Companies Dig Green Savvy Employees
A little environmental knowledge may give a prospective employee the winning edge, according to a recent report released on March 18 by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF).
The report finds that 65 percent of the companies surveyed value environmental and sustainability knowledge in their employees. More than three out of four surveyed said green knowledge will increase in importance as a hiring factor within five years.
Both the environment and the employer win when workers go green. Employees committed to saving energy can save money for the company, a great benefit during tough economic times.
“Even in a down economy, environmental education is a growth industry,” says NEEF President Diane Wood. “The survey findings and case studies demonstrate that environmental education has evolved from green practices to lessen their impact on the earth – they do it to improve their bottom line and streamline their operations.”
According to NEEF, employers regard knowledge of the environment as a valuable asset when hiring. Photo: Metaessentials.com
The report also includes case studies of eight companies of various size:
- Cisco Systems, Inc.
- Clean Clothes, Inc.
- Hewlett-Packard Company
- Interface, Inc.
- Johnson & Johnson, Inc.
- Stonyfield, Inc.
- The Accessory Corporation, Inc.,
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
The case studies show there are a vast number of approaches to sustainability. At Wal-Mart, more than half a million employees have pledged to take action at both work and at home. One employee’s suggestion to turn off lights in vending machines after hours has saved the company $1 million a year.
Stonyfield implemented a bonus plan as motivation for employees to cut energy use. With employee-led conservation, the company reduced its energy use per ton of product by 22 percent and employees received a bonus.
More companies are expressing interest in creating programs such as these to promote sustainability. More than half the companies surveyed that did not have a green program believe their companies will begin educating employees within two years. The future is looking bright and green.
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Jennifer Berry
posted on March 24th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I think the most exciting part about studies like these is that these companies represent a broad spectrum of interests in our economy. As we move forward towards more sustainable practices across businesses, they are setting the precedent that being involved in the green sphere is a highly regarded quality in a potential employee.