July 22, 2024 Katie Crook
Can the right business values attract and retain new talent?
A business’s green credentials are often seen as a unique selling point and a way to attract ethical customers. There is another often-overlooked benefit, attracting new skilled and talented workers.
In this blog, we cover what green credentials are and explore the role they play in attracting and retaining valuable talent.
What are green credentials?
The phrase ‘green’ is often used when describing the sustainable development strategy and actions by businesses, either voluntarily or through necessary compliance. The B Corp certification is a great example of a voluntary green credential that can benefit a company.
Green credentials will vary between each working environment and the activities within them. For example, for an office environment, this could be recycling waste or encouraging employees to walk or take public transport to get to work. It could work on a larger scale such as ensuring the use of renewable energy to power your office building.
By attaining green credentials, such as a B Corp certificate, can promote a new culture within a company based on green values. A green culture is one that fosters social and environmental sustainability and ensures that the business understands the importance of protecting the environment.
Why do positive company values attract the right people?
Company values are brought to life in everything we do. Any initiative, decision or goal should all relate back to company values. When you look for a new role, the likelihood is that you’ll visit the company’s website to find out more about them. If you can resonate with the company values, you are more likely to not only apply but invest your time in the recruitment process and feel motivated to want to work there.
At Amber, we often recruit for several diverse roles, from energy consultants to engineers and customer service advisors. During the onboarding process, there is always a lot to learn from essential training about the energy market to new systems. But one thing we love from the get-go is when people are invested and interest in what we do.
We want people to join Amber who are passionate about making a difference and, although it might sound cliché, saving the planet. After all, we are making a difference every day and you can be a part of that too.
Can company values improve employee retention?
The answer is yes, absolutely. A recent IBM survey reported that 71% of employees believe environmentally sustainable companies are more attractive employers, and there is recognisable job satisfaction when working for a business that cares about the planet.
Gen Z are particularly invested in the green status of employers, and as this generation continues to join the workforce, the green status of employers will become even more essential. A survey from Deloitte shows that 28% of this generation would put climate change and safeguarding the environment as their top concern.
Gen Zers who feel their employers are trying in this space are more inclined to stay with that employer for at least five years. It’s clear that it’s not just about attracting customers anymore, but also actively attracting the right workforce to your company.
Our company values aren’t just all about the planet but include our commitment to our employees and their overall well-being. Considering sustainable working practices such as flexible working, health and wellbeing initiatives, volunteering days and a diverse benefits package, are the best combination for retaining our employees.
How we align our values at Amber
Our values are at the heart of Amber’s culture. Our values are trusted, innovative and customer-centred. These are not only brought to life in the services we provide but also in how we support our employees and our commitments to both people and the planet.
As part of our newly rolled out interview competency framework, we ensured that we had consistency with assessing against our core values. This means that our interviews will allow us to select candidates that not only demonstrate our values but also believe in them.