Words Matter: A Quick Guide on Making ESG Resonate with Your Employees

We’re right in the middle of a turbulent time: Macroeconomic factors may be improving, but the delta coronavirus variant could throw a wrench in companies’ plans to prepare for the business landscape within a post-pandemic world. Nevertheless, how a company communicates its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance has become increasingly important for recruiting and retaining top talent. As they say, word of mouth is often the best way to promote an idea, product or service — and when your company’s sustainability story resonates with your workforce, they can then become your firm’s best ESG ambassadors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated engagement on ESG among forward-thinking companies and investors, with a starkly changed work landscape. As a result, companies are reconsidering every single aspect of their businesses, including their ESG responsibilities.

Along with the racial and social justice movements of 2020, the pandemic has raised expectations that business will take a stand on important social and environmental issues — not least among employees. Your communications team needs to be able to tell these sustainability stories where employees are now: from video conferencing, to face-to-face at future meetings and team-building events, to more informally around the water cooler or (virtual) break room, the conference room, or even the parking lot.

Clarity in communicating such objectives absolutely matters. Your company’s goals must be articulated with honesty, authenticity and consistency. To tell the story simply but powerfully, the language your communications team uses is crucial. Sustainability and other ESG topics cover complex issues, so information needs to be outlined in ways that are easy to understand, without technical jargon or painful buzzwords.

To that end, the staff at 3BL Media recently rolled out a compact guide that explains why the communication aspect of ESG shouldn’t be overlooked, how to go about it (with practical tips, insights and examples), and the business benefits of making employees true partners in your long-term ESG and sustainability strategy.

Take a moment and download "Words Matter: Making ESG Communications with Employees Count" for free.

Image credits: Brett Jordan/Unsplash; Sincerely Media/Unsplash