Understanding that job seeker motivations extend beyond emissions reduction and climate impact will help hiring managers attract talent that will provide the most long-term value.
Picture this. You just closed out your most recent funding round, have an exceptional road map for your company’s solution, and have perfected your product-market fit. Everything is going great, except you have no time left in the day.
It’s time to hire some help.
But where do you even begin? The first step to hiring your next employee is to lay the foundation for your hiring trajectory before deciding on the role, weeks for outlining the position, and months before writing the job description.
Understanding that job seeker motivations extend beyond emissions reduction and climate impact will help hiring managers attract talent that will provide the most long-term value. Real-world considerations like pay, job security, company culture, and flexibility are still primary considerations and must be considered.
At Climate People, we’ve worked with over 50 exceptional climate companies looking to grow their team and extend the reach of their climate solutions. These companies are founded by incredibly intelligent, driven, and passionate employees who genuinely want to make a difference for our planet.
While extremely well-intentioned, some climate companies leverage meaningful work as their primary and, sometimes, only selling point for potential hires. When you put it into context, this makes sense. These founders care so deeply about their climate solution that they have dedicated their careers and entire livelihood to propel the mission forward.
It understandable that a Founder would want their employees to carry the same dedication toward the company. However, expecting the same level of passion is not always feasible and can stagger company growth in the long run.
As we’ve repeated time and time again, we’re still in the early days of climate employment adoption. We need millions of people working in this space by the end of the decade. Founders and hiring managers that optimize their company pitch solely around climate impact may miss out on key early hires that can help rapidly scale the business. We consistently speak with job seekers looking for impactful work that aligns with their career ambitions. While climate work is often a new and exciting option, it’s not the only consideration for these job seekers.
Founders should meet these job seekers where they are, some are less knowledgeable of careers in climate, but can be persuaded to take a job in the space if they feel the company aligns with the other search factors they consider.
Most Americans believe that climate change needs to be addressed. 2022 Statistics from PEW Research show:
People are worried about climate change. Unfortunately the majority of these same people don’t realize they can work professionally in an area to impact it. Job seekers have misconceptions surrounding climate jobs and their requirements. The Climate People team recently conducted a survey that asked job seekers what was preventing them from taking a job in climate. Our results showed that 51% of respondents said they are disqualifying themselves and aren’t applying to jobs because they don’t have climate industry experience.
It’s critical to convey that climate experience isn’t necessary to cultivate a workforce transition to work on climate. ClimateTech companies also need to prioritize the real-world factors that go into the job decision-making process. When we’re sourcing people who are not strictly dedicated to climate jobs, we must focus on other incentives.
This same survey proved that to compete with other industries, climate companies must prioritize the real-world factors that go into the job decision-making process. Candidates care about climate and the mission but aren’t willing to sacrifice salary, flexibility, remote work (job dependent), etc. When asked about why working on climate is essential, 79% said ‘reducing emissions’; however, when asked which real-life job factors were most important to these same job seekers, that number dropped to 55%. Factors like ‘pay’ increased from 23%→54% and ‘job security’ increased two-fold from 19%→41%.
To attract qualified talent, we encourage hiring managers to consider these incentives when crafting their hiring strategy:
At the end of the day, climate companies have an advantage over traditional organizations. People want to work in meaningful fields, which is an incredible selling point. However, it cannot be the sole selling point as you attempt to expand your team.
The team at Climate People would love to help you navigate your hiring journey. Our door is always open if you want to discuss your hiring path forward.