"Going Green" Positively Impacts Employee Engagement and Opinions of Senior Management

WAYNE, PA--(Marketwire - April 18, 2008) - Research conducted by the Kenexa Research Institute (KRI) evaluated workers' opinions of their organizations with regard to "green" initiatives. The latest research suggests that an organization's business choices that support the environment such as recycling, energy conservation and vendor selection have a significant influence on employees' engagement levels and views of senior management. The report is based on the analysis of data drawn from a representative sample of workers surveyed through WorkTrends™, KRI's 2008 annual survey of worker opinions.

"Worldwide, more and more organizations are 'going green' and are integrating this dedication into their strategic corporate initiatives," said Anne Herman, research consultant, Kenexa Research Institute. "Those organizations committed to the environment demonstrate this by routinely recycling, conserving energy and working with vendors who share similar values. This sets them apart from their competition by creating a positive employment brand, and establishes an emotional tie between the employee and organization."

The results from the latest cross-culture study indicate that among the 13 countries surveyed, more than half (54%) of workers state their favorability with their organization's participation in "green" initiatives. Workers in India (63%) are the most favorable while workers in Japan (40%) and Russia (42%) are the least favorable.

Across all countries surveyed, the research indicates that working for an organization where employees positively view "green" efforts has a significant, favorable impact on how they rate their pride in the organization, overall satisfaction and willingness to recommend it as a place to work. Furthermore, employees with favorable opinions of their organizations' "green" activities are more likely to state an intention to stay, relative to those who have unfavorable opinions.

Employees who have favorable views of their company's "green" activities also have more favorable opinions of their management. They are much more likely to feel that senior managers have the ability to deal with company challenges, demonstrate that employees are important to the success of the company, and provide employees with a clear picture of the company's direction. In addition, these employees are also more likely to believe that senior management supports and practices high standards of ethical conduct, and is more trustworthy.

When asked why they joined their organization, employees reported that one of the reasons they joined was because of the organization's reputation. Those who were favorable toward their organization's green initiatives were more likely to indicate that their company's reputation had improved in the past year compared to those employees who were unfavorable toward their company's green practices.

"Today's employees are considering the reputation of an organization in their decision to join, and the positive influence of a company's green policy relates to a more favorable reputation. Earth Day serves as a reminder that organizations that participate in 'green' initiatives, are not only positive global environmental citizens, they increase their competitive advantage when hiring and retaining employees," said Herman.

About WorkTrends™

The Kenexa WorkTrends database is a comprehensive normative database of employee opinions on topics including leadership, employee engagement and customer orientation. Comparisons are available for workers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

About Kenexa

Kenexa Corporation (NASDAQ: KNXA) is a global leader in building the world's greatest workforces using a combination of software, employee research science and business process optimization. Kenexa's global solutions include applicant tracking, onboarding, recruitment process outsourcing, employment branding, skills and behavioral assessments, structured interviews, performance management, multi-rater feedback surveys, employee engagement surveys and HR Analytics. Kenexa is headquartered in Wayne, Pa. (outside Philadelphia). Additional information about Kenexa and its global products and services can be accessed at www.kenexa.com.