WTW Director Holly Teal discusses the importance of purpose at work

Working for a company that has a clear and compelling purpose can be a very rewarding career choice.

WTW knows that many employees want to be part of something bigger, something that engages and inspires them. Working to address climate change is one such purpose.

Helping solve enormous challenges

Reflecting on how organizations can harness employee power for climate goals, WTW Climate Management Director Holly Teal suggests that: "Businesses can harness the power of their employees to solve the enormous challenges they face from climate change. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s also just good business. In a competitive talent market, we know that many employees seek organizations with a purpose beyond improving the bottom line. In light of the pandemic and social justice movement, people are taking stock of what’s important to them."

Employees want to work for organizations that are part of a solution

According to Holly, studies show that employees want to work for an organization that resolves to be part of the solution for a better tomorrow.

81% of employers in the U.S. and 97% of employers in the U.K. say it matters to their employees that an environmental climate strategy is part of their value proposition, according to the WTW HR and Climate Survey. Results showed that almost all respondents agree that employees have a significant role in delivering a climate strategy.
More than 60% of workers want their employers to take action on social and environmental issues like climate change, equality and poverty, according to a 2021 study by Atlassian. Additionally, the study showed that half of the workers surveyed in the U.S. said they would quit their jobs if their companies’ values did not align with their own.
Nine in 10 workers said they would choose to earn less money to do more meaningful work, according to a Harvard Business Review study.

Organizations certainly have a unique opportunity to harness the power of their employee base to achieve their climate objectives and stand out as a leader in this fight against climate change.