Introduction and the Adviser, Change Agent, and Culture Influencer roles

Assessed under AC 2.1 of the free HR & Sustainability unit, this video examines how people professionals can actively support an organisation's sustainability goals rather than treating sustainability as a peripheral concern. It introduces three of the seven indicative roles outlined in the unit — Adviser and Consultant, Change Agent, and Culture and Behaviour Influencer — and considers why HR practitioners are particularly well placed to connect strategic sustainability commitments to everyday workforce decisions, given their reach across policy, practice and people at every level of an organisation.

The Adviser and Consultant role is examined through the lens of translating broad sustainability commitments — such as reducing an organisation's carbon footprint — into concrete, people-focused recommendations covering areas such as hybrid working arrangements, travel policy, and the redesign of reward systems. The video also addresses the analytical and communication demands placed on professionals operating in this advisory capacity, including how to present trade-offs and workforce implications to senior decision-makers. The Change Agent role is treated separately, focusing on proactive initiative rather than reactive guidance, with attention paid to anticipating resistance, building coalitions of support, and sustaining momentum over longer-term sustainability programmes.

The Culture and Behaviour Influencer role receives detailed treatment, with the video examining how HR touchpoints — recruitment, onboarding, performance management, learning and development, and reward — can be used to embed sustainability as a genuine organisational value rather than a communications exercise. Specific practices discussed include incorporating sustainability criteria into person specifications and interview questions, integrating sustainability objectives into performance reviews, and the importance of HR professionals modelling the behaviours they seek to promote. Together, these three roles form the first part of a broader exploration of the people professional's contribution to organisational sustainability.