Engaging Employees Through Sustainability

So you want to start an employee engagement program? BBMG recently released a white paper that addresses sustainability as an organizational core value, which not only helps the planet but also increases employee engagement. Their rationale is that having this type of transcendent vision gives employees purpose and empowerment, if executed correctly.

BBMG’s data links sustainability to the rising Millennial generation (born between 1980-2000), including:

• 86% of Millennials would consider leaving an employer whose social responsibility values no longer reflected their own.
• 79% of Millennials would likely accept a job at an eco-friendly company over a conventional one.
• About 55% of men and women under 30 believe it’s very or extremely important to work for a company that is socially and environmentally responsible.

BBMG provides some guidance on how to create a sustainability strategy that engages employees at all levels and generations. After partnering with Wal-Mart to create a global platform for an employee sustainability program, they were able to share the content with other organizations and individuals around the world. There are too many tips to list here, so I highly suggest reading their white paper to learn more.

Some of the interesting and most important phases of setting up a sustainability program were:

• Make the strategy actionable and flexible
  • When working with Wal-Mart, BBMG created 12 broad categories of actions that employees could choose from. Though some employees may be extremely proactive, others may be unsure where to start, so give concrete actions that employees can engage in.
  • Flexibility comes by creating different phases that are slowly rolled out during the program. If your organization is geographically dispersed, let each branch define how they interpret those phases.
• Make it rewarding
  • BBMG suggests creating friendly competitions and quirky rewards.
• Internal communications are key
  • Create brown-bag lunch series, employee webinars, or breakfast panels.
  • Place communication material in areas where employees gather; the lunchroom, restrooms and elevators are popular spots.
• Celebrate success
  • This could be the most important part of the program. How are you measuring success? Do you have a baseline? Success stories, small and large, are what spur engagement and motivation. How can you share these stories most effectively and also encourage employees to share their own? Facebook, intranets, email newsletters, company blogs and social media outlets are some ideas.

What do you think? Is sustainability a good way to engage employees of all generations, including Millennials? Let me know in a comment below.