Engaging Early Professionals in Sustainability

In July 2023, a group of cross-industry individuals from several different organisations came together for a roundtable discussion on engaging early professionals in sustainability work to accelerate change.

Those who joined were connected through involvement in a Sustainability Network, a cross-organisation community of like-minded early professionals who meet monthly to talk about recent successes and challenges faced in the sustainability space, and how to improve collaboration in this area between organisations.

We know that early professionals have proven their interest and passion for sustainability, with 75% of Generation Z prioritising sustainability credentials over the brand name when looking for work.

This roundtable was an opportunity for early professionals to lead the conversation, with support from their experienced colleagues. We discussed the importance of harnessing the passion of early professionals, the challenges they may face when driving sustainable behaviours, and the continuous improvements which we all can make to engage early professionals and support them in finding their seat at the table.

In the newly emerging sustainability sector, early professionals, and young people in general, have a huge amount they can offer alongside (and sometimes beyond) their more experienced colleagues. In our roundtable discussion, we talked about the key benefits of engaging early professionals:

1. A fresh perspective. Early professionals don’t have the same prior experiences as some of their experienced colleagues and therefore tend to approach every task with a fresh take, not jaded or biased by the past. They bring a level of hope and blue-sky thinking which can otherwise be hard to find.
2. A valuable resource.Early professionals have an unparalleled passion for sustainability and are significantly more cost effective to use in emerging fields. As the sustainability field is still quite young, this gives them a chance to rapidly up-skill to the point where they can gain a similar level of knowledge to their experienced colleagues.
3. An eye on the prize.Many early professionals are focused on the end goal of a sustainable, net-zero world, and are not easily distracted by small incremental progress. This approach favours long-term strategy and helps with pushing for broader organisational change.
4. A long-term investment.With sustainability becoming increasingly important, engaging early professionals as soon as possible helps ensure they have the skillsets required for the organisations of tomorrow which can help with future-proofing.
5. Real world experience of issues.Current early professionals are some of the first to grow up with the knowledge of the impact of climate change. This means many make decisions with sustainability at the forefront of their mind in a way their experienced colleagues don’t. Harnessing this type of engrained thinking can be very beneficial.

Despite all these points, many early professionals, with a passion for sustainability, face challenges to delivering the impact we desperately need. In the next section, we explore some of the challenges discussed in the roundtable.

1. Letting structure and hierarchy block access.Whilst some organisations have started to engage early professionals as part of board meetings and other strategic decision-making forums, others are yet to embrace this as a way of involving the next generation. Sometimes, existing structures stop the voices of early professionals being heard.
2. Stopping ambition from turning into action.Whilst 95% of companies say they have developed an ESG proposition, only 10% of executives say they have made significant progress in executing it. As an example, goals have not been turned into long-term strategies for skills, which means early professionals are not getting the right support to ensure ‘every job becomes an ESG job’.
3. Getting to the right people, in the right places, at the right time.In large organisations, it can be difficult to cut through the complex web of stakeholders and structures. Often sustainability efforts are duplicated, work happens in silos and it’s difficult to know who holds what responsibilities and how they are related to other people or teams.
4. Letting organisational politics stand in the way of progress.If an idea wasn’t generated in a particular part of the organisation, it can be difficult to get traction and buy-in, even if the idea is a sensible and smart one.
5. Knowing how to strike the right balance.Early professionals must create the urgency for change without angering people for upsetting the status quo, which can be difficult when new to a career and organisation.
6. Delivering messages with the right tone.Not all stakeholders will buy into a sustainability-related idea because it’s the ‘right thing to do’. Knowing how to deliver a message in the right way to different people is a skill to be developed over time.

When considering the above, it’s easy to understand how early professionals’ own fears can hold them back. Self-limiting beliefs can easily form early in careers and can start to impact their full potential. In the next section, we explore the solutions both early and experienced professionals can put in place to help overcome these challenges.

Solutions for experienced professionals:

Organisations acknowledge that achieving our ESG goals requires a ‘mindset shift’, both from within companies and externally, to overcome the challenges involved in ESG reporting. It’s not enough to simply reward the executive board for achieving their ESG Key Performance Indicators. Consider how you will reward advancements at the operational levels, including your most junior staff. Show that you care about progress and how all work delivered, no matter how small, is helping you to achieve your overall goals. To do this, find out what motivates and inspires your early professionals. How do they want to be recognised? Ensuring your workforce remains inspired will allow for greater momentum and interest, further accelerating the adoption of sustainable practices.

Often, for early professionals, it’s not just about being involved in sustainability initiatives, it’s also about ensuring they feel like they belong at the table and are free to speak up with new ideas and concerns without being punished or humiliated. Strategies to create workplaces that are psychologically safe are needed to continue to promote system-level change.

Experienced colleagues can play a key role in making sure that early professionals are given a clear path ahead to drive sustainability initiatives. Sometimes being the ‘snow plough’ that begins conversations, with colleagues or clients, can allow early professionals to excel and engage further to bring about real change. Ultimately, taking the time to be a champion for your early professionals and allowing them to act on their passion for sustainability will ensure they stay active in the space for longer.

Solutions for early professionals:

It’s important to identify who in your company is invested in sustainability and could be an ally in making change happen. Recognising who is interested in making a difference will help both with promoting yourself within your company and with pushing forward the organisation’s sustainability agenda. Sometimes getting an initiative off the ground can be a matter of engaging the right person, at the right time, therefore it’s very important to maintain an accurate stakeholder map.

A First Insight Study found that Generation Z is disconnected from all older generations on what sustainability means. Ensuring that your stakeholders, no matter what age, are aligned with you on what ‘being more sustainable’ entails will allow you to more effectively target where you can make the most difference.

Momentum is built by a group of passionate people working towards a common goal. By embedding sustainability throughout your organisation in a formal capacity, you create a space for those who are interested and passionate about making a difference from within. It is important to remember that not all stakeholders share the same objectives, and while sustainability should be at the forefront of their minds, it may not always be. By building formal and visible networks, we bring sustainability to the fore and pave the way for action.

IBM’s recent IBV study, the ESG Conundrum, displays the large discrepancy between companies with operational ESG propositions (95%) and those which have made progress against them (41%). A formal network within an organisation can be a louder voice and can help push for the change required. With this change comes new opportunity, and this can be an ideal time for you to find your seat at the sustainability table!

Over the course of the discussions, we were struck by the enthusiasm and positivity for sustainable action across organisations. There was deep understanding of the value which early professionals can bring, coupled with awareness of the pressure that many of them may feel. The unique perspectives that early professionals possess will be invaluable to forward-thinking businesses and broader society.

They have an excellent awareness of global issues, ethical consumption and the link between profitability and sustainability. With a myriad of skills, they are prepared to work for more sustainable organisations towards a better world.

During our discussions, a challenge repeatedly highlighted was over-structured teams and hierarchies. Supporting early professionals’ efforts to build networks, championing their priorities, and inspiring their engagement are fantastic ways to support change. Early professionals will be living in a world impacted by the climate crisis for the rest of their lives; so will every person who follows them. Opening opportunities to make a difference, limit the effects of climate change, and build a more sustainable world will increase retention, innovation and ultimately profitability.

We would like to thank our participants for their open, candid and insightful contributions. Without the engagement of our fellow early professionals and their more experienced colleagues, events like this would not be possible. If you would like to join our Sustainability Network and attend one of our future events, please get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you!

Learn more:

First Insight (2021). The State of Consumer Spending: Gen Z Influencing All Generations to Make Sustainability-First Purchasing Decisions.

IBM Institute for Business Value (2023). The ESG data conundrum.