Leadership’s Impact on a Sustainable Business

A rising number of company leaders are building sustainable practices into their business processes. In today’s world, a business’s attitude towards sustainability is a bridge to forging a path of trust with its stakeholders, employees, local community, and consumers. 

Sustainability is also a commitment to building robust, futureproof business plans. Any business with a real commitment to sustainability should embed it in its policies, processes, and in its hiring of talent.

So, how can companies find the right leaders to help define the path back to profitability and productivity, and generate a positive impact for society?

Hiring for Sustainability

A company’s first step towards reaching its sustainability goals will be to hire leadership with similar goals. QHSSE (Quality, Health, Safety, Security, and Environment) roles are very critical, especially for large global firms. 

Executive search experts must advise companies to consider their approach to sustainability at the very start of the hiring process for new leaders. This early identification of sustainability values ensures that they become a significant factor in the search for talent. The world expects commitment to sustainability from corporate leaders and urges companies to be transparent about it, so it only makes sense that this reaches into the hiring process, as well. 

Make Sustainability Part of the Company Story 

With pressure from competitors and ever evolving business challenges, companies cannot do without standards and a culture aligned with larger sustainability and environment goals. A great way to ensure that sustainability is integral to a business is to infuse it into the company’s vision. Every action and every decision that the company takes should reflect the sustainability mindset. 

Most C-suite executives struggle to maintain this consistency as it involves a companywide alignment, which can come from two places: the top down, or from the bottom up. 

The UN Global Compact-Accenture Strategy 2019 CEO Study, The Decade to Deliver: A Call to Business Action, found that while 92% of CEOs believe integration of sustainability will be important to the future success of their businesses. The challenge for businesses is to then deliver on this groundswell of interest in sustainability. To adopt specific measures that may, in fact, cause productivity and profitability gains in the long run. 

Leaning into Sustainability Through Recruitment 

The appeal of sustainability is as broad as the topic itself, meaning it could be one of the more “invisible” elements that prompt a leader to change company. 
A strong leaning towards sustainability is one of the aspects that can earn a business respectability and trust in the long term. Concrete action in this space demonstrates a company’s commitment towards people and the environment. 

And that starts from hiring sustainability-minded talent. When the company’s policies and its employees are in alignment with sustainability goals, it not only helps grow the business but also makes for a satisfying partnership in which all parties feel motivated to work towards a common goal.

If you’d like assistance finding top talent for these kinds of positions, please reach out to us today. You can also read more of our insights by browsing our advice section.