Taking care of our wellbeing as a species without causing harm to living conditions, makes the sweet spot for Cleantech companies. It’s also a reason to attract and retain talented people.
You need to know one thing: Needs drive action. Consciously or not, what ever you do is done in an effort to meet a need. Be it to survive or to strive for fulfilment. Needs direct wellbeing, and performance. When your needs are met you feel good. When they are not met, you feel bad. This is valid for anyone, anywhere, anytime. Needs are universal, also at work.
Live, Love, Learn, and Leave a Legacy. This is how Dr Stephen Covey (1932-2012) simplified our universal, human needs. You need to Live, i.e. to safely get by. You will always need Love, i.e. to belong to a group, friendship & love and to get attention & recognition. Once these very fundamental needs are met, the needs to Learn & Leave a Legacy get more dominant. The ability to fulfil those needs at work is crucial for many top-performers. See the figure below to know what employers can do to attract and retain these talents.
Best employees seek frequent opportunities to learn and grow their knowledge and skills. Cleantech companies are ahead of development. They make new inventions, or improve old ones to create profitable sustainable development. They are able to continuously provide employees with numerous creative challenges, possibilities to obtain new knowledge and learn.
Talents often want to contribute to a higher cause. They want to benefit individuals, societies, and the planet as a whole. Doing “good” feels good. Taking care of the wellbeing of the human species, and living conditions is in the DNA of Cleantech companies. They help to make e.g. good and economical energy, clean water and nutritious food accessible for both current and future generations. That provides meaningful goals to work for.
Beautifully enough, when employees in Cleantech companies meet their own needs to Live, Love, Learn, and Leave a Legacy, they simultaneously help others to meet their basic needs as well. Everybody wins.