In case preserving Mother Earth isn’t enough to light your greenness fire, perhaps the scrutiny of your potential employees will move you. Going “green” is known to be a sensible way to appeal to prospective clients because it sends the message of a firm that minimizes overhead and wasted resources. But did you know your hard-sought candidates are placing increasing importance on the eco-friendliness of their potential employers?
That’s right. THEY are interviewing YOU.
In the past ten years, law firms small and large have raised their sustainability game, and fortunately, that movement has been contagious. In an industry often reluctant to change, a handful of progressive firms’ successes with green initiatives over a decade ago have been a catalyst and inspiration for change across the industry.
Prospective candidates are more conscientious than ever, and the questions they have go beyond compensation and benefits. It’s not enough to document a sustainability program; follow-through is a must. Here’s why:
o Quality talent thrives in efficiency, and waste in the workplace is a turn-off. Employees at all levels prefer to work for an eco-friendly company that isn’t bogged down with paperwork at every turn.
o Firm morale is simply better at firms with a clearly stated and regularly practiced sustainability policy, with some employees reporting an added sense of purpose to their work.
o Employees really do want to love where they work, and report firm culture as one of the primary measures of a desirable workplace. Candidates often start their job search with “Best Places to Work” stats to evaluate firm culture, and firms with active community involvement and environmental friendliness are rated above those without.
Of course, some firms are more aggressive in their sustainability efforts, and it should come as no surprise that many of those have a strong environmental law practice. Beveridge & Diamond, Blank Rome, and Nixon Peabody are just a few that have been recently recognized by the Law Firm Sustainability Network for their efforts to reduce environmental impact. The LFSN offers a sustainability assessment tool that is specific to the legal industry which identifies strengths and areas that need improvement in firm sustainability programs.
While we should all be supporting environmental best practices every day, Earth Day is an opportunity to evaluate and, if necessary, update our current efforts. Now is the perfect time to consider what you’re doing to contribute and how a candidate – or current employee – might rate your efforts. What exactly is your shade of green?