How Hunt & Hunt Lawyers are doing responsible business
Rachel Bevans, Managing Director of The Healthy Brand Company interviews Jim Harrowell, Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Hunt & Hunt Lawyers to understand how they’re responsible across four key themes.
Responsibility goes across the organisation to create long-term value for all stakeholders
We have to be honest, credible, knowledgeable, client focused. You have to have the courage to tell clients that they could pursue an avenue but it would make their problems worse. You have employee obligations, community obligations, being environmentally conscious. All those factors make for a Responsible Business, more than just compliance in the legal sense.
Purpose and values drive strategic direction and responsible business decisions at the individual, team and organisation level
Our values of trust, teamwork, excellence, innovation and passion are the bedrock of everything we do. These values are a solid base on which we can continue to nurture and grow a culture that is inclusive, friendly, fun, collaborative, open and positive.
Being responsible impacts customers, brand reputation and trust
As a professional services firm, our brand and image are critical for getting clients, it doesn’t matter if it’s conveyancing or major litigation for a commercial client. Law is about people, people to people relationships. That carries with it the need to be a responsible business. We have to be seen to preserve our brand and responsibility extends to not pushing clients into areas which may put their brand at risk.
A responsible business is a great place to work for employees, trains and trusts employees to be responsible
When we’re hiring people, we want to be seen as employer of choice. Being compliant with employment standards is not what keeps employees, you have to be a responsible employer. We have to demonstrate a culture of caring, where you cannot just meet but exceed your potential. You look at the employees we’ve got, that’s only a fraction of the people who rely on the firm for wellbeing, multiply that by the families behind those people. When other firms were retrenching people and cut salaries for 12 months, we had some minor salary cuts, we demonstrated that we accept responsibility by keeping our employees in the job.
HAVE YOUR SAY:
How is your organisation stepping up to responsible business?
Post a comment on First 5000 – Have your Say on LinkedIn today or email editor@first5000.com.au with your story.
Read more about responsible Business here.
