Human Sustainability – a concept introduced by Deloitte in their ‘Global Human Capital’ Trends report in 2023. Whilst there are many descriptions of this concept, I love Deloitte’s description: ‘Human sustainability is the degree to which an organisation creates value for people as human beings, equips people with greater health and well-being, supports them with stronger skills and greater employability, good jobs and opportunities for advancement’. The idea that organisations need to focus on what their employees can do for them has shifted to what they need to do for their employees. Organisations now have a responsibility to ensure that their employees are employable forever – even if that is at a company that is not theirs.

Now many organisations may be asking themselves the question ‘Why should we focus on this? It seems like a huge task, big investment with little guaranteed return’. This is a fair question, and one that organisations will need to consider. However the most recent data is demonstrating real risk if organisations do not take embedding human sustainability in their organisation seriously. According to the latest ‘Wellbeing At Work’ survey (Deloitte, 2024), 82% of C -Suite respondents felt that focusing on human sustainability would help attract the best talent, 81% thought it would appeal to customers and clients and 81% believed it would increase profitability. What is clear is that wellbeing at work continues to be a challenge. Latest data demonstrates that 59 percent of workers, 66 percent of managers, and 71 percent of the C-suite say they’d seriously consider taking a job with another company that would support their wellbeing (Wellbeing At Work, Deloitte 2024).

We know this matters, and we know that businesses that do not focus on this are at risk of losing great talent – but what are the elements of human sustainability?

• Learning and Development: Providing opportunities for professional growth, skill development, and career advancement to keep employees engaged and adaptable.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Creating an inclusive workplace where diversity is respected and all employees have equal opportunities and are treated with fairness.
• Employee Engagement and Empowerment: Fostering a sense of purpose, belonging, and ownership by involving employees in decision-making and valuing their contributions.
• Psychological Safety: Promoting a culture of respect, preventing bullying, harassment, and discrimination, and ensuring that employees feel safe to express themselves
• Work-Life Balance: Encouraging flexible work arrangements and respecting personal time to reduce burnout and increase job satisfaction.
• Health and Well-being: Providing a safe and healthy work environment, ensuring access to healthcare, promoting mental health, and encouraging work-life balance.
• Ethical Leadership and Governance: Ensuring leadership practices that prioritize ethical behavior, transparency, and respect for employees’ rights and dignity.
• Community and Social Responsibility: Encouraging participation in community service and supporting employees’ efforts to contribute to society, aligning business practices with broader social good.
• Sustainable Work Practices: Adopting environmentally friendly practices in the workplace, reducing the carbon footprint, and promoting sustainable use of resources..
• Health and Well-being: Providing a safe and healthy work environment, ensuring access to healthcare, promoting mental health, and encouraging work-life balance.
• Fair Compensation and Benefits: Offering fair wages, benefits, and job security to meet the basic needs of employees and promote financial stability.

Whilst this list seems like a mammoth task, and many organisations could argue that they are already doing this, let’s ask ourselves; how much of your work is meaningful, measured through data and weaved through the DNA of your organisation? Whilst you may be delivering on many of the elements above, do your employees feel empowered? Is it meaningful or could it be a tick box exercise? With only 43% of workers saying that their organisations have left them better off than when they started (Deloitte Insights 2024) – what would your employees say if we were to asked them the same question?