Job Seekers Who Speak Green Excel at Interviews
Employer Hiring Practices Now Include Finding Eco-Friendly Employees
Jul 22, 2009
It doesn’t matter if the employer is large or small, many companies these days are learning that sustainable business practices not only help the environment but can improve profitability. That means supporting greater efficiency and better community relations while lowering waste and their liability exposure. Good environmental and social stewardship just makes good business sense.
Being Green is an Increasingly Important Hiring Factor
In fact, according to a March 2009 survey conducted by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), nearly 65 percent of companies surveyed indicated that environmental knowledge and training is a plus in job applicants because they are more likely than their non-green counterparts to have resource-saving ideas that can help cut costs. On top of that, 78 percent of the over 1,300 participants surveyed felt that environmental and sustainability knowledge will increase in importance over the next five years.
Who were some of the employers that participated in the survey? Participants included WalMart, Hewlett Packard, and Cisco as well as smaller firms such as Stonyfield and The Accessory Corporation (TAC).
The fact is that understanding and responding to environmental challenges is a fundamental part of doing business today, and an organization’s success is based on a company culture founded on sustainability. It’s no longer green collar workers versus blue and white collar workers. Everyone and every firm needs to think green.
How Job Seekers Can Become Eco-Savvy
Job seekers who want to go green in their career have two choices: work in a sustainability industry such as renewable energy or zero-energy architecture or work for a firm that embraces green living as part of their business.
To work in a firm that actively supports a sustainability focus, job seekers need to clearly communicate their own commitment to the environment. That doesn’t mean standing on a soap box and espousing eco-friendly platitudes. It does mean having an interest, understanding the language and sharing green work experiences. Here’s how to do it in a job interview.
First and foremost, organizations with an eco-friendly culture are more likely to ask green interview questions of job seekers. That means, along with the standard job interview questions, job seekers might encounter interview questions about their personal recycling habits or whether they drive a hybrid vehicle. The reason for asking green questions is to determine if the company’s values and culture mesh well with those of their employees.
For job seekers it’s important to go into the interview prepared to address these and other green interview questions; so while they are brushing up on their business experience, job seekers should review what they have done in their career to help the environment, whether that was organizing a recycling program at the local school or coordinating an Earth Day event at the office. And don’t forget to ask green questions in return, such as the company’s environmental priorities.
Job seekers can also show a lot about their knowledge of the sustainability field through their understanding of basic green terminology. That means understanding terms such as zero-energy design (ZED), renewable energy, and greenwashing.
Finally, green job seekers should be sure the organization truly embraces their own eco-friendly ideals by looking for examples of a green-minded work environment. Things like electric cars and a recharging station in the parking lot or solar panels on the roof can tell job seekers a lot about an organization’s sustainability focus.
Just like with any job interview, it is important to determine the company culture to ensure there is a fit between employee and employer. And with green-minded employers, job seekers who speak green will excel at the job interview.
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