Look Around HR

A recent study by Beyond.com found that today’s workers are looking for an environmentally friendly workplace, sort of. Here are the findings of their study:

“How important is finding an environmentally-aware workplace for your next job?”
16% - required for my next job
19% - a deciding factor between two similar jobs
44% - nice to have, but not a real deciding factor
21% - not something I am actively looking for

I would say I am not too surprised with these results. Being green is the latest trend and everyone is trying to “out-green” the other guy. But when you look closely at these numbers less than a fifth require it and a plurality (and a near majority at 44 percent) say it would be nice, but it’s not a deciding factor. People want to be green, but don’t want to make real sacrifices to accomplish it- that is what I have discovered.

To use a real life example to make my case, lets look at those energy saver light bulbs. They look cool, and apparently last seven years (plus or minus), but can cost six or seven dollars compared to less than a dollar for some Wal-Mart brand bulbs. Are you willing to dish out the extra cash to be “green” and are potential employees willing to take less (in some instances) to be “green”?