In 2019, VodafoneZiggo brought Michèle on board to increase the purchase of products and services from suppliers supporting social causes – known as 'social procurement'. And to recruit more people at a disadvantage in the labour market or to coin the Dutch term ‘mensen met een afstand tot de arbeidsmarkt’ (people who are distanced from the labour market). “Let’s clarify that term: it’s not these individuals who are distanced from companies, but rather companies that are distanced from these individuals. That, in itself, is a form of awareness. Between 65% and 85% of this group is still at home. This is exactly what we aim to change at VodafoneZiggo. And to make this commitment concrete, we joined the PSO programme in 2019.”
What is PSO and where does VodafoneZiggo stand?
The Social Enterprise Performance Ladder (Prestatieladder Socialer Ondernemen, PSO) is a quality mark of the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) that maps out and promotes the extent to which companies invest in social initiatives. Consider working with service providers that offer employment to people at a disadvantage in the labour market, such as sheltered workshops or inclusive enterprises. Or consider purchasing products from sustainable or fair trade suppliers to support fair working conditions and environmentally friendly production. If more companies join the PSO quality mark and begin sourcing from each other, this growth could accelerate even further. Michèle: “The ladder consists of several steps, indicating what percentage of your revenue and staff is socially invested. From 1.16% at the basic level to 3.4% at step 3.”
VodafoneZiggo is currently at this basic step. It may not sound very impressive, but it is, Michèle assures us. “We are the only telecom company that has already achieved this. It’s challenging, partly because we purchase a considerable amount from abroad. These are all out of scope, as PSO is currently active only in the Netherlands. So, within the Dutch portion of our workforce, a higher percentage should consist of – another such term – people with additional challenges.”
Real social work
Quality marks come in all shapes and sizes. For some, you just need to put some money on the table, but the PSO is the real deal. It’s an independent quality mark, where your actions, spending and progress are assessed every two years by an official auditor. Participating in the PSO is a good way to demonstrate your efforts in social entrepreneurship, to the outside world in general, but also to the government. In the case of large government contracts, Social Return on Investment (SROI) plays a significant role. Michèle explains:
“Suppose you win a government tender. Then you must meet an SROI obligation. This means spending between 5 and 10 per cent of the contract value on social causes within five years. To meet this, you can hire people who face barriers to employment, spend with other PSO-certified companies, or invest in social projects. VodafoneZiggo does all three. Hiring people directly and indirectly is the most important aspect. But we also, for example, visit ‘Mytyl’ schools (special education for children with physical disabilities or long-term illnesses) to discuss opportunities in technical fields. As a PSO participant, you receive a higher government rating, and the higher you score, the lower the SROI requirements become.”
Step by step
The step to the next rung on the PSO ladder may take a few more years, Michèle believes. “How much work is needed to add an extra percentage point at the end of the day is not to be underestimated. However, the first step on the ladder has already truly transformed the company. You see people from this broad target group within more and more departments; in the office, in the warehouses and at the fibre nodes in the street. What is very important to me: they have sustainable jobs, with a collective labour agreement and future prospects. And they perform valuable work for VodafoneZiggo and our customers.”
“Their presence also has an impact on the entire organisation,” Michèle continues. “Indeed, we see that diverse and inclusive teams work better together. And the more diverse and inclusive we become as a whole, the more positive the culture within VodafoneZiggo will become.” Michèle also believes this changes one’s perspective as an individual colleague. “You can develop an illness or medical condition at any moment in your life. Knowing that VodafoneZiggo will still provide opportunities for you even then instils confidence on an entirely new level.”