As a candidate looking for a job with a positive impact, you can quickly be the victim of greenwashing and face unscrupulous companies that leave you dangling commitments to recruit you.
The impact jobs movement has been on the rise for the past few years. According to an IFOP study for Ticket for Change, 83% of French people consider the issue of positive impact through work important.
Who says fashionable subject also says enthusiasm on the side of companies, some of which compete in ingenuity to seduce candidates in search of positive impact... Until greenwashing.
But then, how not to mix tea towels and napkins? (I promise, we have nothing against tea towels, it's very useful too)
Against greenwashing, rely on labels and certifications
There are more and more organizations that label, reference or certify the real impact of companies. With specific specifications for each, it is often the assurance of having an outside eye on the commitments of the companies for which you wish to apply.
At jobs_that_makesense, we have decided to highlight job offers from companies that have one or more labels. Today we refer to about fifteen organizations that you can find on this dedicated page.
We present to you some of the best known.
The Impact France Movement
The Impact France Movement has been bringing together a community of pioneers for ten years, who have demonstrated that another model is possible and that companies could grow by respecting the 4 pillars: social impact, environmental impact, sharing of value and sharing of power.
The movement offers many masterclasses and events. Every year at the start of the school year, they organize the Summer Universities for Tomorrow's Economy, a real highlight for the entire sector. They have also developed ImpactScore, a tool to reveal and measure its Impact.
In short, no greenwashing around here!
👉See job offers from companies belonging to Mouvement Impact France
Shift Your Job
Launched by volunteers from the Shift Project, the Think Tank founded by Jean Marc Jancovici, Shift Your Job maps companies and organizations whose activity and mission are aligned with the challenges of the carbon transition.
Their objective is to guide each person to align their professional commitment with the challenge of limiting climate change.
They have identified 6 impact levers to which companies must respond: sobriety, energy efficiency, decarbonisation of energy, CO2 storage, adaptation to climate change and support for the transition.
Their research is inspired by Kaya's equation, solid!
👉 See job offers from companies mapped by Shift Your Job
Bleu Blanc Zebre
Bleu Blanc Zèbre is an association created in 2014 which places at the heart of its action the cooperation between the various actors of society (associations, companies, public actors and citizens) in order to resolve social and environmental fractures. That is both :
- A label that identifies and promotes concrete, impactful and replicable initiatives, everywhere in France.
- A community of committed actors who help each other to bring the common good to life in all types of territories.
- Concrete projects to mobilize groups of actors ready to work together in a spirit of trust.
👉 See job offers from companies in the Bleu Blanc Zèbre community
Specialized incubators (1/2) - makesense
makesense supports impact entrepreneurs at all stages of their entrepreneurial project. Existing for more than 10 years, the makesense incubator is today a reference and above all a guarantee of quality and commitment. The structures that have been able to go through this incubator are committed to the transformation of society for an inclusive and sustainable world.
👉 See job offers from startups incubated by makesense
Specialized incubators (2/2) - Ticket For Change
Ticket For Change has been offering a course for 8 years to support entrepreneurs in the realization of their impact project. Companies that have gone through this process are also trustworthy in terms of their social and environmental commitment.
👉 See job offers from startups incubated by Ticket for Change
Other ways to thwart greenwashing in your recruitment
Ask questions in interview
Never forget that a job interview is a two-way street. If it is quite normal for the recruiter to ask you questions about your background and your skills, do not hesitate to ask questions too! Asking for details of the commitments and concrete proof of the social and environmental impact will not make you a skeptic, but on the contrary it will show the recruiter that you are interested in him and that you are really committed. And if he refuses to answer, you'll know for sure: it smells like greenwashing!
Watch social impact measurement
A company seriously committed to social and environmental transition measures its impact. The objective is to provide figures to measure the real impact of the organization, whether negative or positive. It is therefore a very good way to get information on the structure to which you are applying. At jobs_that_makesense, we offer recruiters who so wish to put a direct link to their impact measurement, which you will find directly on the career page of the company for which you wish to apply. It is therefore proof of the transparency of the organization but also proof of commitment!
Check what is said about the company
Keeping an eye on the articles published in the press on the company to which you wish to apply can also provide answers to your questions and any doubts you may have. Here again, a distinction must be made between substantiated articles, written by journalists, and advertorials paid for by the organization. Type the name of the company on your search engine and go to the "news" tab to see the latest articles published. You will see if she drags pots (working conditions, ecological or social scandals, financial embezzlement,...) but also it will allow you to learn more about her ways of communicating externally on her commitments and if she has them. tenuous. It's also a good way to prepare for your interviews.
Rely on the legal structure
Companies have different obligations and modes of operation depending on their legal structure. An association does not have the same obligations as a foundation or a public limited company (SA), for example.
There are many legal forms that help determine the commitment and honesty of a business. For exemple :
- Benefit corporation: it allows companies that wish to do so to adopt a purpose integrating the consideration of the social, societal and environmental impacts of their activities.
- ESUS approval (Social Utility Solidarity Company): this is an identification label reserved for Social and Solidarity Economy companies which allows them to confirm their eligibility for certain financing and certain tax reductions.
- Cooperative Societies: An association of people voluntarily brought together to meet their common economic, social and cultural aspirations and needs through an enterprise whose ownership is collective and where power is exercised democratically.
On jobs_that_makesense, you can filter your searches according to the legal form of the organization, to really choose the projects that look like you.
There you go, I hope you feel better equipped to thwart greenwashing when looking for a job with a positive impact.
Finally, of course, the vision of a company's commitment always has its share of subjectivity. For some, if the company does not consider impact as a primary objective, it is useless, while others believe that it is also important to contribute to the transition of organizations.
In any case, you can use all these filters on jobs_that_makesense and we wish you a good search!
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