4 Reasons Jobseekers will Choose Sustainable Organisations

More people than ever before are developing a greater awareness of the importance of protecting our environment, and eco-conscious job seekers are becoming the norm amongst the Millennial sector of the market. With this in mind, finding ways to appeal to those green-minded candidates is imperative, and that’s where sustainability initiatives can come into play to attract the top talent.

1. A desire to work for a sustainable organisation

There is an ever-growing amount of evidence that suggests many employees are nowadays attracted to companies that operate sustainably, and this appeal can be a significant source of highly competitive advantage, with studies revealing that by attracting a greater number of applicants, organisations that have an eco-first ethos can dramatically increase their chance of hiring top performers.

2. Employees feel pride in working for a sustainable company

Companies that have sustainable practices also have a better reputation and a higher status within their industry and, as a result, many jobseekers feel great pride in working for such a prestigious organisation.

To use this in your favour, you can reinforce the anticipated feelings of pride by first creating and then celebrating your reputation for being a sustainable company. You can achieve this by adopting sustainability practices that not only meet but actively exceed those considered normal for your sector, thus distinguishing your brand from other similar employers.

You can link your organisation’s sustainability to its prestige by obtaining awards and recognition from reputable and well-known third-party organisations and demonstrate the pride that your existing employees have in working for your company through testimonials.

3. A belief that a sustainable company cares about its workforce

Evidence has suggested that for many jobseekers, strong sustainability initiatives within an organisation imply that the company cares about its workforce. After all, if it has genuine consideration for the wider society’s welfare, it is surely going to treat its workers well too.

You can reinforce this belief by linking it with the way you deal with your employees. You can showcase sustainability initiatives that are driven by employees in order to illustrate the ways in which your drive for greater eco-friendliness is associated with your efforts to give your employees’ rewarding and meaningful experiences.

You can also communicate to jobseekers the ways in which your eco-friendly practices are linked to the ways in which you treat your workforce by giving them the message that you are trying to reduce the impact your business has on the environment because you care about the planet in the same way as you care for your team members.

4. Your organisational values align with the personal values of jobseekers

Most candidates these days want to work for an employer with values that fit in well with those that they hold dear themselves. You can tap into this desire by describing explicitly the company values which drive your company’s specific eco-friendly actions, for example, those relating to protection of the environment, and taking responsibility as a corporate citizen.

You can clearly demonstrate how your brand infuses sustainability into every element of daily working life, from reward systems to training programs, and from objectives to operational practices.

How to communicate sustainability to jobseekers

Your messages about your company’s sustainability will only bring value to your organisation if they can reach potential candidates, so you need to use several channels in order to inform jobseekers about how eco-friendly your business is.

Careers pages, your company website, recruitment handouts, position announcements, and employee testimonials are some good places to start. It’s important, though, to ensure your sustainability messages are true and genuine – they must match up with the experience candidates will have once they join your organisation.

If you can take these tips on board, you should find that you can attract a broader spectrum of highly skilled and talented candidates to your job adverts and have a far greater chance of hiring the most successful applicants for your team.