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

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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.