Green is good for the planet, for your people and for your prospective hires

Many of today’s best job candidates—especially the younger ones—are likely to take a hard look at an organization’s environmental track record. This article explores why it’s important to establish a good green reputation and outlines some initiatives that can help your company make a difference without breaking the bank.

By Anne Stuart

If you’re even remotely involved with HR, you already know that serious job candidates ultimately want you to “show them the green” --- that is, make a lucrative salary offer.

But these days, job-seekers and employees are increasingly interested in another green factor: your company’s environmental track record both in-house and beyond its walls.

Research indicates that green-business initiatives and benefits (or lack thereof) can significantly influence your company’s reputation---which, in turn, can influence candidates’ opinions about whether they want to work for you.

BY THE NUMBERS
In 2008, Hill & Knowlton Inc., the global communications consultancy, surveyed 527 MBA students at leading business schools worldwide about the importance of corporate reputation. The findings: About three-quarters of those surveyed said that corporate reputations would play “an extremely important” or “very important” role in their job searches. Another 20 percent identified a company’s reputation as a “fairly important” consideration. Only 4 percent said reputation wasn’t an important factor. (For a link to a free copy of the report, “Reputation and the War for Talent,” see “Resources,” below.)

In other words: “Money is not, in itself, enough,” Hill & Knowlton CEO/Chairman Paul Taaffe wrote in the report’s introduction. “Reputation matters, and the reputation of the company is based on far more than just its financial performance and the quality of its products and services.” And among the factors that researchers said can significantly influence a company’s reputation: environmental policy.

A green work environment is especially important to younger job candidates, according to research by MonsterTRAK, part of the Monster Worldwide online job-search service. In a 2007 MonsterTRAK survey of nearly 4,500 college students and recent grads, a whopping 92 percent said they would prefer to work for environmentally friendly companies.

Other research indicates that HR professionals increasingly view green initiatives as valuable tools for their activities. In a late 2006 Conference Board survey of 198 executives from global companies, 78 percent described corporate-citizenship efforts—including environmental programs—as “extremely important” or “very important” to recruiting and retention. Last year, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) asked 368 HR managers to quantify the results of their companies’ environmental efforts. Twelve percent linked green initiatives to higher employee productivity, up from 6 percent in 2008. And 7 percent felt that being environmentally responsible increased their recruiting power—up from 3 percent a year earlier.

GREEN WORKPLACES
SHRM’s survey defines a green workplace as one that is “environmentally sensitive, resource-efficient and socially responsible.” Sounds good, but how does that translate to specific initiatives that help the planet, cut costs and make a strong impression on potential hires?

SHRM’s study recommended 10 environmentally responsible practices:

1. Offer a recycling program for paper, plastic, glass and cans.
2. Encourage employees to make small but important behavior changes, such as making double-sided copies to save paper and pulling down blinds in hot weather to conserve energy.
3. Use energy-efficient lighting and equipment.
4. Set up a re-use area for old office furniture and unneeded supplies rather than sending them to landfills; encourage employees to “shop” there. Or donate the items to charities.
5. Install automatic-shutoff features on computers and other equipment.
6. Reduce water consumption with conservation measures such as faucet aerators and low-flow toilets.
7. Buy or lease refurbished equipment and supplies (for instance, toner cartridges)
8. Encourage employees to walk or bike to work. Consider offering incentives for those who commute by public transit rather than by car.
9. Work with environmentally responsible suppliers and business partners.
10. Promote or provide carpooling for employees.

Two other options: Allow employees to work from home, and use web-conferencing or videoconferencing rather than having employees travel between locations for face-to-face meetings.

Whichever approaches you choose, be sure to engage current employees in your efforts—making a major difference requires having major buy-in. And promote your efforts to the outside world, including in your job postings. For instance, in the ad section describing your company’s accomplishments, you might indicate that your company’s recycling program kept X tons of trash out of landfills last year. Or in the list of employee benefits, you could note that you offer a $X-per-year bonus to employees who take public transportation—or free high-quality walking shoes to those who commute on foot.

GREEN PIONEERS
Of course, companies don’t become environmental leaders overnight. Especially in tough economic times, many must go green gradually, perhaps tackling a few key areas first while leaving others for later. Put another way: Your green campaign will probably always be a work in progress.

But one good way to focus your efforts is to follow the lead of organizations that have already gotten greener—especially those that have found low-cost ways to make a difference. One excellent example: The National Geographic Society.

The venerable organization has, of course, been a champion of conservation since its founding during the Victorian era. But in recent years, it’s ramped up efforts to make operations at its own Washington, D.C., headquarters and other locations as green as possible. Some efforts have involved major investments—for instance, retrofitting buildings to make them as energy-efficient as possible. But smaller-scale initiatives led by an all-volunteer employee committee have also reaped large benefits. Among other changes, NGS now:

• Provides workers with reusable mugs, water bottles and ceramic dishes to cut back on the use of disposable paper and plastic items.
• Recycles everything from bottles and cans to batteries and computers, from carpeting and furniture to ceiling tiles and landscape waste.
• Provides discounted parking for hybrid vehicles and carpoolers and pre-tax incentives for employees who commute via public transit or van pools.
• Uses lights that shut themselves off when nobody’s in the room.
• Choose suppliers who can provide documentation of their own environmental-protection efforts.

NGS reports on its efforts both internally, on its “GoGreen” intranet for staff, and on its external Web site, where visitors can read “Greener Every Day,” an ongoing list of the Society’s efforts to reduce its own carbon footprint.

The lesson: Any effort, however small, can make a difference inside your company and beyond—and it can go a long way toward convincing the best job candidates that your company cares about people and the planet as well as its profits.

About Our Expert
Anne Stuart is a Boston-based freelance journalist who specializes in writing about business, career and workplace issues. She is a former staff editor or writer for Inc., CIO and Harvard magazines, The Associated Press and several daily newspapers. Her work has also appeared in CFO, Corporate Counsel, Deliver and many other magazines, newspapers, newsletters and Web site.

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