For many people, personal satisfaction comes from a job well done and from being able to help someone achieve a goal. That is why some employees are seeking out employers with green business operations.

According to the May 2012 article, “Sustainability-engaged employees more satisfied, study shows,” employees want to feel that what they do has a positive impact on “social and environmental issues.” Specifically, a recent nationwide study by Rutgers University found that…

…49 percent of workers who have impact opportunities on the job report high satisfaction levels, compared with 24 percent of those who don’t.

Green Employees are happy employees as shown by a 2008 annual survey conducted by the Kenexa Research Institute (KRI) in 13 countries found that organizations that support sustainability initiatives such as recycling and energy conservation have a positive influence on employees’ engagement levels.

The research indicated that employees felt pride, job satisfaction, and a willingness to recommend their employer as a good place to work when employees had a favorable view of the company’s green efforts. In addition, employees saw senior managers in a positive light feeling they were able to deal with challenges while providing a clear direction for the organization. High standards of ethical conduct and a good company reputation were also cited by employees of green organizations.

It’s long been known that workplace culture has a lot of influence on how employees feel about their jobs and whether or not they are actively engaged at work. So it makes a lot of sense that if workers feel good about their company’s efforts to be economically, socially, and environmentally aware that these positive feelings would translate to more job satisfaction.

It’s well-known that when employees are happy they are productive. And working for a company with green business operations seems to bring more job satisfaction. For more information on green business topics, visit us.