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But in order for organizations to move forward with their sustainability efforts, it’s first important for their employees to have the same respect and expectations when it comes to how they can support initiatives that are much larger than just themselves.
Why Should Sustainability Matter to Employees?
Let there be no mistake – most employees choose to work for an organization because they need a steady paycheck, and there is nothing wrong with this. However, when it comes to sustainability, it’s important for employees to adopt the right attitude and not simply view it as “the company’s problem to deal with.”
Prioritizing sustainability as an employee is important for a few reasons, including:
Better Job Satisfaction and Purpose
Working for an organization that prioritizes more than just their own profitability greatly improves an employee’s satisfaction with the job they’re doing. When they’re able to align the work they do with their own value, it can help establish a much deeper purpose in their role while also helping them to stay focused on their work.
Pride in The Workplace
Employees cannot give their best work if they don’t enjoy their work environment. Respecting their employer is an important component of improving company morale and becoming positive ambassadors for the organization.
Future-Proofing Careers
Companies that prioritize sustainability are often much more adaptable and forward-thinking. This gives employees of these types of businesses many more opportunities to lead important projects and learn new skills, which can be great for building up a resume and supporting their long-term career goals.
Practical Steps Leaders Can Take to Help Their Employees Prioritize Sustainability
Set Measurable Goals
Sustainability is such a broad topic that working toward it can seem like an impossible task. This is why it’s important for company leaders to set measurable goals with their employees that they can work toward throughout the year.
These types of goals can be associated with waste reduction or energy use and can be quantifiable for trackable metrics. Employees can then have something to shoot for throughout the year and actively consider their actions and their impact on the organization’s bigger sustainability initiatives.
Involve Employees at all Levels
Businesses should not just mandate sustainability goals to their employees but also actively involve them in designing and executing certain sustainability projects.
Sustainability shouldn’t be something that only managers or executive teams discuss in closed-door meetings. All employees, regardless of their seniority, should be invited to have an active share in helping the company make better decisions that can impact society as a whole.
Prioritize Education and Training
It’s relatively common for businesses to experience diverse mindsets in their employees when it comes to the importance of sustainability. While some employees may already be incredibly passionate about helping the business make smart decisions, others may need some more motivation.
This is where education and training specifically on sustainability, can be so important for businesses. This helps all employees better understand the “why” and “how” when it comes to sustainable business practices and can help them better align themselves with the larger purpose around specific initiatives.
Make Sustainability Part of Daily Assignments
To keep sustainability at the top of employees’ minds, it can be helpful to find ways to make it part of their everyday assignments. You can make sustainable initiatives part of their ongoing performance review or even create rewardable milestones for every quarter, helping to incentivize involvement.
The main purpose of this is to help reinforce to employees that following sustainable business practices shouldn’t be something that’s just talked about or evaluated once a year. It should be hardwired as a critical part of job performance and how the business expects all departments to function.
Lead By Example
One of the most effective ways of reinforcing the importance of sustainability is to lead by example. Employees look to their management teams for guidance, and you want to make sure you’re proving to them how important sustainability is for everyone.
It’s important to be a leading example of how this mindset should be applied. Whether it’s owning company initiatives like looking for recyclable kitchen supplies, regularly composting kitchen waste, or making smarter choices with how you use energy in the office, this attitude can be contagious to other employees and prove your authenticity when explaining the importance of making sustainable decisions.
Help Your Business Prioritize Sustainability
Placing a priority on sustainability isn’t just great for society – it’s also great for business. By taking the time to instill the importance of creating and executing more sustainable initiatives in employees, organizations can create a positive company culture that helps to shape a better future for everyone.
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