The Process

From video to verified — the whole process.

No algorithm decides whether your business passes. Here’s exactly what happens between recording your video and carrying the mark, start to finish.

01
Before you submit

Tell us why human

Share a short, genuine explanation of why your organization continues to value human employees and human involvement. Tell us what people bring to your work and why you believe their contribution still matters.

Do
Don't
02
The submission

Send it to us

Submit your Why Human statement along with your organization details, including your name, category, employee count, website, and contact information. A small one-time review fee covers the time required to review your application, whether or not you are approved.

03
Under review

An independent panel checks it

Your application is reviewed against the principles of the Human First Society. We consider your statement, organization details, and commitment to meaningful human involvement before making a decision.

04
Approval

You receive your mark

Approved businesses get a certificate number, a Human Index score, and a badge — Verified or Verified Gold depending on how strongly the panel scored your submission. Everything is published to the public registry so anyone can check it’s current.

05
Ongoing

Keep the mark current

Verification lasts 12 months, then you resubmit. We also reserve the right to request a fresh video at any point during the year — a spot check, unannounced. It’s the only way the badge stays worth trusting.

What to expect

The numbers so far.

7 days

Average time from submission to decision

91%

Pass rate on first review across all categories

30 days

Free resubmission window if you don’t pass the first time

FAQS

Common questions about the process.

Is this the same as accreditation?

No. We don’t evaluate your overall business practices, pricing, or complaint history the way a general accreditation body might. We independently verify one specific, narrow claim: that a real person is genuinely part of your process. Think of it as a smaller, harder-to-fake signal, not a broad seal of approval.

A rotating panel of trained human reviewers. Panels are reassigned regularly so the same reviewers aren’t repeatedly deciding on the same businesses, and no part of the review — screening, scoring, or the final decision — is automated.

You’ll get written feedback on exactly which criteria the panel felt weren’t met, and a 30-day window to resubmit a new video at no additional cost.

Yes — if a spot-check submission fails, or a substantiated complaint suggests the original footage didn’t reflect ongoing practice. Revocation always goes through a panel review first, and businesses can appeal before a badge is removed from the registry.

No. The Index reflects how strongly your submission met the Standard’s criteria, not how much you paid. Verified and Verified Gold are scored the same way for every business, regardless of size or fee tier.

Ready when you are

Start with the video.

Everything else in the process follows from there. Record it, send it, and hear back from a person within about a week.

An independent verification organization recognizing businesses that keep people at the heart of their operations. Not affiliated with any government agency.

© 2026 Human First Society

Every certificate is independently verifiable at HumanFirstSociety.org