Today, the ecosystem is green. The rain was running down the window/The sky was not clear/But the garden was green green green/And in front of me the one I love Véronique Sanson already sang in 1969. Olive, emerald, pistachio, the range is very wide to respond to a major political issue today: France must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% between 1990 and 2030 and, with the Energy and Climate law adopted in 2019, achieve carbon neutrality in 2050. The economic and social must follow: 88% of employees believe that the ecological transition is an important subject in their company and 36% think that it is priority (CSA for LinkedIn and L’Ademe, May 2021). Furthermore, the law n° 2023-973 of October 23, 2023 (green industry) has the dual objective of create new jobs and produce cleaner from 2025.
However, there is a major risk: the shortage of skills which is slowing the growth of sustainable development jobs and which risks compromising the race to neutrality of emissions by 2050 (OECD, “Bridging the Great Green Divide“, March 14, 2023). A niche exists: finding skills.
The world of “green” is constantly evolving
“The consulting world has suffered in recent years but renewable specialists have experienced a sharp increase in their activity. This echoes an underlying trend where companies and individuals are seeking to reduce their carbon impact, that’s all natural that investors follow this same trend”, indicates Claude Calmon, founder of Calmon Partners Executive Search, a “head hunting firm set up in 2020, in the middle of a pandemic”, specializing in investment professions. All of the consultants have had experience in finance (market finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance). “Since our launch, we have been able to support our clients with a particular focus on renewables and green,” he explains. Foreign players have also targeted France and asked us to open their office in Paris In 2023, 4 billion euros have been raised by players in the sector, reflecting this expansion. Without going into too much detail, the world of renewable energies and “green” in the broad sense is constantly evolving.
Clients who need increasingly specialized profiles in order to work in this complex ecosystem. In addition to analytical or financial modeling skills that are often more demanding than in other sectors, they expect solid sector knowledge. A rapidly expanding and very open universe: while some juniors have studied where renewable energy was on the program, the most senior have been able to pursue careers in the energy sector which is undergoing rapid change or have gone through companies that already had a “green” department.
“The balance of power is reversed, it is the candidates who decide”
“This is an excellent opportunity to continue their career and progress in this extremely promising sector. Leaving a large structure to join a human-sized team is sometimes a very attractive prospect. It can guarantee broader exposure with a growth curve. more important learning.
Break the codes
There is therefore a double challenge: finding candidates interested in this universe, but also wishing to be exclusively focused on this sector. “For us recruiters, the challenge is therefore to properly assess the real motivation of candidates to register over the long term,” indicates Claude Calmon.
When the client has budgeted for the position, a meeting is organized to fully understand their needs and especially the recruitment context. “To find the right person, we must understand the prospects that the client can offer to the future recruit. During the first fifteen days, we build an initial short-list where we ensure that the candidates’ aspirations are aligned with the objective of the client Then, we support both parties during the interviews. Between the start of the execution of the mandate entrusted to us and the signing of the offer with the successful candidate, allow, on average, three months. Unquestionably, this firm breaks the rules of headhunting to quickly find suitable profiles.
“The balance of power is reversed, it is the candidates who decide. So we do a lot of psychology to find out their expectations. In 2023, we have made around forty placements, in France and internationally.” With a special note: “France sells its talents very well, its training is excellent and recognized everywhere”.
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