Sustainability Attracts Talent: Why Values-Driven Companies Win at Hiring

By Richard Glover, Director Enterprise Risk, Compliance & Sustainability

I’ve always believed companies that genuinely live their values have a unique edge to attract top talent. I just didn’t know I’d be that talent, and that attending a volunteer event would change my entire career trajectory. 

When I asked Vanessa Williams, Kelly's General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, to lead a United Way Beyond the Boardroom discussion, I was simply supporting a cause I cared about.

Then I watched Williams and her colleagues passionately discuss Kelly's volunteer programs and sustainability initiatives. Even more telling was seeing a room full of employees who had intentionally come into the office to participate, despite Kelly's flexible work policies. That told me everything I needed to know about this company's authentic commitment to values-driven work.

This person-to-person connection led me to join Kelly, and it perfectly illustrates what I've learned in my work: Workers want purpose and connection. They want to work for values-driven companies that walk the walk on sustainability, not just use it for marketing. As organizations compete for purpose-driven workers, especially younger generations, sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives have become vital tools for both recruitment and retention.

What sustainability means to today's workforce

When I talk about sustainability in the workplace, I mean the full spectrum of environmental, social, and governance practices that demonstrate a company's commitment to doing good. This includes environmental initiatives like reducing energy consumption and waste, social programs like volunteer time off (VTO), fair hiring practices, and governance policies that prioritize ethical decision-making.

For example, in 2024, Kelly transitioned to paper billing. Not only did this reduce paper consumption, but it inspired one of our vendors to plant 5,000 trees through their Community Roots program. This shows how sustainability efforts can create a ripple effect across entire communities. 

For many employees, particularly younger generations, these initiatives represent more than corporate responsibility. They signal that a company shares their values and provides opportunities to make a meaningful impact beyond their daily job responsibilities.

How younger generations research companies differently

The way people discover and evaluate potential employers is fundamentally shifting, particularly among younger generations: 95% of Gen Z research a company's social media presence before applying, with nearly half viewing diversity and inclusion content as positive.

Similarly, roughly nine in 10 Gen Zs (89%) and millennials (92%) consider a sense of purpose to be important to their job satisfaction and well-being. They want to see authentic commitment to causes that matter to them.

What I've observed is that these generations rely heavily on grassroots communication. They pay attention to what their friends say, what they see on Instagram and TikTok, what shows up organically in their social feeds. They're looking for evidence that company values show up in real employee experiences, not just corporate marketing.

If someone posts about their company's volunteer day, that carries far more weight than polished website content. For companies, this means your sustainability efforts need to be visible and shareable across platforms. Your employees need to be genuinely excited about participating, excited enough to post about it and recommend your organization to others.

Bridging the gap between policy and practice

One of the biggest challenges I see is the disconnect between official company policies and daily reality. Many organizations offer VTO but struggle with low participation because employees feel they can't actually use these benefits without appearing less committed.

This gap happens because good intentions at the corporate level get diluted as they filter down to employees. Messaging shifts from "we encourage this" to "we allow this."

Creating authentic sustainability programs requires leadership at every level to actively encourage participation. When I started at Kelly, I pushed for better awareness campaigns around our existing VTO programs. Some employees didn't even know these opportunities existed, so how could they feel empowered to use them?

True program adoption involves awareness, celebration, and recognition. Make sure people know what's available. Celebrate employees who participate by sharing their stories and making visible that this contribution is valued. Incorporate volunteer work into performance reviews where it makes sense. When employees see that sustainability efforts contribute to their professional growth, participation increases dramatically.

How VTO transforms recruitment and retention strategy

When I took our recent group of interns to volunteer at Focus Hope in Detroit, something magical happened. We packed 4,000 food boxes for seniors, working side by side, music playing, everyone laughing and getting to know each other in a completely different context. Those young people developed connections they still reference months later.

