Armed with several CER talking points, Roberto excitedly calls Sam the next day. “I wanted to circle back on our CER discussion yesterday. While our CER program is in its early stages, we are making some progress. We are staunch recyclers. I forgot to tell you this yesterday, but we have VTO (paid voluntary time off) and some colleagues have used it to do trail maintenance. I’d certainly encourage you, if you were to join us, to do the same. Also, we use so little paper now with our editing and file sharing tools that we all used during the pandemic. We have a way to go, but we have a good start! Also, our conversation yesterday led me to discuss a CER program with a colleague and we are excited to move it forward. If you were to join the company, we certainly would love your help in doing so.”
“Thanks for the follow up,” Sam replies. “I really want to make sure I join a company that doesn’t just talk the talk, but walks the walk. What is your next step toward improving your CER?”
“Well, my colleague and I made plans to approach our landlord about energy reduction, like by replacing lightbulbs with LEDs and putting lights on timers,” Roberto said. “Moreover, we discussed how we’re doing all these great things with DEI, but nothing formal with CER. I plan to personally approach leadership about establishing a formal CER program.”
“This all sounds great,” Sam replied. “I’d love to help you with this. I helped with the environmental section of my former company’s ESG report. Could you see your company someday putting together a full-fledged ESG initiative with a report to the public, so that they can hold us accountable?”
Roberto answered, “It’s certainly a possibility. Would you be interested in helping me with this? Your experience would be appreciated.”
“Absolutely,” Sam responded. “I’m excited about the prospect of building an ESG program from scratch at a small company where my efforts could make a difference.”
“Awesome!” Roberto replied with a smile. “So, does that mean you accept our offer?”
“Between the comp and benefits package we discussed and this development, I’m in.”
Key Considerations
Corporate environmental responsibility programs, like DEI programs, are not “set it and forget it.” Have a plan with next steps to keep the effort moving and evolving.
Having a CER can differentiate you from other employers a candidate is considering.
Engage as many employees as are interested in the effort. This can be a fantastic way for a new employee to meet other colleagues and integrate into the company.
What would you like to do next?
Want additional resources to learn more about topics discussed in this path?
Social and Environmental Responsibility and the Small Business Owner (educationandemployers.org)
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