Demands on employee skills and knowledge rapidly evolve. Sustainability is one of the areas that drives this need and it is a challenging task for employers to equip their employees in the most effective and concrete way for their evolving day-to-day job.

Sustainability is no longer just an add-on to business activities, but an integral part of it, requiring new knowledge and skills to meet changing customer needs, technological advancements and regulatory requirements. However, it can be a daunting task to ensure that all employees are equipped to perform their roles, including integration of sustainability aspects in their tasks.

Some businesses could chose to rely only on external experts to manage sustainability activities within the company. While this may seem like a quick fix, it is rather short-sighted, as sustainability activities are best performed if integrated within the everyday business to allow the organization to learn and evolve as a whole.

The task is therefore to equip every relevant employee to be able to perform his or her job, including sustainability aspects. The best way to achieve this is to train employees gradually on their tasks and step-by-step integrate sustainability into their everyday activities. Companies should be patient and expect continuous yet gradual improvements from their employees. People and teams will learn best if they are given continuous support and a safe environment to experiment and learn.

Sustainability essentials training, on-the-task learning and continuous access to specific educational content as needs arise will most probably ensure the best results in terms of results but also employee motivation.  

The key is to start small and to involve employees in sustainability activities from the beginning.

For example, a production manager might be asked to start measuring production optimization in carbon reduction next to productivity measures, marketing team might get an additional goal to reduce packaging use or, as a general rule, employees could be asked to segregate waste, conserve energy, and reduce water usage. These simple actions can help employees understand the impact of their actions on the environment and can also help them feel a sense of ownership in sustainability initiatives.

For specific technical areas, the organization need to provide the right support from internal or external experts so that everyone can tap into a specific knowledge or expertise in order to achieve assigned sustainability related goals. The set up is part of the organization design that needs to evolve along side the sustainable business strategy.

In conclusion, the challenge for businesses today is to equip employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their functions and tasks while integrating sustainability into their everyday activities.

The best way forward is to provide gradual and on-the-job training, set clear expectations and allow employees the space to make experiment, iterate and learn. Companies must involve every relevant employee in sustainability activities from the beginning to ensure that sustainability becomes a part of the company’s culture. Starting small and building on that foundation can lead to a more sustainable future for businesses and the planet.