Belief in action

Why making your brand more sustainable is good for your business

Today’s employees expect more from their employer. They want to see evidence of progressive policies and want to work for a company that has a positive impact on the world. Sheila Morrison, Director of Brand Engagement, Luminous, explains that to attract as well as retain the best people, a business needs to make sustainability an important part of its brand identity.

Many people – particularly those early on in their careers – expect more than a salary in exchange for their working week. Interviewees will tell you why they are right for the job, but they will also want to know what you can do for them, and why they should work for a company such as yours. They will likely have done their homework on your brand, hoping to find evidence of progressive policies they can get behind, rather than irresponsible behaviour or corporate scandals. They need to trust you and your brand.

Today’s employees are more likely than ever to seek benefits such as flexible working, the chance to buy more time off or take a sabbatical, or to take time out to do charity work. They want a healthy work-life balance: opportunities to see the world and to enjoy their time on it. But they also want more from the time they do spend at work. Many employees expect companies to put their scale and resources to good use: not just to minimise harm, but to play an active role in solving some of the social and environmental problems our society faces.

This is why finding, hiring and keeping hold of the best and brightest people is often cited as a critical incentive for building a more sustainable corporate brand. Younger people grew up witnessing rapid technological transformation and disruptive innovation and the younger they are, the faster the rate of change was. The young see new business models and technologies changing the world; from the gig economy to Tesla’s new lithium-ion battery disrupting the car manufacturing sector. They see a paradigm shift and want to be a part of it. Of course, not every company can be a Tesla. But there are many ways in which people can feel their role contributes to a brighter future. For instance, supply chain management can – and should – involve fair wages and human rights as much as cost, quality and just-in-time delivery. Companies need to constantly promote their efforts to become more sustainable: their successes and failures, the lessons learned for next time and how people can get involved.

Share your sustainability story

Getting your sustainability messages across both internally and externally will ensure employees hear them, and feel pride knowing others hear them, too. A good sustainability report will probably contain these stories and provides a great central resource, but has a limited – if important – audience. To engage employees in your sustainability efforts, adapt the content from your report: in articles, case studies, videos and on social media.

Make sure the stories you tell are about real people: the customers, suppliers and communities who are better off thanks to your products, services or community involvement, and the employees who made it all happen. Attract prospective employees by promoting these stories on your recruitment website, and reinforce the message by including related sessions in your induction programme. Ask new and long-standing employees which stories make them feel proud to work for the company, and react accordingly – retaining talent is just as important as attracting it in the first place.

Businesses have never been under greater scrutiny. They are expected to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and lead the fight against climate change, even – in fact especially – when political leaders will not. They are expected to look beyond quarterly returns and create long-term value for society so that nine billion people can thrive in the future. This is not easy, and only progressive companies that show they are up to the task will appeal to the talented people who can make it happen.

A study by Cone Communications revealed that 93% of employees surveyed want to work for a company that cares about them as an individual; 51% will not work for a company that does not have strong social and environmental commitments; and 74% say their job is more fulfilling when they are given opportunities to make a positive impact at work. In short, we recognise the compelling business case for sustainability, not only in improving corporate culture and increasing employee wellbeing, but also in creating better products and enhancing reputation. 

We have been working with UK-listed companies on their corporate and sustainability reporting for over 15 years and have learned that shareholders find good quality sustainability information incredibly beneficial. They base investment decisions on it, and other stakeholders, such as customers, employees, suppliers and governments, find that it engenders trust.