It is Research Conducted among more than 8,000 employees of the four largest financial institutions in the UK and Ireland. The researchers wanted to answer the following question: How important is consistency in creating a great employee experience?
‘Employees look to senior leaders’
According to lead author Rebecca Crosby, the most significant result is that employees connect the company’s sustainability efforts with the commitment of senior leaders in the company. “We know from other research we conduct that trust and trust leaders play an important role in many aspects of employee satisfaction, but I was surprised that it is more important than trust that the organization is moving in the right direction on sustainability issues,” says Crosby.
Workers, like consumers, are looking for the added benefit of sustainability, Crosby notes. Agreements regarding pay, fringe benefits and flexible work options are even more important. But more communication and real actions around sustainability make employees more proud of the company they work for. That makes an employer attractive.
How can employers make their company attractive?
Companies can do a lot to make their employees more satisfied based on sustainability initiatives. “When you talk about ‘sustainability’ don’t assume employees know what you’re talking about,” says Crosby. “You first need to raise awareness of terms like ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance).” For example, the survey showed that the majority of employees (54 per cent) associate sustainability with being ‘environmentally friendly’, while only a small percentage come under ‘being responsible’ (7 per cent) and ‘improving working conditions’ (5 per cent) of sustainability.
Additionally, ensure that leaders in an organization keep their word. “Focus on building sponsorship for your activities within your own leaders,” says Crosby. Be public about your sustainability efforts, the lead author adds. “Although it’s very exciting, as an organization you shouldn’t be afraid to make commitments and share achievements. As long as they stand up to scrutiny, there’s nothing to fear.
Additionally, engaging employees in sustainability programs is an important part, Crosby observes. “Help managers have conversations about sustainability at the team level.” And listen to employees: “Let them decide where the organization can make the most difference and encourage them to look beyond the actions that directly affect them.”
Measuring is knowing
The first step is to examine how employees view sustainability. “This will help you develop an engagement strategy,” says Crosby. If you know what the employees’ opinions are, you can communicate more easily.
Previous research conducted by former Unilever CEO Paul Bollman among employees in the US and UK showed that employees expect their employer to have strong values and a positive impact. Half of employees are considering termination because their own values don’t match those of their organization.
Crosby thinks there are often more nuanced factors that influence why people work where and what they see. Deal breakers
can be “In another study, we tried to find out what was most important to employees looking for a new job, without asking them explicitly about stability. The answer was clear: stability is important to some, but practical and tangible aspects such as pay and flexible working are important to most.
