- Sustainability talent is scarce and many organizations have resorted to in-house training as a means to improve their ESG outcomes more efficiently.
- Companies must go beyond basic awareness and actively provide employees with the knowledge and tools to drive sustainable practices across the business.
- Companies should prioritize talent development as part of their sustainability strategy because employees with the right skills drive meaningful and lasting change.
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What are sustainability skills and why are they important?
Sustainability has evolved from being a trend to a core business strategy. Companies are now expected to operate sustainably to meet consumer expectations and comply with environmental regulations. However, this shift requires employees to develop new skills that can drive sustainability initiatives.
Sustainability skills encompass a range of competencies that enable employees to engage in environmentally responsible practices. These skills are essential in today’s business world as companies face increasing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint and meet regulatory requirements.
Furthermore, developing sustainability skills in employees is crucial for long-term success. By fostering a workforce knowledgeable in sustainable practices, companies not only enhance their operational efficiency but also build resilience, innovation, and competitive advantage in a rapidly changing market.
Do employees know and understand the company's ESG strategy?
The 3 stages of developing employees' sustainability skills
Some companies are only just embarking on their sustainability journey, making talent and skills surrounding this topic a crucial part of their strategic development. However, sustainability talent is scarce and many organizations have resorted to in-house training as a means to improve their ESG outcomes more efficiently.
And as any new journey we embark on, it is interesting to analyze it in terms of its phases or stages; here are three key stages for developing employees’ sustainability skills and knowledge.
Mobilizing employees
Engaging an entire organization is a challenging process, this is why a crucial first step should focus on mobilizing a central core of people within the company in order to set commitments and mobilize stakeholders toward a clear strategy.
These people typically know the company well, have a somewhat deeper understanding of sustainability issues and topics, and together with a digital skill set, they become instrumental for driving change.
Embedding sustainability
As organizations move forward in their sustainability journey, the begin to need more fluency in the matter. This stage requires the previously mentioned group of people to guide the organization in order to deliver on the sustainability initiatives within their business units and functions.
This stage also requires multidisciplinary skills to be merged with specific sustainability skills that can properly serve the business unit or department in question. This is, sustainability skills are added onto the mix of functional skills.
Accelerating sustainability
In this stage of the journey sustainability is already fully integrated in the company and employees have the necessary sustainability skills to complement their functional ones. Now is the moment to maintain this talent and flow of things.
Maintaining a level of training and motivation among employees in regards to their sustainability skills is crucial for retention, this is, ensuring the talent transformed by the company remains in the company and continues to drive better sustainable change.
Guide to employees’ sustainability training and active engagement
Strategies for developing sustainability skills
Building a sustainability-focused workforce requires a thoughtful approach to skill development. Companies must go beyond basic awareness and actively provide employees with the knowledge and tools to drive sustainable practices across the business.
This can be achieved through a combination of strategies like the ones we describe below. These approaches are not only meant for fostering a deeper understanding of sustainability, but also embed it into the company culture, ensuring that employees at all levels can contribute to long-term environmental and business goals.
Training programs
Investing in targeted sustainability training is critical for equipping employees with the necessary skills. This can include in-house workshops focused on topics like sustainable resource management or carbon footprint reduction. Companies can also offer online courses on subjects like climate change or circular economy.
On the job learning
Practical experience is key to embedding sustainability into a company’s culture. Employees should be encouraged to take part in real-world projects. Involving employees across departments in sustainability projects, and allowing employees to directly contribute to these initiatives reinforces their learning while creating immediate positive impact.
Cross departamental collaboration
Sustainability isn’t limited to one department; it spans across various functions. Cross-departmental collaboration encourages sharing of ideas and perspectives that lead to more innovative solutions. Sustainability efforts can bridge the gap between different departments and teams to ensure an overall responsible alignment of task and outcomes.
Partnerships and mentorship
Partnering with sustainability organizations and creating mentorship programs with experts in the field can accelerate learning. Mentorship programs can be established with industry leaders or academic institutions to give employees insights into cutting-edge practices.
Why should companies prioritize talent development as part of their sustainability strategy?
All in all, companies should prioritize talent development as part of their sustainability strategy because employees with the right skills drive meaningful and lasting change.
By investing in sustainability-related training, companies empower their workforce to innovate and adapt to evolving environmental challenges. This not only strengthens internal capabilities but also positions the organization as a leader in sustainability.
Moreover, a skilled and sustainability-conscious workforce enhances operational efficiency, reduces environmental risks, and ensures long-term business resilience, making talent development a key pillar for achieving both corporate and environmental goals.
Empowering employees to implement ESG strategies
In DoGood, we aim to simplify the complex web of sustainability objectives for companies by offering a platform that translates the high-level ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) objectives into actionable tasks for every single employee.
Then, each employee not only knows how to make an impact but also feels empowered to contribute meaningfully to the greater sustainable strategy.
No more vague directives. No confusion. DoGood automates the process, making it seamless for the workforce to know precisely what steps to take.
