Recruiting for SDGs-Oriented Profiles: Unpacking Drivers of Employer Attractiveness in Hybrid Organizations

Recruitment is critical for equipping public service organizations with the competencies required to advance the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This is particularly salient for public utilities, hybrid organizations mandated to contribute to the SDGs through essential services in water, waste, and energy management. This study examines employer attractiveness for profiles considered critical to SDG implementation in Italian utilities. Drawing on self-determination theory, we combine semi-structured interviews with HR and Employer Branding managers from 16 utilities with two discrete-choice experiments involving STEM and vocational-technical students and professionals. Salary and competence-related opportunities are consistently important across both groups. Remote work does not significantly affect STEM respondents’ choices, whereas workplace proximity is the strongest driver for vocational-technical respondents. Relatedness, operationalized as environmental and community impact, is not a significant differentiating attribute, suggesting that in organizations whose public value mission is already highly visible, social and environmental impact may function as a baseline expectation.