Raise your employability value with sustainability

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January 4, 2024 - As sustainability initiatives get higher on corporate agendas, job seekers need to bring more to the table than just skills that fit a job description. Having a basic understanding of what corporate sustainability is can make you more attractive as a potential employee and increase your chances of landing a dream role.

Showcasing this knowledge can also help you scout out a company that aligns with your values – making it a more meaningful fit. Let’s explore the significance of sustainability in the workplace and how you can increase your employability through learning and improving your commitment to sustainable practices.

Sustainability in the workplace

The reality of climate change and changing regulations are forcing organizations to prioritize sustainability – fast. There’s now a rising demand for sustainability-minded employees who demonstrate well-rounded thinking and a drive to reinvent business practices while helping save the planet.

A study of 1500 businesses has found that climate change has already affected nearly half of UK organizations. In the US, 78 percent of young people worry that in their lifetime, harm to people caused by climate change will get worse.

Sustainable workplaces are partly about future-proofing organizations but are also becoming key to effective people management. Fifty percent of employees prefer working for eco-friendly organizations, showing a clear advantage for businesses that commit to sustainable practices.

Even if leaders aren’t personally committed to the need for corporate sustainability, it’s no longer a choice. The European Union recently brought in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which helps investors and shareholders judge any investment risks associated with sustainability. (Read more in CSRD in focus: Workforce impact).

Learn

If your new year’s resolution is to find a different job, learning more about sustainability is crucial to increase your chances of landing a role. Here’s some ways to increase your sustainability knowledge:

• Make yourself more valuable to potential employers by taking the initiative to research and learn. There’s no shortage of accessible and free resources out there.
• Look up standards, frameworks, best practices, and guidance that are produced by government agencies or civil society organizations.
• If you’re searching for an environmental job within a business, taking a course in sustainability could set you on the right path.

Advice for job seekers

You can showcase an understanding of and commitment to sustainability when applying for all roles, not just environmental ones. Here’s how:

• Take the time to review companies’ sustainability reports, which should clearly define values and focus.
• Connect the businesses’ aims with your own work experience, as well as any other relevant skills and passions.
• If there’s any technical skills within that role relating to sustainability goals – and you possess those technical skills – make sure you shout about them.
• Demonstrate any sustainability initiatives or ideas you have come up with in the past and explain the impact they had.

Going into 2024 and beyond, understanding sustainability is invaluable for job seekers, employees, and organizations. Armed with this new knowledge, you can boost your chances of impressing during the hiring process and make an even bigger impact if hired.

This article was originally published under the title Sustainability in the workplace: Why workers and job seekers should take it seriously on 20 October, 2023. For more insights from Ryan, read Boosting small business sustainability. Learn more about the CSRD in Navigating the CSRD: Applying the double materiality principles. Follow along with more sustainability-focused content and other topics that should be at the top of your list at BSI’s Experts Corner.