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Could Extinction Rebellion help you find the top graduates?

In a report published last year by Times Higher Education (THE) it was revealed that universities which promoted sustainability skills had a higher likelihood of producing employable graduates. Being sustainably minded isn’t just for roles connected to environmental issues any longer due to the transferable skills that make for an engaged and forward-thinking employee.

Over the past year, the global environmental movement Extinction Rebellion (XR) has become a firm fixture in worldwide media coverage in a bid to compel government action on environmental issues. They’re a group who identify as “an international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse”. They’re connected by their environmental beliefs but is XR also a movement that could also highlight key skills that employers are looking for in new graduates?

Environmental business experts Net Impact share report findings on the “future of jobs” which looks at the 10 most sought after skills for 2020 which highlights how organisations can future-proof their hiring strategies. The predictions show that by 2020 “the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ will be here, with robotics, artificial intelligence and automation making some roles obsolete. Admin, manufacturing and construction jobs will sink, while business, financial operations and management will rise. And the work itself will change as geopolitics, consumer ethics, climate change and access to scarce natural resources become increasingly material to corporate strategies”. So, not only will environmentally connected graduates be key to this shift but their knowledge may also be vital while companies adapt to a new focus. The skills that many graduates with an interest in environmental and social issues have, translate to qualities that most employers look for in new hires. These include:

·         Complex problem solving

·         Critical thinking (and innovation)

·         Creativity (and adaptability)

·         Negotiation (and influencing)

·         Emotional intelligence

Those graduates who are more conscious of environmental issues not only show these business skills but soft skills for the workplace from being part of a collective which values teamwork, leadership, communication and strong work ethics.

When recruiting your next graduate hires, there may be opportunities to show value in these skills while creating a more sustainable minded workplace for your employees to work in. To tap into this fresh pool of graduates, register today for access to the top educated international students and graduates.