According to a new study by the CSA Institute for LinkedIn and ADEME, 78% of employees would choose to join a company committed to the ecological transition if they were offered the same job.
- The environment is the second main concern of employees, and even the first for young employees aged under 35
- 88% of employees believe that the ecological transition is an important issue in their company, and 36% think it is a priority
- 71% say they are taking personal action to promote the ecological transition within their company
- 68% of employees want to be trained in the challenges of the ecological transition in their company
- 42% of employees would like, in the long term, to change jobs or retrain for jobs that are more environmentally friendly
LinkedIn and ADEME are today presenting a new study carried out with the CSA Institute to assess how employees view the ecological transition within their company or organisation in France. The study reveals that employees are concerned about environmental issues and believe that the ecological transition is now an important or even a priority concern for companies, a significant proportion of which have introduced concrete measures to help the environment. It also shows that employees are in the front line when it comes to promoting and improving the ecological transition within their company, although they still tend to restrict the scope of possible actions to ‘eco-actions’.
The environment is a key concern for employees.
The study reveals that, as is the case for the national population as a whole, health and the environment are the main areas of concern (36% and 30% of total responses respectively). Given the current health situation, health comes out on top quite logically, and the environment is a cause of greater concern to younger people (the number one concern for the under-35s).
To respond to this growing environmental concern, the State is strongly expected to play a role: 34% of employees consider that the State has the greatest role to play in the ecological transition, followed by citizens (26%) and businesses (18%). Researchers and scientists (6%), NGOs (3%) and the media (3%) come bottom of the list.
For a large majority of employees, the ecological transition is now an important or even priority issue in French companies.
For 91% of employees, the ecological transition is an important issue in French companies in general, and 43% consider it a priority. Employees are only slightly less enthusiastic when it comes to their own organisation, with 88% believing it to be an important concern. What’s more, almost 1 employee in 2 mentions actions in favour of the ecological transition that have been carried out or are planned in their company, particularly with regard to more energy-efficient workspaces and working methods (49%), improvements in production methods (48%), incentives to use more ecological modes of transport (42%) or awareness-raising or training initiatives aimed at employees to encourage good practice (42%).
Although employees are in the front line in driving forward the ecological transition in their company, this is still often limited to « eco-actions ».
A large majority of employees (71%) say that they are personally taking action to promote the ecological transition within their company, and 58% say that many employees are doing so. What’s more, 54% of employees say they have the opportunity to put forward their own ideas for advancing the ecological transition within their company. While everyday « eco-actions » are well and truly integrated by the employees who apply them – many of them systematically switch off their workstation in the evening after a day’s work (66%), sort their waste in the workplace (60%), reduce the number of printed documents as much as possible (53%) or avoid using single-use objects (49%) – employees still find it difficult to mention other types of possible action. So, when the subject of ecological transition in companies is spontaneously raised with employees, it is first and foremost the development of « eco-actions » that comes to mind: recycling, selective sorting, energy savings, etc…
Training in ecological issues? A strong desire among employees.
Only 17% of employees claim that their company offers training on issues relating to the ecological transition. Of those who said they had taken such training, the vast majority were trained in « eco-actions » at work (sorting, recycling, limiting waste, etc.). Professional training comes in 2nd place and is particularly popular with young people (61%).
However, the issue of training and raising awareness among employees in companies is crucial if progress is to be made on the ecological transition: it both shows that the company is (pro)active on the subject and gets employees involved.
In-company training is also the start of a virtuous circle around these issues: almost one in two respondents has already taken (14%) or intends to take (31%) a training course on ecological issues in their own time (a high figure given the involvement this represents), and this figure rises to 82% for people who have already taken a training course as part of their company.
Ultimately, 68% of employees want to be trained in the challenges of the ecological transition: a strong figure that should challenge companies and commit them to working alongside their employees to bring about a genuine ecological revolution in the world of work. According to recent data from LinkedIn, many of the green skills declared by members on the platform have seen double- or triple-digit growth over the last three years. The fastest growing green skills are ecosystem management, environmental policy and sustainable procurement.
Companies involved in the ecological transition have a real power of attraction.
Getting involved in the environmental cause is a winning bet in terms of employer branding, since 78% of employees would choose (for equivalent offers) to work for an organisation genuinely committed to the ecological transition. More than just a response to a societal injunction, the ecological transition appears to be a real aspiration for French employees. In the longer term, 42% would like to change careers or retrain for a job more closely linked to the environment, particularly the youngest employees (under 35: 52%). So ecology is no longer a « gamble for the future » for companies, but an investment to attract talent and customers.
18 September 2021 is World Clean-up Day.
Constellaction & ITPROCOM are committed to helping you organise your next events, so that you can get off to a flying start with your employees and/or partners, based on these strong values!
Aude Vermont Christophe Rosset
Constellaction Agence conseil Associé – Groupe IT Procom – Agence Com4medias
Tel. +33 1 30 80 21 94 / +33 (0)6 86 37 69 23 Tél. +33 1 39 04 24 95 – crosset(@)itpro.fr
aude@constellaction.com iTPro.fr – SMART DSI – iTPro Europe – IT Digital Corner – Enjeux IT
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