As younger generations hit the workforce, more and more young people are looking toward company culture and values as deciding factors in their job search. One key factor? A company’s sustainability, both financial and environmental.
83 percent of millennials are more loyal to a company if it helps them contribute to social and environmental issues. This shows that leaders should engage their employees through green team-building exercises. By doing so, companies will instill a sense of pride and encourage participation at a variety of levels. In fact, 88 percent say their job is more fulfilling when provided social and environmental impact opportunities.
Because this group of people will soon make up nearly 50 percent of the workforce, companies need to adopt green initiatives and values that appeal to this lucrative group of workers. In addition to purchasing recycling bins, here are a few ways companies can adopt green initiatives that help build team camaraderie.
Have open forums—then implement the suggestions
Before even beginning on this initiative, it’s important that a company reaches out to its employees to find what causes matter the most to them. Not only will this encourage participation and buy-in, but it will also help your leaders make faster changes without the fear of negative feedback. This forum can include a survey, a company-wide meeting, or open forums during lunch break.
Contests
People are motivated by prizes—that’s nothing new. But to help foster teamwork and green initiatives, eco-friendly contests are an easy and excellent option. These contests can include who utilizes the office recycling bin most, awarding floors if they use reusable cutlery all month and cycling contests.
Volunteer outings
Another great way to encourage teamwork is to sponsor company-wide volunteer outings. Many companies are now giving employees a set number of hours or days per year that they can then use toward volunteering. By giving your employees a sponsored event, like a park clean up, they will not only be more inclined to attend, they will be working alongside employees they might not otherwise have met. Bonus points if there’s free food.
Company-sponsored lunch and learns
Bringing in guest speakers is also a great way to encourage participation and education. These lunches and learns can be centered around best practices, common problems, how to best utilize recycle bins, and tips and tricks for office-place green initiatives.
Start a green-team team
Many companies are also instituting specific teams dedicated to promoting green initiatives. By combining a group of people with like-minded goals, a company can show that it supports employee feedback and proposals. These people will be leaders among their peers and should work directly with management or facilities personnel to find ways to make smart, impactful changes that do not disrupt the workplace.
Design a coffee mug—then give it away
Everyone loves coffee. In fact, your company probably goes through a lot of it—and disposable cups—each year. Leaders can implement a coffee mug design contests, where employees are encouraged to design a branded coffee mug and then others vote on which they like best. The winning design should be created and handed out to each employee to encourage reusable drinking and company pride.
There are hundreds of other ideas for companies looking to make eco-friendly changes in the workplace. Whatever you decide, make sure it encourages participation and teamwork.
For more solutions, visit Waste Wise Products.
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