On September 29, 2016, Kristina Kohl, MBA, PMP, principal of
Becoming Sustainable moderated a panel at the Sustainable Business Initiative
Meeting hosted by the NJDEP and Bergen Community College. The panelist included
John Queenan, Senior Director of CSR, ADP, Nicole Dube, Outreach Coordinator,
NJ Board of Public Utilities, and Nick Lange, Senior Consultant, Vermont Energy
Investment Corporation. The panelist participated in a lively discussion around
environmental and social responsibility as drivers for employee attraction,
retention, and engagement.
Nick Lange of VEIC discussed the concept of a Sustainability
Benefits, which works similarly to health or retirements benefits for
employees. The benefit is company funded and it can be used towards
environmentally beneficial expenditures such as solar panels for the home, high
efficiency HVAC equipment, or improved insulation. The concept is for an
organization to expand the reach of its environmental impact by engaging
employees and reducing their environmental footprints as well. Sustainability Benefits
provide value to employees, companies, and society.
John Queenan of ADP shared his experience with how
sustainability drives engagement especially with the millennial
generation. ADP’s CSR pillars align
business goals with organizational culture. The foundational pillars are
employability, ethics & compliance, environmental sustainability, and
associate & community engagement. From their survey, their key drives of
engagement are satisfaction, pride, retention, and advocacy. Alignment between
organizational and Millennial values is an important driver in
recruitment, retention, and engagement. Utilizing a social media app to recognize
employee actions promotes a positive impact. Volunteer programs like partnering
with Habitat for Humanity to donate used office furniture to flood ravaged
Louisiana helps to promote a shared corporate vision while creating
opportunities for skills development. CSR drives attraction, engagement, and retention based in ADP's data and metrics.
Nicole Dube, NJ Board of Public Utilities, spoke about the
benefits of the NJ Clean Energy Program (NJCEP) for businesses and their
employees. She also shared several case studies that highlight the NJCEP
incentives, annual savings, and payback periods to demonstrate the
effectiveness of the programs. She also gave some personal insights as a
Millennial and what is important to her generation.
The event was well attended and concluded with a drawing of
Kristina Kohl’s new book entitled “Becoming a Sustainable Organization.”
