we would not exist. Our advice would be to apply if our mission aligns with your interests - that doesn't mean you have to be utterly obsessed with dogs but rather that you are motivated and energised to make positive changes for customers and have a relentless focus on striving for better.”
Hiring team @ Butternut Box (Pending B corp status)
"I would encourage anyone to first assess their personal drivers and motivations. If you’re ready for a leap into an incredibly ambitious, mission-driven company and you’re ready to trade your own exceptional performance for the freedom and autonomy to grow and develop your function, then Apolitical is the company for you."
Ellis Turmel, Head of People @ Apolitical
Highlight your skills and experiences. Don’t sweat if it’s a little different from the traditional career path.
"Our team are passionate about our mission and using business as a force for good. We're a small social enterprise so everyone plays a vital role in our success. An ability and willingness to learn quickly and apply your experience is more important than your educational background."
Louisa Ziane, Chief Operating Officer @ Toast Ale
"Our team comes from a diverse range of backgrounds, from traditional advertisers and scientists to English specialists and futures thinkers. We believe that adds to who we are. What matters most is that you have the skills to be a great consultant, and a passion for what we do, and that can come from a range of experiences, not traditional career paths."
Jennie Mitchell, Partner and Recruitment Lead @ Good Business
“Follow our newsletter to be the first to hear about new job opportunities! Our application process is designed to surface values alignment and focuses on the key skills needed to do the job. Work on illustrating how your skills translate the job at hand and don't worry about whether your academic or career experience directly correlates.”
Charlie Stainforth - Co-Founder & CEO @ Circl (Pending B Corp status)
“We’re open to hearing from all passionate, curious, lifelong learners, who want something fast-paced. The Seccl team is a real mix of people. There are people with finance experience, people with technology experience, a handful with both, and another handful with neither!
First and foremost, we look for great energy, a desire to problem-solve, a comfort with ambiguity, and an ability to multitask. When your organisation triples in size in a matter of months, you need people who can move fast with it and usher it along. Some of the most impactful people come without any direct experience in our field armed only with fresh ideas and a positive mindset.”
Sam Handfield-Jones, co-head of Seccl
What now?
- Check out our B Corp live opportunities page
- Create alerts for mission-aligned B Corps so you never miss an opportunity (via each organisation's page)