Corporate Leaders Feel Pressure to Prioritize Sustainability

Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence shed light on the increasing demands faced by corporate leaders to prioritize human sustainability within their organizations. The report, titled The important role of leaders in advancing human sustainability, highlights compelling data revealing widespread pressure from stakeholders across the board for companies to enhance their commitment to human well-being and equity.

In its third edition, the survey underscores a significant shift in corporate priorities, with a staggering 82% of C-suite executives feeling compelled to publicly commit to improving human sustainability. This pressure emanates primarily from employees for 82% of respondents, customers for 78%, investors for 78%, partners for 77%, and board members for 77%. 

Leaders are not just acknowledging this pressure but actively embracing it, as evidenced by 88% of respondents expressing a desire for their compensation to be tied to human sustainability metrics. Moreover, 71% believe that leadership changes should occur if advancements in human sustainability are not realized within their companies. The report further asserts that 73% of executives view human sustainability as an enterprise risk that warrants careful measurement and board-level discussion.

Despite these aspirations, there exists a perceptible gap between executive perceptions and workforce realities. While 82% of executives believe their companies are advancing human sustainability, only 56% of workers concur. The disconnect extends to employee well-being, where significant disparities emerge between executive perceptions of improvement and worker-reported experiences across physical, mental, financial, and social dimensions.

Findings underscore the potential benefits of prioritizing human sustainability. A resounding 72% of workers affirm that increased commitment from their organizations in this area would significantly enhance their overall work experience, with substantial gains in engagement for 71% of respondents, job satisfaction for 71%, productivity for 70%, retention rates for 70%, and trust in leadership for 69%.

Furthermore, the report highlights a striking incongruity: while 82% of executives advocate for mandatory public reporting of human sustainability metrics, a notable 81% admit their own organizations are falling short in making robust public commitments. A third of these leaders attribute this shortfall to the perceived triviality of achievable goals, leading to hesitancy in publicizing commitments.

"The findings should serve as a wake-up call for leaders. There is a significant opportunity to align corporate goals with the realities faced by employees, fostering a more inclusive and purpose-driven workplace," remarked Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner, Workplace Intelligence. 

Paul Silverglate, US Executive Accelerators Leader and US Technology Sector Vice Chair, Deloitte, echoed this sentiment. "Today’s C-suite has a pivotal role in embedding human sustainability at the core of organizational strategy, thereby creating environments that are not only productive but also enriching for employees."

Based on a survey conducted among 3,150 employees, managers, and C-level executives across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia in February and March 2024, the report provides critical insights into the evolving landscape of corporate responsibility toward human sustainability.