Green, sustainable, eco-friendly – whichever term you prefer, you know what this means today. Things like energy and water conservation have direct financial benefits – less electricity equals a lower bill from the power company – but there are more long-term goals as well. Companies that implement sustainability initiatives also have better employee engagement, retention and productivity. These lead to substantial savings across the board.
Your digital signage is already your number one green solution. It replaces printed signs, so no outlay for paper and ink. The messages automatically go up and retire from the playlist when outdated, so no one has to spend time going around taking down the signs and recycling them. Displays today are very power-conscious, and have power-saving protocols in place to shut down and use less in off hours. But the real value is in the reach of your digital signs. It’s everywhere your people are, telling them things they want to know.
The Staples Workplace Index shows that 63% of workers say sustainability is a priority when considering employment. This is even more of a priority for Millennials, who are entering the workforce in droves. 86% of new professionals or soon to be college graduates say it’s important that a company they work for behaves in a socially responsible way, according to a Nielsen study. So, to attract high-level talent, it’s valuable to have some green initiatives.
Once you have the best and the brightest, you want to keep them. Replacing an employee costs the company 70-200% of that employee’s salary (different studies give different figures). A white paper from Ultimate Software shows that 85% of current employees are more likely to stay with an employer that exhibits a high level of social responsibility.
On the job, people also want to feel engaged and like they’re doing something worthwhile. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management says that 94% of Millennials want to use their skills to benefit a cause. Maybe that’s something that can be incorporated into their jobs. But if not, having specific company initiatives or offering paid volunteer time can give employees an outlet for these impulses, while increasing their loyalty to your organization, because you’ve provided them with the opportunity to do something meaningful.
There is nothing that has a more positive effect on a company than having engaged employees. There’s a lot written elsewhere about that, but digital signage is key to getting the word out and letting people know that you are as committed as they are to helping create a better world for them and their children. You can advertise all your initiatives, show off the newest ergonomic chairs, promote your recycling program, display detailed information on healthy and fresh food available in the cafeteria, and even drive traffic to an online sustainability initiatives portal you maintain on the web.
You can even directly affect behavior with energy dashboards that show things like water and power consumption. Showing real-time data on your weekly goals and where you are right now encourages people to save more energy and recycle more. If you add in gamification elements, you can get individuals, teams and departments competing with one another to see who can do the most, in a fun and friendly atmosphere that builds teamwork and integrates employees into the organization as a whole.
The more options, opportunities and information you supply your employees, the happier they will be, the longer they’ll stay and the more productive they’ll be. And your digital signage is at the heart of it all.