Showing that business can be 100% Human
The world of work is changing at a faster rate than ever before. The fundamental shifts in technology and the global landscape are having a profound impact on societies and economies as we know them.
These changes are affecting jobs, workers, and wages at an unprecedented pace, impacting everything from gender parity to social mobility and global inequality. Now, more than ever, there is an opportunity to rethink the future of work, the role of leaders, and the old systems in which work has functioned.
In 2014, in response to this ever changing landscape, Virgin Unite and The B Team started 100% Human at Work to create a new vision of a working world that thinks of people as human beings and not as resources – moving away from just maximising profits to a focus on how we can help people achieve their highest potential and purpose, which will naturally positively impact the bottom line.
The initial idea for the initiative began back in 2013, when Richard Branson, Jean Oelwang and business leaders Ajaz Ahmed, and Arianna Huffington, began discussions about creating a ‘people innovation network’ as a way of bringing together the best minds in the world to share ideas on how to build companies that people loved to be a part of, because it put them first. The following year, 100% Human at Work was launched.
The first ever 100% Human at Work gathering brought together 16 founders and CEOs from some of the world’s most forward-thinking business (including AKQA, TOMS, Virgin, Huffington Post, Tough Mudder, and Menlo Innovations), sharing ideas on changing work for the better.
Each year since, the movement has grown, building a powerful collective of companies who are dedicated to reducing barriers to employment, creating opportunities for all, understanding and addressing the impact of AI and technology on the workplace, and shaping a future of work that puts humanity at its core.
As summarised by Rebecca Nash, Chief People, Sustainability & Community Officer, AMP Australia, “100% Human at Work’s insight, passion, drive to make positive change and inspiring ability to pull amazing sessions together that galvanise commitment to sustainable change is awesome”.
In collaboration with its growing community, the 100% Human at Work team identified five core values that define a 100% Human company: Respect, Equity, Growth, Belonging and Purpose - and with these they have achieved incredible things including:
supporting the launch of the TENT Foundation for refugees at Davos
launching the Freedom to Love campaign in partnership with Virgin, Open for Business and B Team leaders
pulling together collections of experiments from the most innovative companies around the globe
developing toolkits focused on inclusion, skills and the future of work.
After 10 years, 100% Human at Work continues to be at the forefront of driving action and new thinking. Focused on driving systems change and challenging the way that organisations do business, the initiative is seeking to ‘rewrite board rules’ and change the way that businesses measure and reward success at board level, putting people at the centre of everything they do.
The 100% Human at Work movement provides businesses all over the world with the opportunity to come together and create a more human future of work, one that serves humanity for both current and future generations
- Richard Branson
This year, 100% Human will also be launching its first Innovation Cluster - working to address challenges around key themes the cluster will bring together leading organisations to co-create solutions in support of a more equitable, inclusive, and human future of work.
The future of work is still being defined and we believe through collaboration it is possible to find solutions that are good for business and good for humanity.