While the correlation between employee engagement and sustainability might not be very measurable right now, companies will absolutely need to shift mindset to close the gap in the coming years.
Environmental policy and energy efficiencies are priorities of the Obama administration (especially in the wake of the Gulf Coast oil spill) so companies that aren’t currently making efforts will soon be required to by regulation. Those companies that are taking a leading role in the area of sustainability are also making moves to increase and leverage employees in the effort. Suez Energy’s “Suez Environment” website, dedicated to developing sustainable employees, and Novus International’s sustainable employees program are two notable examples.
We can see the emergence of prospects wanting a career with companies that are focused on being environmentally friendly. A study by Price Waterhouse Coopers found that 88% of Millennials stated that they seek employers with social responsibility values that reflect their own.
For example, CareerBuilder has its “green jobs” site to connect green companies with green recruits. Pew Charitable Trusts reports that green jobs growth “outpaced other job classifications by nearly 250% over the last decade.”
In addition, companies are continually turning their attention to employee engagement. So the question is, why not engage your employees to make sustainability a part of your brand and your culture – ensuring that you can deliver on that promise?
Approximately 25% of communications work at Savage is directed to internal audiences versus the 10% it was five years ago. It is more widely recognized that distinct cultures can drive competitive advantage (think Starbucks, The Container Store, Google, etc.). Additionally, the ability to retain employees is oftentimes reliant on a company’s ability to keep the employee engaged in a culture that meets his or her own personal values.
Sources:
Price Waterhouse Coopers, “Survey: Millenniels at Work: Perspectives from a new generation” September 2008.
Mueller, Angela, “Sustainable Employee Programs Winner: Novus International”. St. Louis Business Journal, Friday, October 30, 2009.
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