HR Can Lead Social Sustainability

Human resource directors have a golden opportunity to lead their organization’s strategic focus in the context of social sustainability, says a Mercer report. The ‘HR in ESG Survey’ indicates that four fifths of organizations surveyed state that ESG (environmental, social, and governance) is a top priority for them and that their ESG goals are connected to their corporate purpose. ‘People sustainability’ includes the internal focus on raised employment standards in the organization and its supply chain, as well as the ability to influence external factors by enabling the workforce. The study suggests organizational ESG goals are powered by employee activism with 86 per cent of respondents considering the largest stakeholder group to influence ESG activities within their company as its employees, closely followed by its customers at 83 per cent.