Sustainability is key for employee recruitment and retention

Companies with robust climate goals and sustainability initiatives might find attracting and retaining talent easier. According to a 2019 study by Fast Company, 40% of millennials said they have chosen to work for an employer because of their strong sustainability performance, and 30% said they decided to leave a job because of poor sustainability performance.

The tech industry is increasingly focused on sustainability, creating greater demand for climate-related knowledge and talent. According to the SOGS survey, 26% of respondents say that sustainability, or green software, is part of their official role, which may suggest a need for more skilled professionals in green software principles, design, and development. In the future, it is likely that attracting and retaining employees with sustainability skills will be important to companies’ business success. But a 2021 survey of UK employees shows that many workers are disappointed with their employers’ lack of sustainability efforts and resources. While 53% of respondents said that a company’s sustainability efforts were an important factor in them deciding to work there, 40% of respondents were disappointed by their employers’ current sustainability efforts. Sustainability was especially important to Gen Z and Millennial respondents. This indicates that companies that put resources into sustainability may have an easier time attracting and retaining top talent in the near future.