Find the Green in Your Organization

The business world is just beginning to harness the potential of a new generation of professionals turning their sustainability educations, eco awareness, and environmental passions into career ambitions. The idea of attracting and cultivating professionals of all backgrounds and levels of eco awareness has sparked action in many leading businesses.

Many companies are looking within their own organizations for this ‘green’ workforce. This internal search is supported by the 2009 Carbon Salary Survey which indicates that the ‘green’ job market is actually attracting a greater number of senior professionals.

“Across all positions, there are opportunities to make career moves in green professional jobs. ” - Peter Beadle, president of Greenjobs.com.

Businesses now realize that there is potential green talent all around them. Human Resource departments no longer have to exclusively search-out aspiring young ‘green’ talent. Instead, they are focusing their efforts to promote internal sustainable development.

So the question becomes: "How do you encourage employees to get on that ‘green career ladder’?"

Traditional business practices would advise employers to focus on individual employee performance. This encourages employees to be self-sufficient and work their way up through a combination of drive, determination, and a lot of hard work.   From a business sustainability perspective, there is a flaw in this thinking. Innovation requires communication and collaboration.

An alternative approach is to raise the visibility and value for sustainable action in the organization. This will encourage employees to gain a broader perspective of sustainability concepts and potential business application opportunities. In addition, it will allow for a clear definition of leadership qualities for employees seeking advancement.

For more information on creating a business sustainability culture and promoting ‘green’ career development, visit our blog posts:

•    What Job Seekers want in a Green Employer
•    What Does a “Green” Employee Look Like?
•    Cultivating Your Green Talent
•    Create Your Own Green Job

At Taiga Company, we encourage employers and employees to promote the ‘green’ career ladder and make sustainable change in the business world.