• Three quarters (75%) of professionals believe an organisation’s commitment to sustainability is important when considering a new role
• More than half (58%) of professionals would consider reskilling into the sustainability sector
• Almost a third (31%) of employers expect the need for sustainability specialists and green skills to increase within their organisation 

The importance of an organisation’s commitment to sustainability to attract talent is on the rise, as most professionals continue to value sustainability highly when job searching, according to new research by Hays.

The research, based on a survey of nearly 15,000 responses from employers and professionals, also found that a growing number of professionals are keen to reskill into sustainability, rising from 51% in 2022 to 58% in 2023. 

Commitment to sustainability remains crucial

Most (83%) employers rate their organisation’s commitment to sustainability issues as important, which has remained the same since last year. This figure rises to 88% for employers from very large organisations (more than 1,000 employees). 

Many employers also believe their organisation’s commitment to sustainability is important to help attract staff, which has increased from 67% in 2022 to 72% in 2023. Even more (75%) employers from very large organisations say their sustainability credentials are crucial to attract talent, closely followed by employers at large companies (74%) – comprised of between 251 and 1,000 employees. 

When it comes to how professionals feel, three quarters (75%) say an organisation’s commitment to sustainability is important when considering a new role.  

Reskilling into sustainability on the rise 

Well over half (58%) of professionals would consider reskilling into the sustainability sector, rising from 51% who said the same last year. The top cited reasons that would most interest professionals if they were to upskill into the sustainability sector are to reduce the environmental impacts of their activities (51%) and to grow their career opportunities, and because sustainability is an advancing sector (50%).

Additionally, just under half (46%) of professionals say they’d be interested in working in green industries (e.g. renewables, electric vehicles, green retrofit), over a third (38%) say helping organisations respond to the net zero agenda and more than a quarter (27%) say enhancing organisations’ social impact and value. 

Just over three quarters (76%) of employers would consider hiring someone who doesn’t possess all the right skills into an environment and sustainability role, with the intention of upskilling them. 

Sustainability expertise growing but awareness amongst staff is low 

Over the last 12 months, over one in five (21%) employers say the number of sustainability specialists in their organisation has increased, whilst over half (46%) say the number has stayed the same. 

Notably, almost a third (30%) are unsure about whether the number of sustainability specialists in their organisation has changed in the last 12 months, illustrating a lack of communication and transparency around sustainability roles and responsibilities. 

Looking to the future, nearly a third (31%) of employers expect the need for sustainability specialists and green skills to increase in the next 12 months and this rises to 37% for employers from very large organisations. Whilst 41% of employers expect the need for sustainability specialists and green skills to stay the same within their organisation. 

Paul Gosling, Director at Hays specialising in Sustainability, comments: “The continuing recognition of the importance and urgency of issues such as climate change, pollution and air quality means that sustainability is being taken increasingly seriously by many businesses today.   
They understand that not only is it the right thing to do but it can offer significant commercial and talent attraction advantages. As a result, the opportunities open to professionals who want to embark on or grow their career in sustainability are constantly expanding. 

However, the dangers of “greenwashing” continue to be a concern, underlining the importance of dedicated sustainability specialists to guide organisations in this complex arena. It’s also crucial for employers to be transparent and accurate about their organisation’s sustainability activities and future plans.”

About the research: The survey was conducted between the 10th of August – 11th September 2023 and received 14,915 responses. 

Contact
Chloe May
PR Executive
chloe.may@hays.com

About Hays

Hays plc (the "Group") is the world’s leading specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment, such as RPO and MSP. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK, Germany and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 30 June 2023, the Group employed over 13,000 staff operating from 252 offices in 33 countries. For the year ended 30 June 2023:

• the Group reported net fees of £1,294.6 million and operating profit of £197.0 million;
• the Group placed around 76,800 candidates into permanent jobs and around 245,000 people into temporary roles;
• 15% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 30% in Germany, 21% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 34% in Rest of World (RoW);
• the temporary placement business represented 57% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 43% of net fees;
• Technology is the Group’s largest division, with 26% of net fees, while Accountancy & Finance (15%) and Engineering (10%), are the next largest
• Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, the UK and the USA