Five tips to retain and develop green talent

But with demand for these skills surging, it’s not just about attracting the right people to your organisation – but also holding onto existing talent and reskilling teams. 

We recently heard from three experts, who offered their advice for retaining and developing green skills and “making green shine”. 

Here are their five standout tips…

1. Bring people with you

“New isn’t always better,” said Erica Brown. “It’s not about forgetting old practices and getting rid of jobs. It's about helping people reskill to take advantage of the huge growth. We can transition faster if we build on the shoulders of giants.”

Erica is head of policy at Future Energy Networks, which sits within the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers and works to enable the transition to net zero. An advocate for “developing from within”, she stressed how fixating on importing new skills and fresh talent risks disenfranchising our existing teams.

2. Show that you mean it

Talented people want managers to be consistent in doing what they say, said Yannick Migotto, a strategy and transformation consultant and partner at Argon & Co. If managers want to hold on to green talent, they need to close the “gap between promise and action”.

“Today we’re lucky that we have talented people who want impact,” he said. “We have to make sure we support that.”

Host Katie Kelly ChMC CMgr CCMI, chair of the CMI London Regional Board and an associate partner at Argon & Co, cited CMI research on inclusivity that highlights the positive impact on retention when managers follow through on what they promise.

Yannick shared an example: one of Argon’s manufacturing clients ‘walked the walk’ by appointing its best plant factory manager to lead its highly strategic company-wide sustainable systems programme.

“This is a strong signal to say that they take it seriously,” he said. “They are taking the best and moving it forward.”

3. Embed training across the business

Training and skills development won’t help retention if it’s merely a “one-and-done sheep dip effort”, Katie said. “Training needs to be part of your culture and embedded in everything you do.”

Sandra Fitzsimmons, future skills business partner at gas distributor SGN, explained that the company is moving supplies from traditional gas to hydrogen and biomethane. This means the “significant task” of training people in everything from procurement and health and safety to metering, billing and serving vulnerable customers.