DID YOU KNOW THAT PUSHING FOR SUSTAINABILITY CREATES AN ENGAGING WORKPLACE?
Given the current Pandemic and the environment issues we're experiencing, there are a lot of business advantages and strengths of running a sustainable business, but making one and getting there is not easy than said. Thereby companies need to push for a centralized sustainability program that guides their teams and enables their employees to implement the sustainable initiatives that best suit their business.
Also, sustainability and green initiatives have shown to improve employee engagement and morale. One study showed that happy and engaged employees are 20% more productive in sales positions. Happy and engaged employees also tend to be more loyal to a company and more active within the community.
Check out these steps that can guide you to create a sustainable culture in your own workplaces.
1. Designate Champions and Create a Sustainability Team
Creating a sustainability culture that truly engages employees requires not only leadership from management but passionate individuals from various levels and departments within the organization. This provides confirmation of a greater movement happening within the organization and will encourage participation greatly due to the established group.
2. Ensure Education of Sustainability and Company Goals
It is important to ensure that employees not only understand the concept of sustainability and the green culture that the company is trying to achieve but also why the company is focused on it and how they intend to achieve it. The more clear the message the more aligned the employee will feel to the company mission and engage.
3. Invite Observation and Suggestion
Individuals, when empowered with education and actionable outlets, will look for ways to weave sustainability into the daily routine and business practices. This avoids any unwanted disruption of regular business culture but rather presents a gradual change to a sustainability focused culture. Primarily, the focus is to ensure that employees feel that they can contribute and influence company actions based on their firsthand observations. This not only applies to sustainability but also general business practice.
4. Hold Consistent Meetings
When implemented across departments it will allow cross collaboration between different areas of the business that may have different resources or understanding to tackle a particular issue. This creates a sense of permanence and directs ownership of ongoing issues. Keep a cadence, whether that’s weekly, monthly or quarterly, to keep the momentum and engagement level high.
5. Participate in Local Initiatives
When implemented across departments it will allow cross collaboration between different areas of the business that may have different resources or understanding to tackle a particular issue. This creates a sense of permanence and directs ownership of ongoing issues. Keep a cadence, whether that’s weekly, monthly or quarterly, to keep the momentum and engagement level high.
6. Communicate Results and General News
Keep employees fully updated on company updates pertaining to sustainable and local initiatives, as well as broader sustainability goals. Focus on how the initiatives are benefiting the environment, the business and the local community. You may include general news on worldwide sustainability activities and trends. This created new ideas and leads into the goal of making every employee a sustainability participant.
7. Include a Section in the Employee Handbook
When a new employee comes into a company, they are more likely to participate in the sustainability culture when they see it as part of their job/company description. This has the benefit too of reminding the trainer of the institutional focus on a green culture as well.
Was these guide useful? Do let us know eco-friendly buddies!
