The number of CSR-related job roles advertised this year has increased by 74 per cent, and by 54 per cent when compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic).

The findings come from a new report from recruiter Robert Walters, ESG: Mindset over Must, which analyses key labour trends related to the heighted focus on the environment, social affairs, and corporate governance.

Chris Poole, MD of Robert Walters UK commented: “Right now, businesses are under more scrutiny than ever. Processes, suppliers, materials, and policies often have more of an impact on consumer actions than a finished product. As governments strive to achieve environmental targets, and the choice widens for customers on socially-conscious products and services – ESG will increasingly become more critical for survival, and not just for investment.”

Consumer goods and services continues to be the industry leading the way on recruitment of sustainability experts accounting for 23 per cent of all CSR-professional vacancies this year.

Other industries which have maintained their recruitment drive in this area include real estate and construction, professional services, technology, media and telecoms and financial services, representing 19, 13, 11 and 8 per cent of CSR-vacancies this year respectively.

The Energy and Utilities sector advertised 9 per cent of all CSR-related jobs, increasing from nearly zero.

In a move that signals more conversations are being had about sustainability in the boardroom, senior or top-level hires have increased from 7 per cent in 2019 to represent 28 per cent of all CSR-related hires in 2021.

Craig Howells, principal consultant, added: “Some thought that in a global crisis, ESG targets would be the first to go. However, many companies strengthened their commitment to ESG during the pandemic. The suggestion also that people would care more about jobs and rocketing government debt over, for example, more socially conscious behaviour, appears misplaced.”

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