Three Critical Ways Employee Engagement Contributes to Environmental Sustainability.
Environmental sustainability is increasingly becoming a lens through which investors, companies, and society at large view the long-term success of our economic systems. It is not only looked at as a responsible way of doing business but also a smart one. Environmental sustainability entails businesses and corporations taking steps to reduce their environmental impact and work towards long-term environmental health.
As consumers and investors become more aware of the importance of Environmental sustainability, companies prioritizing these issues will have a competitive advantage and be better positioned to de-risk themselves from future losses.
Our recent study of companies focusing on building For All Culture – one that delivers a consistent experience to all the employees shows 8% higher performance on ESG scores than others. This confirms our belief that workplace culture is critical in determining a company’s success in ESG initiatives.
In the following section of the article, we explore a few critical ways through which engaged workplace culture drives the environmental sustainability of an organization.
Environmental Sustainability: 3 Critical Ways
Higher Innovation for Success
An engaged workplace experiences employees contributing to new and better ways of doing things, sharing feedback and suggestions, and having higher involvement by everyone in decision-making. Organizations that fall under Best Workplaces (those that can better engage employees and provide a consistent experience to them regardless of who they are or what they do) report that 7% more employees that celebrate innovation, 8% more believe they are involved in decision making, and 7% more feel management is open to new ideas and suggestions.
As a result, this helps organizations develop/implement new technologies, sustainable products, services, and process improvement – all of which are crucial for success towards environmental sustainability.
Increased Discretionary Effort for Initiatives
To make environmental sustainability stick, organizations will need individuals willing to go above and beyond in their work and identify/implement sustainable practices beyond the minimum requirements. They will also require employees to participate actively, raise awareness, and promote the right behaviours.
All of this can be achieved by having employees engaged in their work and with the people they work with. In general, Best Workplaces observe 5% more employees responding positively to discretionary effort and 6% more employees reporting care for each other and being able to count on people to cooperate.
Increased trust in stakeholders
A study of shareholder returns of the publicly listed Best Workplaces identified by Great Place To Work® shows a positive correlation with returns provided to shareholders. In addition, RSM India revealed that Best Workplaces consistently outperform major stock indices such as BSE Sensex 30, Nifty 50, and CNX Nifty – Total Returns Index.
The Best Workplaces have outperformed market indices by a factor of 3 and have yielded 10x returns on the initial investment in the reinvestment model.
Future perspective
In the future, organizations should also accurately measure employee engagement to support environmental sustainability initiatives over time by using surveys, observing behavioural changes, and tracking KPIs—so that the impact of the strategies can be tracked, and relevant improvements be made to the ones necessary.
Ultimately, by ensuring everyone is on board and engaged with the organization’s mission to protect our planet— employers will have tremendous success when implementing sustainable practices within the workplace environment.
Conclusion
Engaged employees can create a positive work environment that attracts and retains talented employees, delivers high-quality products and services, and enhances their reputation, leading to better stakeholder returns.
As a result, employee engagement is essential in achieving environmental sustainability goals because it fosters higher innovation, commitment, and trust among stakeholders. By recognizing the value of employee engagement and strategies to boost the success of those initiatives, the organization can contribute to a better future for everyone.
It is also evident that organizations can benefit significantly from involving their workforce in environmental sustainability initiatives. Increased employee engagement fosters better teamwork and communication and instils a sense of responsibility in employees for protecting the environment.
About the Writer
Suraj Jadhav, Consultant, Research, and Insights (India), Great Place To Work
Views are personal.
Copy Right @ India CSR
