Employee Engagement: The Backbone of Effective Corporate Sustainability
Sustainability isn’t just about solar panels or corporate compliance. It’s about people. When we talk about building truly sustainable companies, employee engagement isn’t optional—it’s essential.
Why It Matters
Studies consistently show that sustainability resonates deeply with today’s workforce. About 70% of employees say that a company’s sustainability commitment is important to them. This isn’t surprising when we consider that people want their work to align with their values and have meaningful impact.
Our Success Story
The numbers from our sustainability program speak volumes:
- KnowBe4‘s Green Team now includes over 75 employees spanning 9 of our 11 country offices
- Employees have collected an impressive 8,700+ pounds of trash through global cleanups
- Approximately 2,400 colleagues have completed sustainability training
- Dozens of employees have started home composting, pollinator gardens, and beehives
- Hundreds report lowering their personal carbon footprints
- 97% of our workforce has signed our employee climate pledge
- Together, employees have planted 2,524 trees through personal donations and direct planting efforts
What’s even more encouraging is our year-over-year growth in participation:
- Earth Month engagement increased by 62% compared to last year
- Overall cleanup volunteer participation rose by 22.2% over this time last year
- The amount of trash collected jumped by 31.9% over this time last year
The Power of Our Climate Pledge
Our employee climate pledge offers eight actionable categories for personal commitment, including:
- Reducing various types of waste and consumption
- Increasing use of reusable products
- Following efficient energy use guidelines
- Composting food and yard waste
- Participating in tree planting initiatives
- Joining local cleanup efforts
These commitments create accountability and community around our sustainability goals. Consider the feedback on the pledge from just a few of our employees:
“I love how seriously KB4 takes this pledge!”
“This is such a wonderful thing to do as a company!”
“This is a very cool initiative and I’m happy to be a part of it!”
The Mindset Shift Effect
There’s something transformative about participating in volunteer cleanups. When people physically collect trash from beaches, parks, and waterways, it creates a profound mindset shift. They see firsthand the impact of single-use items and improper waste disposal.
This new awareness doesn’t stay at the cleanup site. It follows them home and back to the office, influencing daily decisions about consumption, waste reduction, recycling, and upcycling. The result is a workforce that naturally gravitates toward more sustainable choices in all aspects of their lives, including at work.
The Business Case
Beyond environmental impact, engaged sustainability programs deliver tangible business benefits:
Cost savings: Employee-driven initiatives have identified efficiencies that directly reduce operational costs. Gallup’s research has consistently shown that engaged employees have 41% lower absenteeism and are more productive, and sustainability programs can be a driver of engagement.
Emissions and waste reduction: Our passionate sustainability advocates spot reduction opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed. They’ve also suggested changes to benefit both KnowBe4’s bottom line and our waste reduction initiatives.
Enhanced productivity: Research shows that companies with strong sustainability programs experience higher productivity. In fact, Research from UCLA found that employees at companies with strong sustainability programs were 16% more productive than the average.
Talent attraction and retention: In competitive hiring markets, our sustainability commitment gives us an edge with top talent who prioritize purpose-driven employers. Recent studies show this isn’t just speculation—according to Deloitte, nearly half of Gen Z and Millennials make career choices based on personal ethics, and IBM found that 71% of job seekers prefer environmentally sustainable companies.
“Your [sustainability] department was one of the reasons I wanted to work for KnowBe4 and am very excited to meet you!” -KB4 employee
Innovation catalyst: When employees engage with sustainability challenges, they develop creative problem-solving skills that benefit every aspect of our business.
When employees become sustainability champions, the impact extends far beyond the workplace. They become change agents in their communities, creating a multiplier effect that amplifies our corporate efforts.
By continuing to nurture employee engagement in sustainability, we’re not just building a better company—we’re contributing to a better world.
“[This program has] provoked some thought and motivation to make changes – thank you!” -KB4 Employee
