Employees pressure the C-suite to prioritize 'human sustainability', study finds

Employees are putting pressure on their companies to prioritize human sustainability, the extent to which an organization creates value for workers as human beings – improving their skills, sense of belonging and employability. 

A new report, released in collaboration between Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence, found that 8 out of 10 CEOs say they’re feeling pressure to make public commitments to improve human sustainability from a variety of business stakeholders including workers, customers, investors, partners and board members. 

While company leaders are largely embracing the pressure for greater human sustainability, around 3 out of 4 executives agree it comes as an enterprise risk and should be measured, monitored and discussed at the board level. 

Even though 82% of executives believe their company is advancing human sustainability, only 56% of workers agree, signaling substantial miscommunications. The report found that 90% of executives believe their work has had a positive effect on employee wellbeing, skills development, career advancement, inclusion and belonging and a sense of purpose and meaning – yet only 60% of workers agree. 

Many employees don’t feel valued by their organization with only 1 in 3 reporting that their physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing improved last year. 

With this information, the report suggests that companies have a significant opportunity to improve the lives of their workers. Around 7 out of 10 employees said that if their organization increased its commitment to human sustainability, it would improve their overall experience at work and increase their engagement, job satisfaction, productivity, desire to stay with their company long-term and trust in their company’s leadership.

Related: Employees’ expectations for workplace wellbeing are higher than ever

Leaders recognize that it is time for change, as 81% of executives agreed that their organization isn’t doing enough when it comes to making public comments around human issues. Around one-third of leaders said this is because, “the goals they could realistically accomplish are trivial and they’re embarrassed to make public commitments around them.”

Paul Silverglate, U.S. Executive Accelerators leader and Deloitte’s US Technology Sector vice chair said, “Embracing human sustainability can have benefits for both business and people. Today’s C-suite has the opportunity to help ensure it is prioritized at the highest levels of their organizations, helping them become more rewarding and productive places to work.”