Macro, Micro and “Me”

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Today’s business leaders must contend with more challenges than ever before: a looming climate crisis, a global pandemic, societal divisions and unrest, and persistent economic disparities. Along with these unprecedented times is an unprecedented opportunity to affect change. But with so many competing priorities, where should leaders focus attention?  

It is unrealistic to expect business leaders to meaningfully influence every social, economic and environmental issue. When prioritizing action, leaders must think about the issues that matter most to their business strategy, as well as those that they can positively influence. Beyond this, understanding which issues matter most to frontline employees is a critical way to drive engagement in sustainability efforts.

In India, both C-suite respondents and employees agree that the global pandemic is the biggest threat to the future of society, as well as the biggest challenge affecting their workplace.

Top 10 sustainability issues affecting future of society

Rank of percent selecting each item as top 3 issue (from list of 16 issues)

Top 10 sustainability issues affecting your employer and workplace

However, there is an opportunity for senior leaders in India to gain a better understanding of the issues that their employees care most about. When asked about the top issues affecting their workplace, employees cited a shortage of workers with in-demand skills a top-three challenge. Yet this issue ranks only in ninth place for C-suite leaders. And while corruption/abuses of power are a key concern for employees, they appear in tenth place for C-suite leaders. C-suite leaders instead remain focused on macro issues, such as pollution and climate change.

When asked about the top issues they wanted senior leaders to solve, employees in India prioritized the issues that affected their day-to-day lives, such as health and wellbeing, fair remuneration, equal opportunities for advancement and greater flexibility. These are not small issues to employees. It’s about their health, their career and their work/life balance.

Key sustainability issues senior leaders should solve

Percent of Employees selecting each item

Yet employees are also mindful of external challenges. Across the 11 markets we surveyed, employees in India were among the most likely to expect their senior leaders to help fix societal challenges, such as climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion threats. In our study, 42% expect their senior leaders to develop environmental policies, ahead of the global average (29%). A further 33% want to see action on gender-equity issues, compared to 22% globally. And 29% want senior leaders to address diversity challenges at the senior leadership level, against 18% globally.

Sustainability has been an important part of the national discourse in India since the arrival of the Companies Act 2013. It would appear that the requirements for organizations to spend 2% of average net profits on CSR activities has prompted employees in India to see business leaders as active advocates for social change. Leaders must deliver against these heightened expectations for action.