Cracking the Code on Engaging Employees in Sustainability

When it comes to seeking understanding about developing effective employee engagement strategies and programs, the average online search produces a plethora of tips, ideas, research, opinions, and sometimes even conflicting information. What does seem clear is that one of the most critical elements of successful engagement is enabling employees to make progress in meaningful work. But what does that mean, how does a workplace go about it, and… then what? There are workplaces that have managed to ‘crack the code,’ meaning, they have built and have ownership over a process that successfully moves their employees through an ongoing and dynamic cycle that has at its core: strategy and goals alignment; stakeholder input; the establishment of mutual purpose that can be connected to desired impact; and, of course, measurement and assessment and adjustment. Called the Engagement Continuum, this concept certainly isn’t new. But its applications are changing the way employers are approaching how they inspire the critical ingredients of employee motivation and action. The engagement continuum defines a path that’s meant to be walked side-by-side by leadership and the workforce; it is a journey, an exploration, and a living, interactive process where everyone plays a role. It’s about identifying the intersection where corporate goals meet with employee purpose in a way that also addresses the issues impacting society and our future. Building a flexible, adaptable roadmap that allows for employee input and ideas. At The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), they’re building engagement around sustainability with the perspective that acting in a sustainable way is not only good for the planet, but is also beneficial to their business and the communities where their people live and work. To-date Guardian’s accomplishments include reducing the company’s energy consumption by 25% in its IT areas, resulting in both lower costs and less environmental impact; the opening of a new LEED certified building on their Bethlehem campus that will support a 30-40% savings in water usage and investment in 100% renewable energy; and establishing a Sustainability Council whose job it is to identify initiatives and inform employees around the company’s sustainability process. In 2016, the company is seeking to launch regional employee Green Teams and establish a new printer fleet that will reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 84% and paper consumption by 10%, for a projected savings of more than $25,000. Guardian is just getting started, and they turned to EarthShare as their partner for support on the path to deepening their employees’ investment in these shared goals. “We chose to partner with EarthShare because of their strong ability to deliver meaningful information and best practices coupled with thoughtful advising on environmental practices,” says Michael Carren, Guardian’s Head of Strategic Philanthropy. “It’s important to Guardian that we not only educate and engage our employees in our support for sustainability, which EarthShare has a rich history of doing, but also that we learn from the best practices of others, engage in dialogue across sectors, and build our strategy in a...