We are delighted to announce that Distinct is officially B Corp certified. As a B Corp, we’re part of a global community of businesses that meet high social and environmental impact standards. This has been a journey, two years in the making and we’re incredibly proud to be counted among businesses that are leading a global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy.
Our values in action, doing the right thing every day
At Distinct, we are driven by our core value of “do the right thing.” Our B Corp certification showcases our commitment to ethical practices and strengthens our responsibility to customers, employees, the environment and community.
Bringing Distinct’s culture to life
Our B Corp journey has been led by our Finance Director, Leanne Gelderd. Leanne joined Distinct in 2021 and quickly recognised that Distinct operates differently from most organisations. Leanne explains: “Our CEO, James Calder, and I discussed how he set up the company to create a place where people genuinely wanted to come to work every day. This is why I believe we are different and I wanted to bring Distinct’s value-first culture to life through sustainable initiatives.”
“In my interview, I asked James what the company was doing to ensure it was sustainable and he said that if I were passionate and wanted to take the lead, then I would be ‘pushing at an open door’. In my first year, Distinct funded my first ESG course, “Sustainable Corporations”, which made me consider various parts of our business and how we could improve. Then I started a Green Team, which led to our ESG Committee. This then became the driving force for many changes in the company and ultimately our B Corp application.”
Areas of impact and Distinct’s score
During our two-year journey to becoming B Corp certified, Distinct was evaluated in the following impact areas: workers, environment, customers, community and governance. We began our application with a score of 65 out of 80 required for certification – and we’re proud to share that through focused and deliberate effort, we successfully raised that to 90.5.
At the heart of our sustainability strategy are the three core pillars of corporate responsibility: environmental, social, and economic. For us, people are central to everything we do – and it’s no surprise that our strongest area going into certification was “workers.” Even so, we saw an opportunity to push ourselves further and made several impactful changes to support the fairness, development and overall well-being of our team.
Some key steps we’ve taken include:
- Regular employee satisfaction surveys
- Internally assessing our gender pay gap
- Introducing new employee benefits: enhanced maternity pay, enhanced pension or gym membership and an EV scheme
- Partnering with Positive Planet to calculate and reduce our carbon footprint year-on-year
- External ED&I training
- Switching to local, ethical and eco-conscious suppliers
- Introducing policies to support: menopause, breastfeeding and returning to work following maternity leave
- Offering external 1-1 business coaching for all employees
- Launching a new consultant career path with transparent salary bandings.
Achieving B Corp certification is a milestone we’re truly proud of. Our final score of 90.5 not only surpassed the pass mark – it reflects the real, measurable progress we’ve made in further aligning our business with our values.
This is only the beginning and we’re excited to continue building a company that puts people and purpose at the centre of every decision.
Responsible approach to recruitment
Our certification also represents a more responsible approach to recruitment. We believe great business success and genuine social responsibility aren’t at odds; they complement each other. This commitment is more important than ever in today’s evolving job market, where both candidates and clients are actively looking to partner with companies that truly share their values and are working to create real change.
Distinct’s CEO, James Calder, commented: “This isn’t merely a certification; it’s the culmination of a two-year journey that’s truly rooted in who we are. In a sector fundamentally focused on placing people, our B Corp status proves we don’t just talk about ethical practices. We truly live and breathe fairness and well-being in every interaction, for our employees and the wider world of work. We’re genuinely leading the way and hope our journey inspires others in recruitment to embrace a purpose-driven approach.”
As we embark on this journey, we are dedicated to infusing our ethos of ‘doing the right thing’ into every decision, ensuring that our business truly makes a positive impact.
About B Corp Certification: Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified to meet B Lab’s standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Based on stakeholder input, research, and established best practices, B Lab’s standards are the basis for B Corp Certification requirements and B Lab’s impact management tools, and they inform the network’s programs and collective action initiatives. To learn more, visit bcorporation.net.
