Clean Energy Culture:
Your Guide to Becoming a Talent Magnet

REPORT

The clean energy sector is at a critical juncture. Global ambitions
to tackle climate change are gaining momentum, and the industry is
growing at an unprecedented rate.

In 2020, the clean energy sector employed 12 million workers. If we
manage to limit global warming to 1.5°C, predictions suggest this could
rise to 38 million jobs by 2030 and 43 million by 2050. That’s a whopping
216% increase in the next five years alone.

Usually, exponential growth is a good thing. But for clean energy companies, it’s a huge problem. Innovation is crucial, and the stakes are high. You can’t afford to hire just anyone – you need to secure the talent that’ll secure the future. But that’s easier said than done. Sky-high demand, combined with a limited pool of professionals, means you’re facing a race against the clock that could make or break your business.

Several factors are causing this huge talent shortage. Firstly, the EV and energy sectors are relatively young and specialised individuals are unevenly spread across the globe. Plus, public opinion about the sector’s stability is mixed. With an ever-changing investment landscape and evolving regulations, it’s tough for graduates to commit to an industry that may not stand the test of time. If given a lucrative opportunity, experienced professionals might jump ship for similar reasons.

But what does this mean for you?

Well, with fewer top-tier folks available and a high number of clean energy
companies fighting to secure them, you need to go the extra mile to stand
out. Or you could sit tight and hope they come to you.

Luckily, SR2 is here to help. Like you, we believe that clean energy is the
future. We want to make sure that the best clean energy companies have
the best chance of securing the best talent, even in a tough market.

In this whitepaper, we’ll provide a series of actionable strategies that’ll
transform your business into a talent magnet. Attracting, engaging, and
retaining top-tier talent will become effortless, and you’ll be the go-to
employer for the best and brightest in the field.

Why bother becoming a talent magnet?

Being a talent magnet isn’t just about having a few perks and a cool office space. It’s about creating an environment that top-tier professionals can’t help but gravitate towards. Talent magnets have reputations that resonate with the best in the industry, so it becomes effortless to attract, engage, and retain them.

Most leaders assume that being a talent magnet means offering the best salary on the block. But in our experience, that’s not true. Sure, your compensation package needs to be fair, but it doesn’t need to be over the top.

Instead, it’s your reputation that grants you the title. Through consistent actions, your culture, values, branding, and employee experience will create a reputation that precedes you, making it effortless to pull talent away from competitors, other industries, and different regions.

In a market plagued by talent shortages, being a talent magnet is your best chance of success. If you can attract passive candidates (those who aren’t actively looking for a new job but could be swayed by a great opportunity) from your competitors, you’re one step ahead. If you can also use your globally-renowned reputation to attract workers with transferable skills from other industries and locations, you’ll become a force to be reckoned with.

Plus, there’s a hidden side-effect. The strategies that help you attract top-tier talent will inadvertently help you retain them, too. Employees who work for a company that aligns with their values, offers a positive environment, and provides growth opportunities are far less likely to jump ship.

In a market where the demand for specialised skills outstrips supply, retaining talent is vital. Replacement hires could take considerably longer to secure, so it’s crucial to maintain continuity and a strong workforce that’ll drive your business forward.

How to
become a
Talent Magnet?

Deliver exceptional employee experience

The foundation of being a talent magnet is offering exceptional employee
experience. This goes far beyond offering a competitive salary and
benefits package. It’s about every employee feeling valued, respected, and
empowered.

It’s a no-brainer. Companies that prioritise employee experience naturally attract and retain top-tier talent at much higher rates than those that don’t.

A positive employee experience is built on four key elements.

A COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS PACKAGE

Offering all employees a fair and competitive salary and benefits package is essential. All salaries within your organisation should follow clear benchmarks that are regularly sense-checked against the wider market. If you’re unsure about what a competitive offer looks like, SR2 can give you a guide.

53% of Gen-Z professionals look at workplace benefits while assessing a new role. While benefits like health insurance, pension contributions, and a generous holiday allowance are crucial, try to go beyond the basics. Unique perks like wellness programmes, mental health support, or equity can help your business stand out.

Remember, this is the starting point. In a tough market, you must offer far more than just a market-rate salary to become a talent magnet.

AN ENHANCED WORK ENVIRONMENT WITH FLEXIBILITY

An employee’s physical and psychological work environment dramatically affects their satisfaction. Whether working in an office, remotely, or on-site at battery production plants, every employee deserves a comfortable, safe, and inspiring workspace.

