How Do Global Companies Engage Their Employees?

“Although we have established ESG policies, they do not seem to be fully embedded in daily operations.”
“Even after conducting training programs, it is difficult to sustain behavioral change.”

These are concerns that are heard not only in Japan, but across many organizations worldwide. At Neuromagic, we also receive similar inquiries on a regular basis. At the same time, there are examples of leading global companies where employees appear to engage proactively in sustainability and DEI initiatives, which in turn seem to contribute to business performance.

Where do these differences come from?

Through our review of various cases, we have observed that many of these companies do not rely solely on individual motivation or awareness. Instead, they tend to develop systems and structures that support engagement.

In this article, we summarize these common approaches and present them in a way that may be useful for Japanese companies as well.

Why Employee Engagement Is Gaining Attention

In recent years, “employee engagement” has increasingly been recognized as an important management factor in global business.

International standards such as GRI and CSRD (ESRS) often evaluate companies in terms of:

• Human capital and working styles
• Employee involvement
• Organizational execution capability

As a result, not only whether systems exist, but how they are actually implemented and operated is becoming more important.

The Growing Influence of Generation Z

Among younger generations in particular, there is a growing tendency to look beyond corporate messages and focus on:

• On-site implementation
• Continuity
• Concrete initiatives

When employees are actively involved, the quality of initiatives may improve, on-site ideas are more likely to emerge, and long-term performance may be strengthened.

In this sense, employee engagement may also have an indirect impact on recruitment and brand perception.

Common Elements of Engagement Design in Global Companies

While industries and company sizes vary, several common patterns can be observed. Below are five representative elements.

1. Carefully Sharing Organizational Purpose

As a first step, clearly communicating “why” initiatives are undertaken is considered important.

Some purpose-driven companies foster a culture of repeatedly sharing their organizational purpose through onboarding programs and daily communication.

For example, Unilever has promoted purpose-driven management through frameworks such as the Sustainable Living Plan and Unilever Compass. Employees are provided with opportunities to participate in purpose-related workshops, and sustainability goals are set for each brand to connect purpose with business activities.

Such efforts may offer useful reference points for Japanese companies. Organizations in which purpose and background are broadly shared often appear to benefit from smoother decision-making and reduced coordination costs.

2. Designing Behavior (Nudges and Behavioral Design)

Even with ambitious visions, individual behavior does not always change immediately.

Many leading companies place greater emphasis on creating environments that encourage action, rather than trying to change mindsets directly.

One approach is the use of “nudges,” based on behavioral science.

Examples include:

• Designing easy-to-use waste separation systems
• Visualizing sustainability KPIs
• Introducing gamification elements

These measures may help employees act more naturally within their daily routines. By designing behavior in advance, initiatives may become easier to sustain over time.

3. Establishing On-Site Champions (Ambassador Programs)

When initiatives are driven solely from the top, gaps may emerge between headquarters and frontline operations.

To address this, many companies appoint on-site employees as ambassadors or champions.

Such systems often encourage:

• Bottom-up improvement proposals
• Knowledge sharing
• Cross-departmental expansion

In retail and food industries, for example, employees who serve as sustainability leaders are sometimes appointed, supported by recognition and sharing mechanisms.

These approaches may help shift perceptions from “head office instructions” to “our own activities.”

4. Visible Commitment from Leadership

The degree of involvement shown by top management can influence how initiatives are perceived. For instance, at Salesforce, the CEO regularly communicates about ESG and DEI. The company also operates dedicated internal communication channels. Through its “1-1-1 model,” which allocates 1% of time, products, and equity to social contribution, participation is made visible.

When leadership messages are combined with institutional support, initiatives may be more likely to gain traction. Some companies also increase engagement by sharing on-site achievements through internal and external channels.

Sustained visibility of leadership involvement may gradually strengthen shared recognition of organizational priorities.

5. Transparency of KPIs and Integration with Evaluation Systems

How initiatives are evaluated is another important factor for continuity.

For example, Schneider Electric publishes ESG-related KPIs as “Sustainability Impact” and links them to compensation systems. Unilever has also incorporated sustainability indicators into its evaluation processes.

By introducing:

• Visualization of indicators
• Regular reviews
• Links to performance evaluation

initiatives may become more embedded in everyday operations. Embedding actions into evaluation systems, rather than relying solely on goodwill, may help sustain engagement.

Considering Approaches That Fit Each Organization

Some organizations may feel uncertain about where to begin or how to adapt these practices to their own context. Designing engagement is not a one-time task, but rather a process that evolves through ongoing trial and adjustment.

For this reason, organizing initiatives in line with each organization’s circumstances and advancing at a manageable pace is often important.

Working with Neuromagic to Build an “Active Organization”

At Neuromagic, we place importance on designing engagement as a system that operates naturally within daily work, rather than relying on awareness campaigns or slogans.

We provide hands-on, collaborative support for designing employee engagement in sustainability initiatives, tailored to each organization’s situation.

If you are unsure about how to proceed or would like support in organizing your approach, please feel free to contact us.

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