DRAW as Changemakers: How recruitment can embed sustainability in the art industry

Increased sustainability and a reduction in carbon emissions are urgent concerns across the art industry – for both collectors and professionals. An authentic, embedded commitment to improvement is more than the right thing to do for the planet, it is good business sense, and the recruitment process is an easy tool with which to contribute to such improvement.

The most direct way to use the recruitment process to push forward sustainability goals is to include them in job descriptions. Not only does this formalise sustainability goals into day to day practice, it is a clear statement of intent to all new starters, building a culture of climate consciousness across your company. This can be as simple as including wording about climate goals and being environmentally aware alongside excellent team work and a can do attitude, through to specific and named requirements, such as owning the companies Gallery Climate Coalition membership and reporting, or specific climate related KPIs and targets, and incorporating them into budgetary requirements. Logistics, operations, and technician roles are an obvious place to start, as are roles responsible for travel arrangements and facilities management. This approach fosters a culture founded on positive action. Similarly, existing staff handbooks and policy documents can be updated to include sustainability goals and attitudes.

Recruitment can also drive sustainability by requiring candidates to agree to uphold your company’s published sustainability goals – this can be a statement of goals and policies, GCC membership, and policies in the staff handbook – explicitly discussed during the interview process. This need not be onerous. A short conversation during the interview process shows commitment to sustainability as a central value to your company, attracting team members who share this value, creating a virtuous cycle of value reinforcement.

DRAW is on hand to assist with any of these steps, both through our recruitment services and bespoke HR consulting practice. From hiring environmentally committed candidates to using company policies, DRAW is dedicated to driving forward positive action against climate change across the industry. Internally, we are in the process of completing our own GCC emissions calculation as a starting point to address our own environmental impact. Compared to most of the industry, the nature of DRAW means we have relatively low emissions since we do not do any shipping, printing, or have a gallery or storage space that requires atmospheric control. We are already paper free, use a coworking space rather than powering a whole office when we are a hybrid team, make use of virtual meetings to reduce candidate and client travel, and use public transport to travel to work. We recognise that while we can make the most significant impact in our position as changemakers in the industry, we can also take steps toward greater sustainability, and looking forward to finding ways to do so.