Guest post by Adam Ney, Managing Director of AuctorVerno (AV)
For over four years, I’ve monitored and posted positions that were either hard-core green jobs such as energy or environmental engineers, jobs that had a tint of green to them like a carpenter with a PV installer’s license or positions at companies with a strong record of sustainability such as a human resources opening at UTC Power. More often than not, the positions that were advertised did not emphasize the position’s green attributes. However recently, I have noticed that businesses and non-profits too, are now listing positions with some green requirements. I believe this is a result of several factors.
The first factor is due to the current stimulus/infrastructure frenzy. More and more companies need to hire individuals with green knowledge in order to compete for funds and do the work. Take for instance a recent position we posted from careerbuilder.com that was for a sales representatives for green products producer in the Hartford/Springfield area. Connecticut will be receiving $64M in stimulus funds for residential weatherization and there is 30 percent federal tax credit for weatherizing your home. With that being said, the company claims they are “receiving more inquiries at present than they can handle” and need representatives skilled in consultative sales. The ad continues to state they will pay-to-train on how to sell green products to consumers.
The second factor is that companies that have established a strong green brand need to have that commitment carry through to all facets of the organization including worker skills and at all levels. Case in point – Sodexo, a world leader in food and facilities management services and with offices in Simsbury, CT, is currently looking for Food & Beverage Director for an elite, upscale and progressive Retirement Community in the Fairfield, CT area. Because Sodexo has made a strong commitment to corporate citizenship and has a huge green supply chain, they include in the ad that the successful candidate needs to have “…experience in green/sustainability initiatives.”
The third area where green job attributes have become more popular is in the not-for-profit sector. Besides having tighter budgets and trying to lower costs, some non-profits have tweaked their missions to incorporate some form of sustainability in their service offerings. The new economy has pushed them to eco-diversify and it also makes good marketing sense especially if your donors are doing it so you appear like-minded in your approach. Recently, Aid to Artisans (ATA) which is located in West Hartford and has been training low-income artisans worldwide to develop profitable businesses, posted a position opening for director of corporate and foundation relations. In the preamble about ATA, the ad states that ATA has changed its mission and “…will expand the organizations concentration on business skills, product development and market links by emphasizing eco-friendly processes that ensure artisan health and safety, as well as addressing the demand for green products in the marketplace.” They are clearly being innovative, realizing greater market opportunities for their customers and again, to be seen as progressive and green-minded, like many of their donors.
So as you can see, for various reasons, more and more want ads are emphasizing that a candidate should either have green skills or at least be cognizant of the emerging green economy and have attributes or a mind-set that will enhance the green missions and efforts of these organizations.
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