As more and more workers prioritise their work-life balance, offering as much flexibility as possible is crucial. If employees can achieve their goals just as efficiently from their home office, give them the freedom to do so. According to the CIPD, 4 million people have switched careers to gain more flexibility, and 71% of workers deem flexible working a top priority.

It may be trickier to offer flexible working arrangements to on-site employees.
If that’s the case, speak to each employee and communicate your reasoning clearly and thoughtfully. Do your best to offer something that eases their load, like subsidised transport costs or one afternoon of home-based work every fortnight.

TRANSPARENT AND OPEN
COMMUNICATION

More often than not, engaged employees feel connected to their company’s mission and vision. Contrary to popular belief, this connection doesn’t ignite when they read your website’s “Mission” section.

Employees need clear and honest communication from the leadership team to align with the business’s goals. Regular updates, open discussion forums, and an open-door policy help create a culture of transparency where no question is deemed silly.

Remember, one size doesn’t necessarily fit all. Some employees might prefer face-to-face meetings, while others might find video calls far more productive than a chat over the phone.

In our experience, employees who feel heard and understood are far more likely to be engaged and committed to their work.

PRIORITISED DEVELOPMENT AND
PERFORMANCE SCHEMES

Stagnant employees are unhappy employees. 80% of Gen-Z workers would like to develop new skills rather than be pigeonholed into one area. Continuous learning and growth opportunities are critical for employee satisfaction. To attract passive candidates from competitors, your progression opportunities must be more than lip service.

Top-tier professionals can see beyond false promises. They’re looking for evidence that joining your company will guarantee them a better future. Consider carving clear advancement pathways and scheduled performance reviews that offer regular, constructive feedback. Then, they’ll feel confident that they’ll never stop learning and growing.

Oh, and don’t forget about personal development. 79% of Gen-Z professionals expect their managers to care about their personal growth as much as their professional accomplishments. Get to know your employees, understand their goals, and help them succeed.

Clean energy companies that excel in these areas automatically deliver a positive experience to all employees, from office interns and on-site engineers to C-suite executives.

This creates a ripple effect. You’ll have an army of evangelists shouting about the benefits of working for your company. They’ll become brand ambassadors, promote your business to their network, and help attract new talent through referrals and recommendations.

Integrate inspirational company values

In a US-based study

89

of respondents admitted that they wouldn’t work for a company unless it aligned with their values.

This rings particularly true amongst millennial employees, while

68

of Gen-Z workers feel it’s important to work for a company actively committed to social causes. These generations aren’t looking to join the employer with the highest bid. They’ll join the one that best aligns with their ethical and moral values.

By 2029, Gen-Z and millennials will make up

72

of the world’s workforce, so it’s crucial to appeal to them. For clean energy companies, this screams opportunity!

A whopping

73

of Gen-Z professionals would resign if their employer did not conduct ethical business practices,

and..

68

would quit if the company were unsustainable. Most clean energy businesses are committed to social and environmental responsibility, but very few shout about it.

While you may have a mission statement on your website, don’t forget to incorporate those values into the everyday runnings of your business, too. Your commitment to positively impacting the world should be clear to any onlooker. Internally, your values should shape your company culture, guide decision-making processes, and be reinforced through actions and policies. Externally, they should be communicated through carefully curated branding, marketing, and recruitment efforts. Whether through sustainable practices, ethical business operations, or community engagement, tell the world about all the good you’re doing.

Following these steps might make you a top-tier employer, but they won’t turn you into a talent magnet. To accomplish this, you need to take things one step further.

Your values must be consistently upheld in all that you do. Employees and candidates (especially the best ones!) can spot greenwashing or superficial attempts to appear socially responsible from a mile away. If you’re a larger firm that maintains fossil fuel interests while promoting small clean energy divisions, you’ll probably face scepticism.

If you genuinely embody your values, you’ll stand out as authentic and trustworthy and will be far more attractive to high-level candidates.

Cultivate a strong employer brand

86% of professionals would not apply for or work for a company with a bad reputation. Your employer brand is the image of your company as a workplace. It’s the perception that current, past, and potential employees have of your business.

With a strong employer brand, you can attract talent, even if they aren’t actively looking for a job. It positions you as an employer of choice, one people aspire to work for.