Watching this unfold in real time showed me just how much of an impact volunteer programs can have in the workplace. Those deep connections offer more than just feel-good moments, they're critical for retention in today's competitive market. They make employees more engaged, more loyal, and more invested in the company’s success.

Today, 70% percent of employees say that their sense of purpose is defined by their work, which means companies have enormous influence over employee satisfaction. Volunteer activities create cross-team relationships that wouldn't naturally develop in day-to-day work. When people make friends at work through shared meaningful experiences, they're much more likely to stay.

That’s likely why "mission-driven" companies have 30% higher levels of innovation and 40% higher levels of retention. These VTO programs create workplaces where people are more engaged and committed to long-term success.

Creating sustainability programs that actually work

Based on my experience implementing these programs at Kelly, success requires an intentional approach.

Awareness: Create regular communications about sustainability opportunities and integrate information into onboarding processes.

Celebration: Highlight employee volunteer work in company communications and share impact stories. We're developing a Kelly Hands and Hearts webpage where employees can showcase their community involvement.

Career growth: Volunteer work must be valued in performance reviews and career development. We're creating a Global Volunteer Ambassadors program where employees who lead sustainability efforts are recognized as rising stars.

The key is that these programs must feel additive to career growth, not separate from it. When employees see that community engagement enhances their professional prospects, participation becomes sustainable.

Industries leading the way in values-driven recruitment

Some sectors are ahead of the curve on values-driven recruitment, particularly pharmaceuticals. These companies focus inherently on improving human health and well-being, so they've built robust ESG programs to remain competitive for talent.

The pharmaceutical industry also demonstrates how external pressures can drive internal change. When you produce products that directly impact people's lives, employees expect and demand that your company operate according to strong ethical principles. This creates a feedback loop where purpose-driven candidates are drawn to these organizations, and those organizations must continuously evolve their sustainability efforts to meet rising expectations.

We're seeing similar patterns emerge in other industries as state and local regulations expand. California and New York are leading the charge on environmental and social responsibility legislation, which causes companies operating in those markets to develop stronger sustainability programs. As these requirements spread, what starts as compliance becomes competitive advantage.

The lesson for other industries is clear: Get ahead of this trend rather than waiting for it to become mandatory. Companies that build authentic sustainability programs now will have significant advantages in attracting top talent as expectations continue to rise.'

Why values alignment will define the next workforce era

As Gen Z becomes a larger portion of the workforce, values alignment will shift from differentiator to requirement. Gen Zers are more focused on work/life balance than climbing the corporate ladder: Only 6% say their primary career goal is to reach a leadership position. They're seeking something different from work. They want community, purpose, and the freedom to pursue causes they care about.

They’re also less loyal to individual employers. They're willing to leave if they don't find what they're looking for, and they're not afraid of job-hopping to find better alignment. For employers, this means sustainability programs aren't just nice-to-have benefits, but they're necessary for attraction and retention.

I follow a simple philosophy that I share with business leaders: It's not always measurable, but do the right thing. Sometimes the benefits of authentic sustainability programs aren't immediately quantifiable, but they create long-term value that extends far beyond traditional metrics. You're building stronger communities, more engaged employees, and more resilient organizations.

I’ve seen how impactful this work can be firsthand. Last year, Kelly committed to fostering a more inclusive, purposeful workplace. Our team spent 5,600 hours volunteering and forming meaningful connections with their communities through the Kelly Engage program. Our employees collectively donated over $89,000 to charitable organizations worldwide. And as a company, we removed employment barriers for over 8,000 individuals through our Equity@Work program. The result? Our year-end employee engagement score improved to 78%.  

For leaders evaluating their current approach to values-driven recruitment, start with an authenticity audit. Do your employees actually know about and use your sustainability programs? Do they feel genuinely supported in pursuing causes they care about? Are you celebrating and recognizing this work in meaningful ways?

The future belongs to organizations that can connect individual purpose with collective impact. Companies that master this balance will find themselves with a significant competitive advantage for talent, and they'll be building workplaces where people not only work but thrive.