FutureProof: Careers in ESG for leaders and the next generation
Organizations across the globe are recognizing that Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) sustainability is not just a nice-to-have, but a strategic imperative that enhances brand value, attracts investment, and supports talent management. With this acknowledgment comes a shift in responsibility for sustainability, which sees it moving from a side-of-desk task, mostly for the marketing and communications team, to a strategically critical function that requires knowledgeable professionals to advise senior leaders.
According to the University of Wisconsin, there was a 10 percent increase in sustainability jobs posted on LinkedIn in 2019 – outpacing growth in all other careers. In Canada, 34,000 sustainability jobs were added during the pandemic – a sure sign that this is a sought-after and futureproof career. Researchers noted that “drivers of this boost in sustainability positions include the increase in environmental, social and governance reporting, the continuing climate crisis, employee and customer demand, increasing awareness around diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
While many companies are looking to tackle these challenges, they often find themselves faced with an unexpected gap. With sustainability being a relatively new field, professionals are often early in their careers. They’re highly educated about ESG, but don’t yet have the workplace experience to lead complex organizational change programs. On the other hand, senior leaders that do have this experience typically lack deep ESG knowledge.
In this article, we explore ways that those beginning their professional lives, and experienced leaders, can build the skills they need to implement effective sustainability strategies and build their careers in ESG.
Building Sustainability Skills on the Job
Diverse Teams
Establishing diverse teams, comprising staff with different skillsets, experience levels and professional backgrounds, to develop and implement ESG strategies can overcome skills gaps, provided team members are equipped to work together and learn from each other.
Mentoring and Reverse Mentoring
Similarly, formal mentoring programs can enhance the skills of professionals at all levels of an organization. ‘Downward’ mentoring is common in many organizations, with senior leaders supporting the career development of junior team members, helping them to solve challenges ranging from technical skills to navigating workplace and team dynamics. Reverse or ‘mutual’ mentoring is a concept that has gained traction in recent years, often being successfully implemented by organizations wanting to harness the tech-saviness of younger generations to support adaptation to changing work practices for leaders who may not have grown up with a Nintendo in their hands.
The same practices can work in sustainability, with senior leaders sharing their institutional wisdom, and young professionals providing sustainability insights to those higher up the ladder.
Leadership Skills Development for Young Professionals
Young professionals who’ve studied sustainability may find themselves in careers ranging from a sustainability specialist to communications and investor relations, to supply chain management and beyond. There are few fields untouched by ESG, but this of course means that it’s impossible to be an expert in everything. It’s also likely that those graduating with sustainability qualifications won’t have had the opportunity to build skills in other areas essential for professional growth.
Those looking to broaden their career skills and enhance their professional development, however, need not go back to school – or wait 20 years for professional experience to kick in!
The options available will of course depend on your chosen career path, the size of your organization and the time and financial budget available (yours or your employer’s) to support your learning, but we have some suggestions that may benefit both you and your employer:
Internal internships: If you have recognized that you need to build skills and experience in an area not covered in your studies, employers may allow you to spend time in departments with responsibility for those areas. Whether it’s a couple of days a week or a short-term transfer, you will build skills, gain new knowledge and enhance your internal network, all contributing to your ability to implement sustainability projects at a higher level.
Project management certification: Many employers will support staff to undertake project management qualifications like Prince2 or PMBOK. These globally-recognized certifications can rapidly enhance ability to design and implement projects, including managing scope, stakeholder engagement and budget.
Taking on new projects: If an internal internship is not possible, working on projects with exposure to a variety of departments and leaders with different skills provides important learning opportunities. This can form part of a career development plan designed with a performance manager and can also help you to enhance networks and develop your reputation within an organization.
Sustainability Skills for Senior Leaders
Many organizations adopt an ESG strategy, and subsequently realize they need to find a home -and a person- to deliver that strategy. More often than not, responsibility is added to an existing portfolio, and the leader of that department suddenly finds that they need to upskill in an entirely new field.
Senior leaders typically have an extensive catalogue of skills and experience, and can confidently implement large-scale change projects, navigate organizational sensitivities and bring teams together to deliver strategically important outcomes. All these skills are not only transferrable to the management of ESG, they are essential. What leaders may find they require, however, is a deeper knowledge of sustainability.
What is the best way to learn about sustainability, without needing a whole new diploma?
Short courses: Introductory online courses can be a great way to ground yourself in sustainability theory, in your own time, without having to complete a full suite of course credits. Online providers such as Coursera, MOOCS and the Open University allow you to access a wide range of university-level courses, often at no cost. Taking the time to research credible courses will ensure you get the most out of your time investment.
Become a bookworm: There are some excellent books that can enhance your understanding of ESG, from impact investing to business leadership to the carbon footprint of bananas. This list provides some interesting options.
Join a group: Often, we learn best from the knowledge and experience of others. Joining groups with other sustainability leaders where you can share challenges, ideas and opportunities can be both useful and reassuring to new ESG leaders, as well as an excellent way to grow your professional network.
A One Stop Sustainability Workshop for Young Professionals and Senior Leaders
Formal education, mentoring and group work are all excellent ways to build skills no matter your professional level, but they come with a catch, and that catch is time – all of these options require an investment of time (which can have other resourcing implications and opportunity costs), when you may be looking to grow your leadership or ESG skills more quickly.
LittPark workshops provide an environment where leaders can get up to speed quickly on the most essential elements of ESG, while younger team members will learn the key steps of developing and implementing a strategy. Workshops are interactive and hands-on, ideally adapted to adult learning styles, ensuring you can meet your development needs, whether it’s your first year on the job or your thirtieth. At the end of our course, participants will have a framework for the development of an ESG strategy, tailored to their specific organizational needs.
To find out more about ESG workshops, get in touch here.
