Expanding the Sustainable Talent Conversation

In order to meet the growing demands of business sustainability and maintain a competitive advantage over the competition, businesses are encouraged to take a hard look at their internal resources and talent management processes. Thus, our professional consulting often asks executives: Is ‘sustainable’ talent management a top priority? How are you incentivizing this more engaged and diverse culture?

Business Finance Magazine recently released an interesting article, Is Your Value Proposition Still Working?, which examines the critical business sustainability concept of resource alignment. Referencing a CEO survey, the post explains how a growing percentage of companies are making a significant change and offering more no-financial rewards.

“An employee value proposition represents everything of value a company provides to its employees. Financial rewards are, not surprisingly, a key part of any value proposition. However, there is much more to it than that. Employees also value training and development opportunities, robust and clear career paths and progression, workplace flexibility, and a welcoming and supportive company culture, to name just a few elements of any employee value proposition.”

Supported by articles like this one, our sustainability consulting research leads us to the simple conclusion that organizations are utilizing an expanded view of talent management. This altered perspective encompasses alternative skills, career paths and employee incentives. We find leading ‘sustainable’ talent management focused organizations are addressing the challenges of:

How to determine the characteristics needed in a sustainable workforce?
How to differentiate and attract top talent?
How to develop, engage, and retain top performers and sustainability leaders?
How to motivate and incentivized a workforce that wants more from its employer?

The ability to plan and take action to address resource demands has long been a defining characteristic of a successful business. Our sustainability consulting practice works with businesses to understand the value of the right talent and tools which are required to strengthen their company.