Many businesses are starting to realize that sustainability is important for the financial bottom line and from a moral perspective. Sustainable initiatives also correlate with better employee retention, but it can be a challenge to get employees to buy into company sustainability programs at first.
What can you, as a CEO or manager, do to encourage your employees to feel strongly about sustainability? Many things, it turns out.
Connect It to a Larger Purpose
No matter the industry of your company, people like to feel as if they’re part of something bigger than themselves. Emphasizing the importance of your new sustainability program in connection with your company’s mission and the benefit to society as a whole can help employees feel motivated.
Besides connecting your sustainability practice to a moral purpose, explain how it will financially benefit the company (and your employees in turn). There is a misconception that environmental policies require a trade-off with finances, but that is not the case.
It also helps to think big. If you can show how your sustainability initiative is changing the industry as a whole by inspiring similar practices by competitors, employees will feel more connected to the initiative.
Include Employee Participation
People are more likely to feel invested in a program they help create as opposed to something that comes from the top down. Ensure that your new sustainability programs feature employee voices. Help them co-create the program, and then people will feel more passionate about following it!
Besides sharing creating powers, there are other ways you can include your employees on the sustainability journey. Sharing knowledge about sustainability through lectures and meetings and clear communication helps. You can even create healthy competition among employees while implementing these programs helps.
Follow Through
A major reason why many employees don’t buy into corporate sustainability programs is that they don’t trust them. Show that you will actually implement your sustainable plans, and once you gain your employees’ trust, you will see more passion and engagement.
One person alone cannot make a company sustainable, but once the whole team is on board, you can make a change for the better!