Want to recruit better employees? Green is the new black.

We’re all familiar with the phrase “You can never be too rich or too thin.”  Well, these days a new attitude has become much more fashionable. Beyond basic black, it’s the sentiment that “You can never be too green.” At least if you’re a company.

More likely to buy green

Companies today benefit from being green in a number of ways. For one thing, customers are more likely to buy your products or services.  

A recent study by Edelman Public Relations found that 39% of the respondents said they were more likely to purchase the product of a company they perceive to be socially and environmentally responsible, and 80% said they would boycott a company they perceived as being irresponsible in that regard.

Clearly being green helps boost your bottom line. But beyond that, the commitment to green is proving to be a powerful tool for recruiting and retaining employees. It’s increasingly evident that people prefer to work for an environmentally responsible company.

Prefer to work green

According to an Ipsos Mori survey¹, 80% of respondents across 15 developed nations would prefer working for a company that “has a good reputation for environmental responsibility” – the figure was 81% in the U.S. 

The good news is that employers are taking notice. More and more companies are greening their operations and encouraging more eco-friendly behavior at the office.

In fact, an interesting side note shows that across all the countries surveyed, more respondents were more concerned about working for an environmentally responsible Going Green company than purchasing from one. One potential reason: “employees feel a significant sense of responsibility and association with their employer’s actions concerning the environment.”

So being environmentally friendly not only can boost your sales, but it can go a long way toward boosting your employee engagement and motivation as well. Now that’s really the power of green at work.

Written by Leslee Vivian

Leslee Vivian is a professional writer and blogger who helps companies motivate, reward and train their employees. If you know her, you know she’s motivated to be a better golfer.

¹ Data from “Corporate Environmental Behavior and the Impact on Brands" Tangberg and Ipsos MORI survey, October 2007; n = 16,823.

We're mad as hell, and not going to take this anymore!

60% of workers plan to say "take this job and shove it" as soon as the economy picks up.

According to a recently released White Paper by the Recognition Council, a recent U.S. Manpower study showed that 60% of workers plan to look for new jobs as soon as the economy picks up.¹

http://www.recognitioncouncil.org/

As Newsweek's Jeffrey Pfeffer points out in a recent article about corporate downsizing, "When the current recession ends, the first thing lots of employees are going to do is look for another job." (Lay Off the Layoffs, Jeffrey Pfeffer, Newsweek, Feb. 5, 2010, downloaded Feb. 17, 2010.)

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-218456702.html

Feeling lucky that you have a job is no longer enough for many employees. Overworked and under-rewarded for a few years now, they're fed up and are looking for more stability, opportunity and appreciation.

As an employer, how do you prevent your best people from packing up as the economy picks up?

Proving to them that they're individually appreciated may be the only way to engage them and keep them from heading for the exits.

1. Forget one-size-fits-all recognition programs.

Not everyone responds the same way to incentives, especially with today's multigenerational workforce that includes Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y (Millennial Generation). More than ever, creating recognition and reward programs that address the diversity of generational needs is essential.

2. To know them is to motivate them.

There's only one way to determine how best to motivate individuals. You have to get to know them. Managers should spend time on a regular basis with each employee to determine what type of recognition would be the most effective.

3. Recognize what everyone brings to the team.

Studies prove employees need to feel valued and know that the work they do on a daily basis matters. In fact, 67% say the most important employer attribute is "recognizes the value I bring to the organization." (Length-of-Service Awards Becoming More Personal, Rebecca Hastings, SPHR, 2009 HR Trendbook, p. 46.) www.recognitioncouncil.org/photos/custom/FuelingRecovery__final_2.pdf

Employees who feel valued are more likely to return the favor by paying attention to the company's bottom line, treating customers better, and supporting the overall work community.

4. Put their best interests before yours.

Let's face it, we prefer to do things that are in our own best interest. The trick for employers is to find ways to connect what employees want with what benefits the company and reward that behaviour in a way that is meaningful to the employee. If it works for them, they'll work harder to help achieve your company's business goals. (Influencing and Reinforcing the Behavior You Want in Employees and Customers, Dittman Incentive Marketing, downloaded Feb. 11, 2010.)http://www.buzzle.com/articles/influencing-and-reinforcing-the-behavior-you-want-in-employees-and-customers.html

5. Explore new technology to motivate today's changing workforce.

Exciting new alternatives for employee engagement are now available in the market. On-Demand solutions that use a "Software as a Service" (SaaS) design, such as Power2Motivate® (P2M®), are reshaping employee recognition and performance programs.

P2M® offers incredible flexibility to tailor programs to the way you want to meet individual needs, unsurpassed reward selection with immediate access to millions of rewards, and a simple pricing model that can save your company up to 20% off your total program cost. >>Find out more about Power2Motivate®.

The recession has been a grueling and challenging time for so many, to say the least. As the economy improves and new opportunities present themselves to workers, employers need to ensure their good employees are engaged and willing to put in the effort to help the business recover. By successfully tapping into the right employee motivators, companies have a real chance of achieving success.

¹  "Pump Up Employee Engagement: Fuel Prosperity with Strategic Recognition".

This white paper was produced by the Recognition Council, a strategic industry group within the Incentive Marketing Association (http://www.incentivemarketing.org). More information about the Recognition Council is available at http://www.recognitioncouncil.org/. http://www.recognitioncouncil.org/

New Power2Motivate Web Site!

 

New Power2Motivate Web Site Offers Tools, Information

to Help Companies Build Employee Engagement

 

Carlton Group, Ltd. has re-launched its Power2Motivate Web site at http://www.power2motivate.com, allowing users to easily launch their employee incentive and recognition programs in just minutes. And to help companies measure and understand their employee satisfaction, the new site offers a free employee engagement survey. 

“The demands of this economy require high levels of employee engagement to drive bottom line results,” says Carlton CEO Rob Purdy. “With the free workforce engagement survey, companies receive a clear snapshot about participation levels, employees’ satisfaction with their job and manager, and how the company’s engagement level compares to the national level. Our experts work with the data to help companies develop an overall employee engagement strategy.”

The Web site also offers free tools, resources to stay on top of trends, and information to help managers create effective employee recognition strategies.

“The P2M blog will be regularly updated by guest experts who will share valuable information about recognition and incentive strategies that really work,” says Purdy, adding that visitors to the site may sign up for a free digital subscription to Return on Performance magazine, a business publication that provides executives with information about employee engagement and performance.

Also available is a free 7-day trial of Carlton’s innovative Power2Motivate, a leading “On-demand” recognition, incentive and training solution available in over 50 countries. To learn more, visit http://www.power2motivate.comor call 905-477-3971.

A robust social media strategy also accompanies the Power2Motivate’s launch, allowing Carlton to continue to reach out virtually to companies with free white papers, and other tools available from the robust and easy-to-use, web-based P2M application.

 

About Carlton Group, Ltd.

Our mission is to deliver the world's best on-demand employee recognition, incentive and training solutions.

Carlton Group is a full service performance improvement company specializing in the automation of recognition, incentive and training programs. It is Carlton's goal to bring our clients leading edge solutions that help to improve employee performance, inspire loyalty with employees, customers and channel partners, as well as assist in building their brand and driving profit. To learn more, visit http://www.power2motivate.com or call1-866-451-2225 x 227.

 

Rob Purdy
CEO - Power2Motivate