Salesforce Sustainability Talent Gap 2022 Report

Salesforce Inc, the world’s best customer relationship management (CRM) platform, recently released its ‘Sustainability Talent Gap’ report. However, a global survey conducted by the company reveals a global workforce eager to participate in corporate sustainability. This article summarizes these findings and offers suggestions for how employers can train existing employees to close the sustainability talent gap.

Climate change is the single greatest threat to humanity's future and achieving a net-zero future will necessitate the collaboration of an army of qualified individuals, ranging from carbon accountants to scientists to ecopreneurs. However, without qualified candidates to fill the roles, an already difficult task becomes nearly impossible. The answer may be found in an unexpected place: a company’s existing workforce.

According to new Salesforce research on the Sustainability Talent Gap, more than 8 in 10 global workers want to help their company operate sustainably, with 3 in 5 eager to incorporate sustainability into their current role. With a growing workforce ready to assist, businesses must focus on training. Companies can source talent for hard-to-fill roles while also helping employees work on something they're passionate about by upskilling existing workers who wish to make the transition into sustainability careers.

Key findings:

Companies that invest in sustainability training and user-friendly reporting may see a decrease in skepticism

3 out of 5 global workers are skeptical that their company will meet its sustainability goals on time.
4 out of 5 global workers are skeptical that most companies will meet their sustainability goals on time.
According to research, employees all over the world are skeptical that their companies will meet their sustainability goals on time. They have even less faith when it comes to their trust in most companies.
Respondents had a few ideas about what might be preventing companies from meeting their sustainability goals, most notably a lack of skilled talent and a lack of investment in sustainability training for existing employees.
Upskilling can then address both the issue of finding talent and demonstrating sustainability training that moves the needle on skepticism.

Awareness and education are critical components of successful corporate sustainability commitments

53 percent of global workers are unaware whether their company is net-zero.
70 percent of global workers believe it is critical that their company operates on a net-zero basis.
Over half of surveyed workers are unaware if their company operates with net-zero emissions, despite 70 percent saying it is critical that their company does so, demonstrating the need not only for skilling, but also for ensuring overall employee education around company sustainability commitments and climate goals.

Companies have a responsibility to provide sustainability education to their employees, and Salesforce is one such company. From 2021 to the first half of 2022, Salesforce’s Trailhead platform saw a nearly 60 percent increase in its users’ upskilling on sustainability. This resulted from businesses not only investing in technology such as Net Zero Cloud, but also actively training their employees on the platform. Employees at the company are looking to advance their skills in the fight against climate change. Some have even made it their full-time job with the help of Salesforce.

Image Source: Magic Wand Media