We had the opportunity to spend the evening discussing careers
in sustainability with students at a networking event hosted by Wharton IGEL From this experience, I
can say that Wharton students care about the environment, social impact, and how
businesses’ are addressing these issues. Our firm was in good company with the
likes of Dow, DuPont, Campbell’s, and J&J to name a few. The event card
appears below.
We were all there to help students in their quest for
careers related to sustainability. I spoke to a wide variety of students from
across the globe. They were bright, dedicated, and interested in how they could
impact the world in a positive way.
A topic that was frequently mentioned was the importance of
truly integrating sustainability into operations. Businesses that merely comply
with regulation were thought not to be truly sustainable. The students that I
spoke with were very excited about the practice of engaging HR in the
sustainability process to facilitate a cross functional approach of embedding
sustainability into their core operation.
As your firm begins its college recruiting sessions, you
will need to be prepared to answer questions about sustainability goals and
programs. Here are a few questions that you may which to consider: Has HR been
made a part of the sustainability process? Are your recruiters equipped to
discuss your firm’s sustainability track record? Are you addressing these
issues in your recruitment materials? Is sustainability part of your culture
and mission? Are you using sustainability to engage employees?
The Wharton students that I met are giving preference to firms
that have embraced sustainable strategy as part of their core mission. Are you
well positioned to attract the best and brightest? If not, feel free to reach
out to us.
