Sustainability is more than a buzzword; it has to do with ensuring continuous success now and into the future. Sustainability defined is an organization that balances economic growth with environmental protection and social responsibility to meet current company needs without compromising the ability of future generations. This includes focusing on eco-friendly and ethical practices, resource efficiency and waste reduction. Integrating sustainable practices into core activities is vital for any business to thrive long-term.
According to the 2023 Learning Benchmarking Survey by the Brandon Hall Group, 80% of companies report that their learning and development (L&D) teams are aligned with business needs and training. This is great, however, sustaining a business is more than declaring it as a part of the mission statement. Sustainable business practices should permeate at every level of the organization. To integrate sustainability goals with business growth, developing a greener workforce through L&D is crucial.
Evaluating Business Sustainability
The triple bottom line.
Sustainability is not a fleeting initiative but an ongoing approach that demands continuous investment of interest, time and resources. Many businesses adopt the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework to assess their sustainability efforts. This approach evaluates an organization’s commitment through key areas such as environmental impact, social responsibility, and governance (ESG) practices.
TBL can inspire businesses to evaluate contributions to society as a determinant to business success, rather than solely meeting monetary goals and objectives. Green skills aren’t usually required of staff, but to align your company’s sustainability practices with business needs, they will need relevant knowledge and skills. This is where L&D plays a crucial role.
Extended producer responsibility.
The extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a framework that holds businesses accountable for the complete lifecycle of a product from inception to disposal. This policy encourages businesses to craft sustainable products, conserve the environment by reducing waste, and actively participate in recycling programs. Once the green workforce is in action, it becomes easy to implement green practices at each operational level and attain sustainability.
L&D’s Role in Business Sustainability
L&D professionals are a crucial component in leading organizational success, because they ensure employees have the knowledge and skills to contribute toward business strategy and sustainability.
How can we build a greener workforce with L&D?
- Training: This includes learning content on energy efficiency, waste reduction, mindful resource consumption and ethical business practices to help employees participate in meeting sustainability goals.
- Determine learning goals: Pre training, establish what metrics and/or key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success.
- Leverage technology: adopting online learning tools, like eLearning, video and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) to share immense knowledge.
- Measure sustainable efforts: using TBL to track performance is essential to evaluate the fruits of L&D initiatives.
- Practice what you preach: Implementing sustainable practices should begin with the top hierarchy, and the effect should trickle down to lower staff.
- Celebrate sustainability wins: Maintaining a greener workforce is a continuous grind. Once the process is initiated, efforts are ongoing. Therefore, it is very important to keep the rhythm of learning, celebrating wins and intermittently rewarding.
- Mitigate carbon footprint: This involves implementing various practices to enhance sustainability. In addition to reducing waste, using a carbon footprint calculator to track and manage emissions is a well-established and effective method.
Building a greener workforce is a collective effort. When ensuring better sustainability practices, L&D professionals should know their employees’ and organizations’ interest level. This can provide insight on how to approach the training.
Individuals can fall under one of these four buckets:
- High interest-Low Engagement (Environmental stewards)Despite having enough knowledge, the group displays very little engagement. They actively advocate sustainability but practically have minimum input. Companies can engage such individuals for mentorship by giving them a charge. Even if eco stewards are available for a shorter time, their presence for a brief time can be impactful.
- High interest-High Engagement (Planet Protectors)Such individuals have both high interest and high engagement but are uncertain how to pursue them. They need direction. For such individuals, companies should design a specific curriculum encompassing targeted steps and informational resources that can guide them comprehensively in building a greener workforce with L&D.
- Low Interest- Low Engagement (Indifferent Participants) Such individuals approach sustainability with a “Go with the flow” attitude and have no personal opinion. If the sustainability approach is knitted into the fabric of the organization, they will follow just to abide by the company’s policy. Indifferent participants are not motivated. To motivate these individuals, start by introducing easy and practical ways for them to adopt sustainable practices. Additionally, involve them in awareness sessions highlighting the benefits of sustainability for themselves and the company.
- Low Interest-High Engagement (Skeptical Team Members) Such individuals are challenging as they do not prioritize sustainability. Even the slightest change towards a greener workforce bothers them. Dealing with such people is technical; for this matter, L&D teams should unveil the fundamental concerns and address them directly. Countering arguments is not a solution at all. A better approach is to integrate personal and organizational growth with sustainability fundamentals.
Wrapping Up
Building a greener workforce is a collective effort. By incorporating sustainability in every aspect of L&D, companies can be more confident that their workforce can handle existing and upcoming challenges. Adopting a structured approach, deploying modern technology and attending regular training sessions are the fundamental steps in establishing a greener workforce that can serve both the business and the planet.
