‘ESG’ used to be a bit of a buzzword didn’t it?
You’d often see it listed here and there in a company’s goals, or hear it mentioned in quarterly updates. But in relation to long-term business success, nobody really seemed to be taking it all that seriously.
Well thankfully, things have changed, and if companies want to achieve sustained success these days, getting ESG right is crucial. A combination of regulations, stakeholder expectations, and the simple reality that strong ESG performance tends to make companies more efficient has made sure of that.
How can companies get ESG right? Well, the same way companies can get anything right; hire the right people! And to hire the right ESG people, ESG recruitment is the key.
But, to continue the key metaphor, many companies today have no idea how to actually use the key, some can’t even find the key, never mind open the door. (The door to the land where all your ESG goals are achieved!).
What we’re trying to say is, ESG recruitment is difficult. You need to know where to look, what to look for, and be able to distinguish between the reputable talent and the pretenders. On top of this, there’s also more demand for top ESG talent than there is supply right now, so competition is fierce.
Which is exactly why we’ve created this article, to cover everything you need to know to make sure you get ESG recruitment right. (Maybe this article is the key to the key? Okay we’ll stop with the metaphors now).
Keep reading if you want to learn about the following topics:
- What is ESG recruitment?
- How can ESG recruitment help you achieve your sustainability goals?
- 6 key qualities to look for in an ESG freelancer.
- Where can you recruit quality ESG freelancers?
- How can you find a reputable ESG recruitment agency?
- How Dazzle can make all your ESG recruitment worries disappear.
Come the end of the article, we promise ESG recruitment won’t seem so scary anymore. We know you’ll quickly realize that the ESG talent you need to succeed is just a few simple steps away.
But first things first, what do we actually mean when we talk about ESG recruitment?
What is ESG recruitment?
Okay we know it’s not rocket science, but just to give a clear definition, ESG recruitment is essentially the process of hiring professionals with the skills and experience to lead or support an organisation’s ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives.
This might involve things like sustainability strategy development, reporting, compliance, stakeholder engagement, meaningful change-making across departments, or all of the above and more.
With such a wide scope, unsurprisingly, ESG can never be just a one-person job. It’s a wide and ever-changing field that requires a diverse range of specialist roles. ESG analysts, sustainability managers, environmental compliance officers, CSR managers, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) managers…. to name just a few. (There are so many and the list keeps growing).
Put very simply, ESG recruitment means finding the right ESG experts, and there are many experts that need finding!
(We have also created a dedicated article on this topic, where we explain what ESG recruitment is in more detail and with examples).
How can ESG recruitment help you achieve your sustainability goals?
But why go to the bother of finding and recruiting all these experts?
Because effective ESG recruitment can help you achieve your sustainability goals, that’s why! With the necessary talent on board, no matter what challenges you’re facing, you’ll be able to overcome them with clarity, confidence, and measurable progress.
See the right ESG hires don’t just help you tick boxes, they help you build real momentum. How? By turning high-level sustainability ambitions into practical roadmaps, translating reporting headaches into streamlined processes, and making sure sustainability touches every corner of your organisation.
Whether it’s shaping a company-wide ESG strategy and culture, embedding sustainability into everyday decision-making, boosting your credibility with stakeholders, or even identifying opportunities for innovation, quality ESG professionals bring the expertise and energy needed to move from intention to action. Sweet, sweet, goal-achieving action!
(For a deeper dive into this topic, again, we’ve created a dedicated article explaining how ESG recruitment can help you achieve your sustainability goals).
6 key qualities to look for in an ESG freelancer
We’re going to let you in on a little secret here. All the smart companies these days have realized that hiring every type of ESG expert they need full-time just isn’t feasible. It is far too expensive and takes far too much time.
Instead, to access the talent they need faster and within budget, more and more companies are choosing the freelance option.
But how do you know when an ESG freelancer is the real deal? A true expert? Someone who can seamlessly help you achieve your goals, and then some?
To maximize your chances of finding a gem, look out for the six qualities below:
- Genuine expertise: Quality ESG freelancers are aware of core ESG principles, while having deep knowledge of their particular focus area. If their expertise is surface-level, expect the results they bring to be similar!
- Regulatory awareness: Top candidates should stay on top of evolving ESG regulations, from what’s mandatory now to what’s coming next.
- Proven impact: Of course strong freelancers should have an impressive track record. And that means results, case studies, and solid client feedback.
- Clear communicators: Trust us, you are going to want someone who can work across teams, and translate ESG into language that makes sense to everyone.
- Action-oriented: Don’t just look for someone who talks strategy. The best options should also be focused on setting clear goals, and ultimately, getting things done.
