Nine of out 10 (88%) UK workers care about working for an organisation with a purpose beyond making money.
However, only 30 percent believe their employer puts people or the planet above profit.
This is according to the Healthy People, Healthy Planet report by youdo, which also found that workers are keen to take an active role in driving wellbeing and environmental initiatives, by contributing new ideas (50%), voting on courses of action (37%) and running initiatives (30%).
Also, 70 percent of UK workers say job satisfaction would improve if they knew their company cared about its societal impact, with 63 percent of UK workers saying job satisfaction is influenced by their company’s impact on the environment.
Purpose-led initiatives
The research shows a strong appetite from UK workers to get involved in purpose-led initiatives, but organisations need to shape these to make them relevant and engaging:
- 84 percent of workers want to be involved in wellbeing and environmental initiatives
- But only 18 percent of workers say current company initiatives are relevant to their personal interests
- Workers are keen to take an active role in driving schemes, by contributing new ideas (50%), voting on courses of action (37%) and running initiatives (30%)
Commenting on the research findings, George Chaytor-Norris, co-founder and CEO of youdo, comments, “The last 18 months has reinforced the importance of mental and physical wellbeing, at a time when we are also becoming much more conscious of our environmental impact. With the need to retain talent at an all-time high, the youdo research shows how important it’s become for organisations to strengthen human and environmental connection to drive job satisfaction and employee engagement.”
“As employees question the type of organisation they want to work for, there’s a clear appetite to be part of a purpose-driven organisation that puts people and the planet first. By working together, the C-suite, HR and ESG departments can empower employees to connect with each other and shape the future of the organisation, and that will be incredibly powerful in creating a happier and healthier planet,” adds Chaytor-Norris.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.