When you hear the word ‘sustainability,’ the first thing most people think of is environmental sustainability — but sustainability is about so much more than reducing your carbon footprint.
There are three core pillars of sustainability – and they affect every aspect of our lives: society, the environment, and the economy – or stated differently, people, planet, profit.
When we dive into these, we see they have one important point in common.
Who is at the center of society? Whose lifestyles affect our planet? Who runs the global economy?
Of course, it’s people. People are at the heart of everything to drive a sustainable future for our society, the environment, and the economy; therefore, it’s imperative that we consider the people pillar of sustainability.
Just as environmental and economic sustainability requires careful preservation and use of natural and financial resources, people sustainability requires treating people and human potential as precious resources that must be supported and valued to drive resilience, agility, and achievement of sustainability goals.
In today’s workplace, human resources has both the opportunity and responsibility to ensure that people are at the center of work by creating an environment in which the workforce can thrive.
The diagram below shows a framework that includes six areas, or pillars, to people sustainability. These include:
Health & Safety - Ensuring, at a minimum, that people are safe from physical health and safety hazards and have access to basic necessities.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - The focus is on treating each individual fairly and equitably, regardless of social identity group or belief system, and ensuring they feel a sense of true belonging.
Well-being & Balance - Beyond basic health and safety requirements, individuals’ holistic (e.g., psychological, social, financial, career) well-being is prioritized and supported with the necessary tools and resources.
Trust & Transparency - Provide individuals with a voice, help them understand how key decisions impacting them are made, and build trust in the organization to act in ethical ways.
Empowerment & Growth - Offer clarity, support and the tools needed for individuals to grow their skills and to influence their career trajectory.
Organizational Purpose & CSR - Actively working towards giving back and making a positive impact on the world; individuals are encouraged to participate and feel energized by the organization’s mission and values.
Given the overlap and interconnection between the six pillars of people sustainability, we encourage organizations to develop a unified approach that acknowledges and embraces those intersections.
Research has shown that 76% of organizations worldwide believe it more valuable to address people sustainability topics strategically and with a unified approach than as separate, siloed topics. These respondents expect to see improvement in key business outcomes by doing so.
Clearly, organizations see value in driving a unified people sustainability strategy. Overall, however, respondents are still looking for more support from their tools and technology. By providing a single, unified platform for employee management, SAP SuccessFactors solutions for core HR and payroll can play an active part in contributing to an organization’s people sustainability initiative.
Learn more by watching the Interactive Value Journey: SAP SuccessFactors People Sustainability.