Values-led Employees Want To Work At Companies With Good ESG Policies

In the past, the lofty and hard to define concept of "culture" was commonly (and mistakenly) used by job seekers as a means to identify if an organization's values aligned with their own. 

But as the Great Resignation rumbles on, corporate policy is being used to ascertain reputation, ethics and how progressive a company is. It is the pillars of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) that prospective hires seek. As a result business leaders are being forced to focus on ESG to not only secure new hires and retain talent, but prosper. 

The three pillars of ESG

ESG stands for the corporate policies a company has in place concerning environmental, social and governance matters. Environmental relates to the organization's impact on the planet and what they are trying to do to reduce and repair this; social defines how the people who work for them are impacted, including staff and customers; and governance covers how an organization is run, including transparency around reporting and results. 

Why ESG matters 

According to a report by MSCI, employers with the highest employee satisfaction and ability to attract new talent had some of the highest ESG scores, particularly with regards to environmental matters, and it's estimated that by 2029, 72% of the workforce will be made up by millennials and Gen Z, who place greater importance on ESG than previous generations. 

Bolstering the bottom line is also a concern-developing and maintaining ESG policies is increasingly coming under investor scrutiny. According to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, in 2020, ESG drove an estimated $35.3 trillion in investments, a third of all global assets under management. 

The good news is that some of the largest organizations in the world are leading the charge and are acutely aware of the changes they need to implement to remain relevant. The three below consistently achieve high ESG scores. To discover more compatible companies, visit the Nature World News & Science Times Job Board.

Microsoft

Microsoft's ESG efforts are firmly fixed on its environmental efforts and areas that it can have the most impact-carbon emissions, ecosystems, water and waste. 

Carbon neutral since 2012, it has committed to being carbon zero by 2030 and aims to achieve this goal through its global business practices and cloud-enabled technologies. Microsoft also aims to protect more land by 2025 and replenish more water than it uses by 2030 too.

This attitude also extends outside of Microsoft's own day-to-day operations-AI for Earth is a $50m, five-year commitment to those working to solve global environmental challenges in the key focus areas of climate, agriculture, water and biodiversity conservation, facilitated through the power of AI. 

Transparency around governance is also a key touchpoint, and its annual reports allow stakeholders, customers and shareholders to access information and updates. Discover career opportunities at Microsoft now. 

Accenture

Accenture is a great example of a firm that is committed to bringing its ESG policies into the mainstream, and making its efforts and achievements as transparent as possible. When it comes to its ESG credentials, the company has established an extensive reporting experience, 360° Value. Gain a comprehensive view of the company's goals, progress and performance across six aspects: client, talent, inclusion and diversity, experience, sustainability and financial.

Its environmental ambitions are equally impressive-since starting its environmental journey in 2007, the global consulting firm has set out to achieve net-zero emissions, zero waste (e-waste and office furniture) and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. 

It is also committed to strong corporate governance via its ethics and compliance program, and fosters a culture of integrity, transparency, inclusivity and respect for all people across all elements of the business. A United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) signatory since 2008, it has pledged to support and respect internationally proclaimed human rights. Check out all roles at Accenture.

Salesforce 

Cloud technology giant Salesforce is on a mission to accelerate its net-zero efforts through six sustainability priorities. As a founding member of 1t.org, part of the World Economic Forum's efforts to accelerate nature-based solutions to support the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, this includes conserving, restoring and growing one trillion trees by 2030..

Salesforce's climate action plan also includes emissions reduction, carbon removal, education and mobilization, innovation, and regulation and policy.

Inclusivity is also at the heart of Salesforce's ESG model-it has pledged that by 2026, 40% of its workforce will be women-identifying and non-binary individuals, along with an increased representation of Black, Latinx, indigenous and multiracial employees. In April 2022 announced it would tie executive compensation to ESG goals to make those at VP level and above more accountable. Browse open roles at Salesforce here.

For more roles at Microsoft, Accenture and Salesforce as well as many more great values-led companies, visit the Nature World News & Science Times Job Board