Discover proven strategies to recruit exceptional talent for your climate-tech start-up. Expand your team and drive success with Jobs for Planet expert insights.
It’s always exciting to work for a start-up, being entrepreneurial and creating a company in its early stages. Now, imagine not only having the opportunity to work in such a fast-paced environment but also helping to solve one of the biggest challenges of our time - the climate crisis.
The climate-tech industry is taking off and we’re very happy here at Jobs for Planet to be part of the solution - helping with climate-tech recruiting.
But first, what exactly is Climate-tech?
Climate tech is any technology that is responsible for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Co2 and Methane) or negative environmental impacts. It can also be a technology that increases efficiencies in the supply chain of production of a particular product and therefore reduces the amount of natural resources used, and the reduction of emissions. Ultimately, climate-tech is about using technology in order to help the planet, create in a more sustainable manner and ensure products are more sustainable.
Some examples could be, software solutions that help increase efficiencies of solar energy panels or AI that helps understand company processes and help reach Net-Zero. It could also be a company that is using technology solutions to improve the efficiency of a food chain or reduce food waste, for example analysing the food-supply path, optimal temperature or optimal refrigeration. What’s exciting is even though it’s quite specific as it’s climate-related and trying to achieve Net Zero or help with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the industries that climate-tech touches is wide - as pretty much every industry or human action uses energy or creates emissions. Therefore, there is a huge opportunity to work with companies that are finding efficiencies in a variety of industrial processes or transportation.
The Climate-Tech Industry is Growing
Excitingly, the climate-tech field is growing. VC firms invested $70.1 Billion in climate tech start-ups in 2022, according to a report by HolonIQ, which represents an increase of 89% compared to 2021. As the topic of climate change is top of mind for regulators and governments worldwide, the demand for solutions will only increase. In fact, under European climate law, EU countries must cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2020. EU regulators plan to make the EU climate neutral by 2050.
Climate tech startups are responding to investments and EU regulations by hiring more employees and quickly building their teams. Climate-tech recruitment is therefore becoming key in accelerating either the transition to Net-Zero or creating efficiencies across many industries using climate-tech solutions. However, because this is a niche market, it lacks an plethora of candidates that have direct experience, or it is highly competitive to find and attract such talent. This is where a recruitment firm like Jobs for Planet that is a subject matter experience in climate-tech can be especially helpful.
Unique Challenges For Climate Tech Hiring
Most climate tech firms are trying to hire as quickly as possible, but given that this is a relatively new industry, there are specific challenges they are facing in 2023. Let’s dive into some of the unique challenges climate-tech companies are facing and opportunities to overcome them.
Diversity Inclusion and Belonging
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are top of mind for many companies, including climate-tech companies. As the challenges we face in climate are global, having representation from employees from diverse backgrounds is very important to understand the unique challenges or context that a start-up operates in. Whether it’s finding women to increase gender diversity or someone with an Indigenous background that understands the specific ecosystem or culture of a land, working with a recruitment partner with an extensive network can help.
Competition and Lack of Direct Climate Tech Experience
A further unique challenge is that although the industry is growing at a rapid pace, there is not an abundance of available talent. Some candidates lack direct experience as the industry is fairly new. In addition, available talent is often considering many different companies, therefore getting the best employees is highly competitive.
Your New Climate Tech Recruiting Strategy
Looking to scale your company and hire the best people for your climate-tech startup? Here are 5 strategies to use to achieve your headcount plans.
1. Understand exactly what is necessary, what is a must-have vs a “nice to have”
When you’re setting out your headcount plan for the rest of the quarter or the year, and are figuring out whom to hire, you should be clear about what skills are absolutely necessary and which are a bonus for candidates to have. In particular, you should understand which skills are transferable to your company and what industries could be interesting to consider. Working with a specialised recruitment firm can help accelerate this process; as experts in talent acquisition we can help to define what profiles can fit well into your organisation. We can also advise on the talent landscape and what climate-tech talent exists in the market.
2. Ensure your Employer Value Proposition is clear
Startups in the climate-tech space should partner with external recruitment firms to help them develop an employee value proposition to get passive talent excited about the opportunity to join them. Having this clearly defined will help you attract talent in this competitive talent landscape. The best talent is often interviewing with many companies - and making clear why your start-up is innovative is key. Working with an external recruitment firm will help, as we articulate clearly to candidates why they should join your climate-tech start-up and get them excited to join your mission.
Whilst the climate-tech industry is booming, the war on talent is still a factor to consider. Ensure you have a clear employer value proposition, so that potential recruits can understand the reasons they should join you - vs another company. By working with an external recruiter, you can rest assured that the mission, values and culture are shared with the candidates, ensuring a better attraction and offer acceptance rate. We also can ensure that we match you with those people who fit the company culture of your start-up.
3. Identify Transferable Skills and Other Relevant Industries
Unfortunately, because the climate-tech industry is fairly new and niche, there are many candidates who have direct relevant experience in climate-tech, working at your competitor for example. It’s important that your recruiters and HR professionals are able to identify skills that would translate well into your open jobs, so they don’t overlook people who are a good fit. Some roles in climate-tech won’t require specialised climate or technical expertise, however working with a recruiter will help you identify talent that has solid functional skills and a real passion for sustainability, saving you time on screening high-potential candidates and finding those that are the best fit. Such a combination translates well and ensures an excellent hire.
4. Source Talent in Climate related Communities, Conferences and Meet-ups
There are many online and offline communities that are focussing on careers in climate tech, providing a great resource to find potential candidates. In addition, there are many industry specific-job boards and directories and a variety of conferences where you can find excellent people. Taking the time to attend these conferences, be visible at events and network with potential employees is worth the investment - however it can be a long, time-consuming process to do yourself. One of the benefits of partnering with us is that we know where to find these candidates, and we proactively attend these events, and have already created an extensive network of climate-tech professionals that we are in touch with. Partnering with us saves you the time of having to research which events to go to, network with potential recruits and screen them for opportunities.
5. Use OKRS and Recruiting Metrics to Analyse your successes
Finally, as your company grows and scales, it’s very important to establish clear OKRS (objectives and key results) in order to understand how successful your recruitment campaigns are. Key metrics to look at include: Time to hire, cost per hire, source of hire, number of interviews, offer acceptance rate, candidate Net Promoter Score, replacement value, quality of hire, employee turnover etc.
Looking to scale your Climate-Tech company?
Although there are many challenges you may face as a climate-tech start-up when it comes to talent, ensuring you follow the above strategies will help you attract the best talent. There are plenty of people who would be excited to join your company.
Here at Jobs for Planet, we understand the urgency of the climate-crisis and that getting the right talent in place is very important. We are value and mission driven and work closely with our clients on helping them solve their human capital, technology and diversity & inclusion needs.
Are you looking to hire new talent? We're excited to partner with you. We take the time to find out about your company, explain it's employer value proposition to talent and get the most qualified people in front of you.
Ensuring you make the Right Hire, Every time.
Contact us on hello@jobsforplanet.com or click this link to connect with us.
Commentaires