- Purpose-driven: Just as important as the qualities above, top ESG freelancers are motivated by impact, not just contracts. Their values should align with your mission, and you should feel that when you’re talking to them.
(You guessed it! Fancy a deeper dive into this particular topic? Check out our dedicated article about qualities to look for in an ESG freelancer).
Where can you recruit quality ESG freelancers?
Okay now you know what to look for in an ESG freelancer, but that’s only half the battle. You also need to know where to find all these top-quality experts!
Not to worry, below we’ve listed your best options (some better than others):
- LinkedIn and personal networks: You can always start your search within your existing network. On LinkedIn you can post roles, search by keywords, and reach out directly to potential candidates. This allows you to find talent without help from a third-party, but beware! The process can be very time-consuming, and hit-or-miss in terms of finding the right fit.
- Generic freelance marketplaces: We have included this option here, but straight off the bat, we must say that it’s one we think you should probably avoid. Sites like Upwork do offer access to lots of freelancers, usually at low rates, but genuine ESG expertise is hard to verify. It’s quite likely that you’ll end up wasting a great deal of time filtering through low-quality, unspecialized profiles, with no guarantee of results.
- ESG recruitment agencies: When we say ESG recruitment agencies, we mean just that. If you decide to use a recruitment agency, only consider ones with a particular ESG focus. This really is necessary for an agency to sufficiently understand the complex ESG landscape. The one thing with agencies though; the traditional recruitment models they follow can often mean high fees, slow onboarding, and limited flexibility.
- Specialist ESG talent platforms: For fast, flexible, affordable access to quality ESG freelancers, specialist ESG talent platforms are emerging as a very popular solution. Here you can gain near-instant access to pre-vetted experts without agency-level fees or long-term commitments. Ideal for short projects, interim roles, or ongoing support. (More on this later!).
(We love these topics so much that of course, we have also created an in-depth article about where to recruit quality ESG freelancers. Go check it out if you like!).
How can you find a reputable ESG recruitment agency?
From the options discussed in the previous section, many companies still choose to go down the agency route. And if they manage to find a reputable ESG recruitment agency, there’s a good chance of a successful collaboration.
If you’re considering working with an agency, look out for the 5 key signs below to make sure they’re the real deal:
- ESG expertise: This is probably an obvious one, but any ESG recruitment agency worth its salt will have a thorough understanding of all the latest trends, regulations, and roles in the ESG world. They should be able to sufficiently answer all of your questions, and understand your challenges and goals.
- Proven success: Beyond insight and expertise, they should also be able to demonstrate a history of successful ESG placements.
- Vetted ESG specialists: A specialist-heavy network is also an absolute must. The majority of the freelancers they work with should be ESG experts, not generalists.
- Shared values: Does the agency care about the impact of its work? A good rule here is, if they’re not interested in making the world a better place, you shouldn’t be interested in them.
- Flexible approach: Agencies should be willing to adapt to your exact needs, not the other way around. If they’re not offering that kind of flexibility, well, you deserve better.
Speaking of flexibility and deserving better, remember earlier when we talked about those fast, flexible, affordable specialist ESG talent platforms?
Probably time we elaborated on that, right?
(You know the drill. Want a more in-depth look at how to find a reputable ESG recruitment agency, feel free to check out our dedicated article).
How Dazzle offers the perfect ESG recruitment solution with sustainability staff on-demand
Regarding the challenge of ESG recruitment, the following points probably sum it up nicely:
- Finding the right ESG talent is essential for business success moving forward.
- Many different types of ESG experts are required to achieve that success.
- These experts are not easy to find and attract.
- Hiring them all as permanent employees is rarely feasible.
- In most cases, you only need an ESG expert for a set period of time, to solve a particular challenge.
Hmmmm. If only there was a way to quickly access quality ESG freelancers, in any area of focus, whenever you need them, and only when you need them.
Well, thankfully, there is! That is exactly what the sustainability staff-on-demand concept offers, and Dazzle is one of the leading specialist platforms making it possible.
Dazzle is a platform that offers the world’s best ESG freelancers on-demand.
Whatever ESG challenges you need help with, Dazzle has top-level freelancers on hand to join your team whenever you need them.
And with Dazzle, quality is guaranteed because all of our ESG experts are extensively pre-screened. The process is also very flexible, as you can choose to work with our experts on a project-based, on-demand, or interim basis.
We’re all about speed too. If you contact us today, within 48 hours we can send you several expert profiles that fit your exact needs.
In this article, we’ve told you everything you need to know about ESG recruitment. Now, let us show you, that you never have to worry about ESG recruitment again.
