What Are the Top Four Ways Your Company Can Go Green?
Did you know that just by going green you can increase the productivity of your employees? In a study conducted last year by Magali Delmas, an economist for the UCLA Institute for the Environment and Sustainability, and Sanja Pekovic of the University Paris-Dauphine, employees from over 5,000 French companies were tracked in terms of their overall productivity. The employees who were the most productive were the ones who came from companies who practiced many green standards. Why might this be the case?
This is a new generation of employees who no longer only value pay or benefits when it comes to their job. They want to work in an environment that has similar values to theirs, and many employees are pushing for more green practices of their employer. Those that work in such an environment have more motivation to work hard. In addition, companies that practice green values are more likely to encourage cooperation and other perks that this generation of employees is looking for. With that in mind, going green is not just good for the environment. It’s good for your bottom line as well. Here are four ways your company can go green this year:
Lose some of the paper: Eliminating the excess paper in your hospital is one way to go about making your company greener. The best way to do this is by implementing technological solutions to negate the need. For example, if you’re considering going paperless in a healthcare facility, you’ll need to implement electronic medical records to better organize files and operate more efficiently. A major obstacle is the required signatures for patient consents. Electronic signatures are the perfect complement to EMRs to ensure that your organization is on track to operate completely paperless in the healthcare industry.
Encourage electronic communication: In the same boat as EMRs, paper memos are a complete waste that no longer is needed with email and instant messaging services. If you need to make a companywide announcement, do it through the web.
Do your marketing online: There’s no question that marketing is an important part of any business. However, as many are beginning to see, direct mail campaigns and flyers are a thing of the past. An online marketing campaign is the perfect way to highlight new promotions and direct customers to your store. Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms offer the perfect avenue to host contests, debut new coupons and bring buzz to your store without wasting materials.
Encourage carpooling and forms of public transportation: If there’s one way employees can reduce their overall carbon footprint, it’s through using their car less. So what can an employer do to encourage customers to reduce their use of individual cars? Offer incentives to those who carpool, use public transportation, or bike to work. A contest that awards the team members who use the least carbon emissions is a great motivator to bring employees together for a good cause.
If you’re looking for ways to increase productivity and do your part as a company to make the planet just a little greener, these ideas offer a good way to start.
Benjamin Gramble is an entrepreneur who recently installed solar panels at his corporate office. He seeks to be an inspiration to others by embracing environmental consciousness. He enjoys playing his electric guitar for his local band.