Start by crafting a compelling Employee Value Proposition, or EVP. This should encapsulate what makes your company unique and highlight the culture, benefits, and opportunities that set you apart from competitors. To put it simply, this should tell your dream candidate why they should want to work for you.

Once you’ve defined your EVP, communicate it consistently across every touchpoint – from job adverts and career pages to social media channels. Get your employees on board, too! Job seekers find employee testimonials three times more credible than hearing from your CEO. They’re your best advocates! By scrolling through the different aspects of your online presence, potential candidates should get a genuine sense of what it’s like to be one of your employees.

Investing in employer branding has enormous payoffs. 92% of professionals would consider switching jobs for a company with an excellent reputation, and a strong employer brand can reduce staff turnover by 28%. Plus, companies with a great brand often receive far more inbound job applications. In the green tech sector, where competition for top talent is fierce, a company’s reputation will usually be the deciding factor for candidates choosing between multiple offers.

Build a reputation as an industry leader

In the clean energy and green tech sectors, innovation and market leadership go hand in hand. Industry-leading companies don’t just attract top talent.

They also inspire their teams to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Building a reputation as an industry leader involves two key elements.

INNOVATION

To attract the best talent, your company must be at the forefront of industry advancements. This means investing in research and development, adopting cutting-edge technologies, and encouraging innovation amongst your teams. When top-tier candidates see that they can work on exciting, impactful projects within your organisation, they’re more likely to join. Once they do, they’re far less likely to become stagnant and unhappy and far more likely to stay engaged and committed for the long term.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

A strong PR strategy is an essential piece of the puzzle, especially in the clean energy industry. Create informative content like whitepapers and case studies that showcase your company’s expertise and thought leadership. Encourage your leadership team to build personal brands on social media platforms, participate in podcasts, and engage with traditional media in appearances that paint them as authoritative experts. These strategies will help solidify your reputation as a go-to source for industry insights. Be careful, though, and don’t get carried away. It’s incredibly easy for top-tier individuals to find out how many of your social pledges and endeavours are genuine and how many are perfectly curated for media purposes only.

You might have noticed that most of these points blend together. With a positive industry reputation, you’ll find it easier to attract talent. But, you’ll also create a sense of pride amongst your existing employees. They’ll feel like winners, making their testimonials even more impressive (further boosting your employer brand) and encouraging them to stay loyal and 1 contribute to your company’s continued success.

Curate a diverse and inclusive culture

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) aren’t just buzzwords anymore. D&I practices
are the fourth most important priority for job seekers (after benefits, salary,
and job security), and organisations with a DEI team are 22% more likely
to be deemed “an industry-leading company with high-calibre talent”. To
become a talent magnet and attract and retain the best talent, you need
to leverage diversity and inclusion.

By creating a diverse culture, you can signal potential employees that
your company values different perspectives and is committed to creating
an inclusive environment that helps everyone thrive. This will also appeal
to the 83% of Gen-Z professionals who believe that the most critical
element to building a team is to include people from different cultures.

The clean energy sector is well-positioned to lead by example in
diversity and inclusion. The climate crisis disproportionately affects
marginalised communities traditionally overlooked by big energy
companies. Their voices must be included in the conversation and the
solutions. By prioritising diversity, you can gain ideas and perspectives that
may otherwise be overlooked and ensure that your solutions are equitable
and effective.

Plus, diverse workforces are better equipped to serve a global market. As clean energy projects expand worldwide, having a team that reflects the diversity of the communities you serve can give your company a competitive edge. Finally, championing D&I can help to futureproof your workforce by inspiring the next generation (including people from marginalised communities) to, one day, join the clean energy industry and, hopefully, support your firm.

So, how can you build a diverse culture?

USE INCLUSIVE HIRING PRACTICES

Write job adverts that appeal to a diverse audience, use a range of
recruitment channels, and ensure that your process is free from bias.
Before choosing a recruitment partner, ask them what they can do to
help you uncover and hire from a diverse shortlist of candidates. To be
sure that your recruitment partner will accurately represent you in the
talent market, check that they’re a socially responsible company with
values that align with yours. SR2 is proud to be a BCorp-certified firm!

SUPPORT UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS

Don’t underestimate the power of mentorship programmes, employee resource groups, and diversity training for all employees. Building a diverse team is great, but ensuring that underrepresented groups feel safe, valued and included within your business is a separate challenge.

