What is Social Value? And why it matters when hiring.

What is social value in recruitment?

Social value is the positive impact your business creates for people, places and the planet. In recruitment, it’s about how your hiring processes, workplace culture, and employment opportunities deliver broader benefits beyond the bottom line.

This could mean:

• Creating clear career paths for underrepresented groups
• Offering quality jobs and progression in underserved areas
• Supporting employee wellbeing and social mobility
• Engaging with local education and skills initiatives
• Reducing environmental impact in hiring practices

Why social value matters for hiring and retention

The talent you want is looking beyond salary. Purpose-driven candidates want to know how their employer contributes to the world around them. If your business can’t articulate that clearly, you’ll lose out.

Social value also drives retention. Employees who feel proud of their employer’s impact are more engaged, loyal and productive. It creates a culture that attracts the right people and keeps them.

Candidates want to work for employers who reflect their values. And long-term reputation now depends as much on integrity as innovation.

Generational Expectations and Social Value

Different generations in the workforce have varying expectations, but all encompass a great social value strategy:

• Generation Z: Prioritise purpose, flexibility, and inclusivity. They seek employers who address societal challenges and offer supportive, flexible workplaces.
• Millennials: Value work-life balance, continuous learning, and corporate social responsibility. They are drawn to businesses that demonstrate ethical practices and social impact.
• Generation X: Appreciate job stability and structured environments but also value flexibility and ethical employers.

Actionable examples of social value

Many businesses are already delivering social value through their hiring, whether intentionally or not. The key is to be more deliberate, structured and visible about it.

• Targeted outreach and inclusive hiring – Partnering with local charities or education providers to access overlooked talent pools.
• Work placements and apprenticeships – Creating career pathways for people with limited access to the job market.
• Flexible work and wellbeing initiatives – Supporting mental health, caring responsibilities and neurodiversity.
• Sustainability in hiring – Reducing reliance on paper CVs, cutting travel through remote interviews, and aligning with green suppliers.
• Community involvement – Employees using volunteer days or skills-based mentoring with local organisations.

How to showcase your social value to candidates

You’re probably doing more than you realise. But are you telling the story well enough? The most successful employers are the ones who can clearly show the impact they’re making.

Here’s where we support our clients every day:

• Clear EVP (employer value proposition) – We help you define and communicate the social value at the heart of your employee experience.
• Impact-led job ads – Go beyond role and salary. Candidates want to know who they’re working for and why it matters.
• Consistent messaging across touchpoints – From interviews to onboarding, we help you make social value visible, authentic and embedded.
• Feedback loops – We work with you to capture candidate insights on what matters most and where you’re getting it right.

When you can confidently showcase your social value, you strengthen your hiring story and build a reputation people want to be part of.