More than 280,000 tech employees have been laid off over the last 2 years. The tumultuous tech landscape presents a timely opportunity to reverse the green economy’s predicted worker shortage and recruit tech workers to join the climate fight.
But how can ClimateTech companies seize this opportunity, avoid the green skills hiring crisis, and ensure new tech talents have the skills they need to succeed and grow their businesses?
What’s causing the ClimateTech hiring crisis?
The looming ClimateTech hiring crisis is due to a shortage of green skills that stems from how recently the sustainable technology industry emerged. Without getting into the specifics of the evolution in terminology from GreenTech to CleanTech to ClimateTech, technology broadly targeted at solving climate and sustainability challenges has only existed since the early 2000s.
Due to the quick growth within the sustainability tech space, there is a tendency for companies to demand highly experienced tech employees to already possess the specific green skills they desire. While there isn’t a shortage of green tech workers for the current demand, that’s expected to change if it’s not addressed.
When it comes to addressing who is responsible for helping fix the green skills gap, the right solution isn’t easily found. ClimateTech as an industry hasn’t arrived on the scene with the chronically behind universities and educational institutions.
And the government can’t provide education on a sector and its opportunities when they are in the dark themselves. ClimateTech associations and trade bodies could help, but that quickly turns into a funding issue.
Related reading: Project Managers, Scientists, Engineers: Climate Tech Needs You
Your ClimateTech Company is the Solution
With so much tech talent searching for new positions, ClimateTech companies should harness the opportunity to hire new talent regardless of prior green experience and provide training to address green skill gaps, before the ClimateTech hiring demands exceed supply.
ClimateTech companies must embrace hiring for potential, transferable skills, and augmenting their in-house talent with contract workers if they want the industry to keep growing. If companies don’t make an effort to recruit and upskill aspiring green tech talent, a ClimateTech hiring crisis is on the horizon.
Recommended reading: How to Break into Climate Tech: Ultimate Guide
Make “Problem-Solving” the Focus Of Your Recruitment Strategy
Individuals who work in technology are invested in building solutions that result in a better world. “Hires want to know about the mission and impact,” Brendan Andersen, founder of Climate People, told Fortune. “That’s a big shift directly attributed to a younger generation that prioritizes things very differently.”
With 90% of workers willing to take a pay cut for more meaningful work, ClimateTech companies should make the problem-solving impact of their technology front and center in their recruitment strategies.
“The next phase that’s coming out of the great resignation and the great layoffs is the great realignment,” Evan Hynes, cofounder and CEO of Climatebase, told Fortune. ClimateTech companies can seize this opportunity to turn the tides to make the great realignment work for a sustainable future.
Actionable Ways To Retain Top Tech Talent
To recruit and retain top tech talent, ClimateTech companies should invest in training and development, upskill current employees, prioritize flexibility, and be intentional about diversity and inclusion. Let’s discuss those in a bit more detail.
Invest in training and development. Individuals who work in tech prioritize their career growth. They want to work for employers who are as invested in their development as they are.
Nathalie Benoit, VP of People and Culture at BrainBox AI shares, “To remain competitive we must offer a meaningful employee experience and provide opportunities for employees to advance their careers.”
Augment with contract talent. Keep task loads manageable by augmenting your team with green-skilled contract workers, who may even help your existing employees learn those coveted green skills.
Prioritize diversity and inclusion. Like in other tech industries, ClimateTech has notable gaps in gender and ethnic diversity. Making diversity a clear part of your company values can help you attract more women and diverse ethnicities — and keep them at your company longer.
Offer flexibility. There is nothing covid has changed more than the ways we work. Tech workers want flexibility, both in schedules and location independence, more now than ever before. By offering remote work options, it will be easier to find a diverse talent pool and fill your skill gaps.
Recognize your employees. Employees who are recognized for their work, are happier, more productive, more engaged, and less stressed.
Hire Top Freelancers For Your Climate Tech Startup
If you’re looking to augment your team with freelance ClimateTech workers or to contract an entire team to build a new product, you’ve come to the right place.
At MVP Match, we can help you fill your talent pipeline with climate tech workers now, or be available to help you prepare for your company’s future growth. Learn more about how MVP Match can help.
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