Employees Focus on Sustainability

A new report on the future of Sustainable Businesses launched today claims that companies which focus on sustainability will find increasing favour with prospective employees in a knowledge based economy.

Knowledge workers, who account for about 42 per cent of all employment in the UK and growing, are more than ever motivated by alignment of the organisation’s values with their own, values which are increasingly sustainability focused. This is one of the findings of Sustainable Futures, a new report from global flooring company InterfaceFLOR, with contribution from The Work Foundation.

Nick Isles, Director of Advocacy At the Work Foundation, who wrote the report’s chapter on the Future of Employee Engagement, warns that companies need to pay attention to how their organisational and brand values align with employees own values in the new knowledge economy: “Critically this alignment will become a source of employee engagement and comparative advantage. However the key must be to embed these values in organisational strategy.

Isles continues: “Tomorrow’s employers need to pay attention to these types of ideas and actions. They need to understand their employees better, devise mechanisms with those employees that help motivate and engage and measure the effectiveness of those measures on a continuous basis

However, Lindsey Parnell, President and CEO of the European division of InterfaceFLOR argues in the preface to the report that companies who rush to make sustainable claims which they cannot substantiate and will not stand the scrutiny of third party audit will damage their businesses and fail to achieve the business growth of proper sustainable investment. “In the wake of the Stern Report, businesses have two choices: be driven by legislation, or make positive changes to their business to foster growth. Businesses who decide on the latter course have to invest in making it happen but it has taken Interface 12 years to get to a point where we can see the benefit of sustainable investment in business growth and employee fulfilment. We want all businesses – and that includes our competitors – to succeed in their quest for sustainability, but greenwash won’t wash.” Interface, which has recently been named number one in GlobeScan’s independent review of the leading companies fulfilling their responsibilities to society worldwide*, has through its mission zero promise over the past 12 years, committed to reduce its environmental footprint, and is aiming for zero environmental impact by 2020. The company’s cost savings and marketing activities brought about by sustainable initiatives total $300 million of costs avoided since 1996.

InterfaceFLOR has engaged its workforce in its Mission Zero with a Learning Programme - Fastforward to 2020 – together with social innovation and employee development projects which ensures that all staff feel a sense of ownership in working achieving toward the company goal – including being bonused on their contribution to waste reduction. Underpinning the success of this training is a sustainability ambassador programme which enables volunteers from within the organisation time and opportunity to develop ideas and initiatives together, and assist in sustainability training delivery and awareness campaigns within their own departments and functions.

Lindsey Parnell continues: “For any organisation attempting to become more sustainable there is a fundamental need to ensure the people within that organisation understand both the issues and the need for action. All employees should be provided the opportunity and the support to make changes within their immediate operational area. The big projects and large scale initiatives are obviously important in themselves. Equally important is facilitating the development of all staff to review their own understanding of what sustainability means and their own perspective on what needs to be done and what part they can play.

InterfaceFLOR’s report, Sustainable Futures, includes contributions from the UK’s top thought leaders on trends across six key areas of business: Leadership (Forum for the Future); Marketing (University of Strathclyde Business School); Communications (Futerra); Business Environment (The Climate Group); Employee Engagement (The Work Foundation) and Design and Innovation (The Design Council). All contributions clearly demonstrate a correlation between investment in sustainable business practices and successful businesses.

InterfaceFLOR also lists 36 actions businesses can take now to reduce their environmental footprint. However, Parnell warns that many of these will require investment in time and money to deliver. These include initiatives to win the hearts and minds of customers, revolutionise manufacturing processes, design and innovation, supplier relationships, recruitment and retention, and total business vision.

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Date issued: 23 Jan 2007

Note to Editors

A copy of Sustainable Futures, including the full list of 36 actions businesses can take and InterfaceFLOR case studies, is available on request.

Interface’s energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes have resulted in a 56% reduction in CO2 emissions since 1996. It has also made improvements to the production processes allowing an 81% reduction in water intake per m2 of production facilities, petroleum based materials have been reduced by 29% and all the European factories work on 100% renewable electricity. However, although the company has made great progress to date it recognises that it still have a considerable way to go on the journey to becoming a completely sustainable business.

*A copy of GlobeScan’s Report is available from www.globescan.com

Interface Carpet /Interface Inc.

Interface is a recognized leader in the commercial interiors market, offering floor coverings and fabrics. The company is committed to the goal of sustainability and doing business in ways that minimize the impact on the environment while enhancing shareholder value.

Interface was founded in 1973 by Chairman, Ray Anderson, considered to be a pioneer from the start - a trailblazer of the modular carpet industry in the United States. The company promotes sustainable business practices - within its global community and in the products it makes. For Interface, sustainability is a belief that is built into the business model, an underlying corporate value, ensuring that business decisions are weighed against their potential impact on economic, natural and social systems. It's a means for associates to deliver superior value to customers and shareholders.