Employee Engagement in Sustainability at Bauer Media

Introduction

Bauer Media has recently begun its sustainability journey, with enthusiastic individuals within the company driving the sustainability efforts. This is exemplified by the three leaders of the newly formed GoLoudForGood Committee, and they are:

• Zara Flynn – Senior Account Manager
• Adrian Barry – Operations Director, OTB Sport
• Márese O’Sullivan – Producer

Challenge

In radio broadcasting, one of the many sustainability challenges is demonstrating to your audience that you are leading by example. Not an easy task when sustainability is a new topic for you and your organisation.

Solution

When there is a passion for storytelling and to ‘do good’ in society, a solution will always be found, which is the case for Bauer Media.

Spearheaded by Zara and her colleagues Adrian and Márese, a GoLoud For Good Committee was established in 2022. The purpose of the committee is to activate sustainable practices internally within Bauer Media Ireland and encourage sustainable behaviours amongst colleagues. The committee comprises the three founders, and each has a different area of focus – Márese handles on-air content, Adrian coordinates what needs to happen in operations/ facilities, and Zara oversees employee engagement in sustainability.

Recognising that to set up a lasting approach to sustainability, it was important for them as a committee to upskill on the topic. The committee attended the six-week Learning Waves training programme, which has enabled them to put in place practical steps to kick-start their sustainability efforts at Bauer.

To encourage other colleagues to get involved, the GoLoud For Good committee will be rotated each year to increase participation.

At a very practical level, the Committee meets bi-weekly and has set up a Teams group to share ideas and generally to keep each other stimulated to do more. There is also clear buy-in from the top-down at Bauer, the committee meets monthly with senior management to share progress and ideas and get sign-off on any upcoming projects.

To kick off employee engagement on the topic of sustainability, they started with a survey to understand employee opinions on sustainability and found that employees wanted more knowledge on the actions that they could take in their personal lives and better communication on what’s going on and how they could get involved, and generally to do more.

As a result, they are engaging their colleagues by sharing information via regular newsletters and run communication campaigns to encourage positive behaviour change on a range of topics like waste and water, expert talks and partnerships with Food Cloud, Clean Coast, and the Irish Wildlife Trust for staff volunteer opportunities. Internal initiatives are held, including one for a pre-Christmas party clothes swap event. This was a great success and resulted in lots of new outfits for Christmas!

The GoLoud For Good Committee, motivated by their 2022 achievements, are keen to do more in 2023, where a big focus will be on new partnerships to engage employees further. They’re planning a second clothes swap event, which will also feature an expert guest speaker discussing sustainable fashion.

Another focus will be participation in Ad Net Zero, which Bauer has just signed up to. This is an industry-wide initiative to help advertising respond to the climate crisis. Zara will participate in the initiative, focusing on marketing and the carbon footprint behind their marketing activities.

While the initial focus of the GoLoudForGood Committee has been on environmental issues, the team is very clear that the Committee will work on social issues.

Results & Benefits

Bauer are developing partnerships for example with FoodCloud and the Irish Wildlife Trust, to increase employee awareness, participation, and shared responsibility in sustainability. These partnerships are due to kick off at Bauer over the coming months and staff are already looking to sign up and get involved.

With a dedicated committee, top-down support, and employees who want to do more, Bauer is on track to embedding sustainability in the organisation.

Lessons Learned

Key Learnings for Employee Engagement in Sustainability:

1. Dedicated Team: It is vital to have a dedicated team for sustainability with specific areas of responsibility and rotate leadership to increase engagement and broaden participation.
2. Top-Down Support: Get strong leadership buy-in and involvement in sustainability efforts, this can create a ripple effect of inspiration and motivation.
3. Regular Communication: Set up regular communication and updates to keep employees informed and engaged.
4. Employee Surveys: Send out an employee survey to understand employee opinions and perspectives on sustainability.
5. Recognition and Motivation: Recognise and reward employees for their sustainability efforts to motivate and encourage continued engagement.
6. Partnerships can take many forms, including company-led sustainability programs, employee volunteer programs, and sustainability committees.

By engaging employees in meaningful ways and giving them a voice in shaping sustainability efforts, companies can build a culture of sustainability that drives lasting change.