A landmark survey published by ex-Unilever CEO Paul Polman provides more evidence that we are entering an era where employers must prove to staff that they care about big environmental issues.
Following on from recent research which found that nearly a third of people consider sustainability commitments when looking for a job, the former Unilever chief’s Net Positive Employee Barometer report adds further evidence that employees care more deeply about having a positive impact than many employers realise.
The survey of 4,000 workers in the UK and US found that most people want to work for companies that have a positive impact on the world, with around half saying they would consider resigning if their employer’s values fail to align with their own.
‘Strikingly high numbers say they will walk’
Paul Polman, now a prominent climate campaigner, explained: “We are living through an unprecedented moment in human history; a time of ‘perma-crisis’, where pandemics, war, global warming, economic turmoil and social division are, in varying degrees, threatening our stability and future. Younger employees especially fear for the world they will inherit.
“It should not come as such a surprise that many want to give their time and talents to companies who are striving to be part of the solution. Or that, when their companies let them down, strikingly high numbers say they will walk.”
‘Net positive’ companies
“The risks to C-Suites who ignore this should be obvious: if you continue to fall out of step with the expectations and needs of current and future employees, your company will become less attractive, less productive and, ultimately, less successful,” Polman continued.
“On the flip side, companies which step up can unlock motivation, innovation and loyalty. And they can accelerate their efforts to build a more sustainable, more responsible and more profitable business. What we call a ‘net positive’ company, which thrives and delivers long-term value by giving more than it takes.”
The Net Positive Employee Barometer identifies three key ways companies can embody this ‘net positive’ approach to business:
1. Show greater ambition
Almost two thirds (63 per cent) of UK employees want their company to take a stronger stance on the environment. Conventional corporate social responsibility (CSR) is no longer seen as enough; employees want to see ambitious commitments rather than ones that are easy to deliver. This means partnering with peers and others to drive change at a wider level.
2. Improve communications
Two thirds (67 per cent) of UK workers want their employer to be better at communicating actions on big environmental and societal issues. This means more openness from business leaders and ‘meaningful, two-way dialogue’ to give employees confidence that their company is taking the actions it should.
3. Empower employees to help
More than half (53 per cent) of UK employees want to have a greater role in helping their employer to change for the better, rising to 64 per cent for Millennials and Gen Z.
“Employees want to be part of the mission to improve their company’s impact on the wider world,” Polman concluded. “Their offer of collaboration is a tremendous opportunity for the CEOs ready who are ready to act. Trust me, if someone is ready to quit their job because of their values and because they believe business can profit while serving people and planet, that’s someone you probably don’t want to lose.”