GET COMMITMENT FROM LEADERS

It’s tough for any initiative to be successful without the leadership team’s
support. D&I is no different. To be successful, your actions must be
championed by every leader within your business. This means setting

clear goals, holding leaders accountable, and ensuring that D&I is integral
to your company’s mission and values. When the leadership team visibly supports and prioritises diversity and inclusivity, it sets the tone for the entire business. In turn, employees at all levels are encouraged to embrace these values. One way to action this is to set measurable diversity targets and share company-wide progress updates. Through transparency, you’ll build trust and showcase that you’re serious about creating an inclusive environment.

ASK FOR FEEDBACK

Encouraging open dialogue about diversity and inclusion is crucial. Ask for regular feedback from employees and act on their suggestions. Recognise and celebrate cultural events, offer resources for ongoing education, and ensure that your company’s policies and practices support a healthy work-life balance for all employees.

Diversity alone is not enough. It must be coupled with inclusion. An inclusive culture is one in which every employee feels respected, valued, and empowered to contribute. Differences should be celebrated, and every voice should be heard.

Not only will a diverse and inclusive culture help you attract top-tier talent from a wider pool, but you’ll also benefit from the innovation and creativity of bringing together different perspectives.

Key takeaways

WANT TO TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS INTO A TALENT MAGNET?

1.PRIORITISE EXCEPTIONAL EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

Offer competitive compensation and benefits, focus on building a supportive and flexible work environment, and prioritise employee
development. You’ll grow a loyal, engaged workforce of top-tier
professionals who are your best brand ambassadors.

2. ALIGN COMPANY VALUES WITH EMPLOYEE EXPECTATIONS

Incorporate strong, inspirational values that align with the ethical
and moral standards of today’s workforce, many of whom are Gen-Z
or millennials. Potential candidates prioritise employers with values
that resonate with their own. Then, they can feel deeply connected to
the company’s mission.

3.BUILD A STRONG EMPLOYER BRAND

Every talent magnet has a positive reputation that precedes them.
A well-defined and consistently communicated Employee Value
Proposition will differentiate you from competitors and enhance
employee retention by creating a sense of belonging.

4. ESTABLISH YOUR COMPANY AS AN INDUSTRY LEADER

As an industry-leading clean energy firm, you’ll attract top
talent and inspire your current team to excel. Champion innovation
and use an effective public relations strategy to build and maintain
your image to become the go-to destination for the best minds in
the sector.

5. CHAMPION DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Prioritise diversity in your hiring process and create an inclusive
workplace that empowers all employees. By hiring professionals
from all walks of life, you’ll unlock new perspectives that’ll drive
innovation. Plus, championing D&I shows you’re a forward-thinking
firm committed to making a positive impact.

It’s not enough to talk the talk; you need to walk the walk, too. Pledging to follow the strategies outlined in this whitepaper isn’t enough. You’ll be deemed superficial.
Instead, follow through on every commitment and take consistent action. That’s how you’ll attract and retain the best professionals in the industry, even during a talent shortage.

Attract the talent to power tomorrow

The clean energy industry is at a crossroads. While the sector continues to grow at unprecedented rates, the demand for specialised talent is higher than ever. But the available pool is limited. This whitepaper outlined five key strategies to help your company overcome this challenge by becoming a talent magnet.

Being a talent magnet isn’t just about offering competitive salaries or having an attractive office space; it’s about creating an environment where top talent feels valued, motivated, and aligned with your company’s mission.

By prioritising employee experience, integrating strong company values, building a compelling employer brand, leading through innovation, and creating a diverse and inclusive culture, you can attract and retain the best minds in the industry.

At SR2, we understand the struggles that most clean energy companies face. Like most clean energy companies, we’re committed to socially responsible practices. As a B-Corp-certified recruitment firm, we get it. We truly believe that green energy will shape the future, and we’re here to ensure you have access to the talent you need to succeed.

By implementing these five strategies, you’ll become a highly sought-after employer capable of comfortably attracting and retaining top-tier talent to drive your business forward.

Your mission is simple:

Don’t let the talent shortage hold you back

Ready to secure the brightest minds in the industry?

Get in touch today to find out how we can help you build an unstoppable team perfectly aligned with your vision and values.

Get in touch

Clean Energy Culture

Clean Energy Culture: Your Guide to Becoming a Talent Magnet