Engaging employees in your company’s journey to a greener future

Sustainability has, unfortunately, become a bit of a buzzword in the business world over the past few years, but it’s essential that all businesses can back up their claims of being sustainable if they want to keep their current and future employees engaged. If you can get your employees on board with your sustainability initiatives, then you'll be on your way to business success in no time. Let’s discuss ways to engage your employees and create a sustainable business.

There’s a growing movement of employees, particularly newcomers to the job market, who want to work for sustainable companies. They are attracted to businesses that are environmentally and socially responsible, and that have a positive impact on the world. Sustainable companies are becoming more attractive to top talent, as they offer a chance to make a real difference in the world. As there’s more demand for sustainability in the workplace, more companies are beginning to incorporate sustainable practices into their standard business models. This is not only good for the environment but also for the workforce.

One of the most important aspects of sustainable business practices is effective communication with employees. After all, it's difficult to make progress toward sustainability goals if employees are not on board with the initiatives. There are a couple of key points to keep in mind when communicating sustainability to employees:

It's important that employees understand your company’s overall sustainability strategy. What are the company goals? Why is sustainability important to the business? Employees should be able to answer these questions in order to engage with sustainable practices. By having a clearly defined sustainability purpose, you’ll make sure that all teams are aligned with the company’s goals.

One of the best ways to engage employees in sustainability is to provide opportunities for them to learn about it. This can be done through talks, events, or workshops on sustainable topics. By increasing employee knowledge about sustainability, you'll also increase their engagement with sustainable practices. Create a sustainability resource library for employees to access — a valuable tool for sustainable knowledge sharing. If some of your employees are already sustainability experts, ask them to lead talks or workshops on sustainable topics. This is a great way to engage employees and provide them with the opportunity to share their knowledge with others.

As more companies adopt green initiatives, it’s important to engage your employees with them. After all, these are designed to benefit both the environment and businesses' sustainability goals so it’s in everyone’s best interest to get involved. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind to make sure employees engage in your green initiatives:

When employees see that a company’s values align with their personal values, they're more likely to be engaged. They'll feel that their work is meaningful and that they are contributing to a larger cause. If you can find ways to connect your employees’ personal values to the company’s sustainability efforts, you'll be well on your way to establishing solid company values.

It’s important to track your company’s progress on sustainability initiatives and to celebrate successes along the way. This will show employees that their efforts are making a difference and keep them motivated. You can also share stories of employee success with other departments to show how individuals are making an impact. For example, if an employee has come up with a new way to reduce waste in the office, share this story and celebrate their success. Or, if a group of employees took part in a rubbish clean-up event, share the photos and stories of their success with the rest of the company as well as the world. This may inspire other employees to get involved in similar activities.

There are many green initiatives that can help you engage employees. Here are a few examples of initiatives that can benefit you, your employees and the environment:

• Encourage employees to participate in local environmental activities, such as tree planting or beach clean-ups. It will help to engage employees while benefiting the local community. Taking part in these events is a great way to show that your company is committed to sustainability.
• Invest in solar panels or wind turbines for your company’s energy use. This is a great way to showcase that you're invested in renewable energy and sustainability efforts. It can also help reduce the company’s carbon footprint, which is good for the environment.
• Start a composting program in the office. Reduce your company's waste and engage employees in sustainable practices. Ask employees to bring in fruit and vegetable scraps from home, which can then be used to create compost for the office garden. This will create a real sense of how food scraps can be turned into great compost, either given to a compost centre or used in your own office garden if you have one.
• Encourage employees to bring reusable coffee cups and water bottles to work. This is a simple way to reduce waste and encourage employees to be more sustainable, not to mention it makes the office feel more friendly. Provide incentives for employees to participate, such as free coffee or tea from the office kitchen. This will prevent them from buying takeaway coffees, which will be more expensive for them and worse for the environment.
• Give them the opportunity to switch to electric cars. With our EV salary sacrifice scheme, your employees can lease a brand new electric car, while it costs nothing for the company to set up. Business EV leasing will not only help to reduce the company’s carbon footprint but will also give employees a more sustainable way to get to work and a way to make their money work harder. As an employer, you’ll be doing your bit to work towards becoming carbon neutral, while saving, too — a true win-win!

If you're looking for ways to engage employees in sustainability initiatives, consider implementing some of the ideas we've outlined. From investing in solar panels to starting a composting program, there are many options that can benefit both the environment and your employees. If you're looking for a simple yet effective way to get started, our Octopus Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme can help your employees lease electric cars and save money on their taxes. Contact us today to learn more or find out more about our wide range of EV cars online. You'll be on the road to sustainability in no time!