Circular economy companies have a unique advantage in attracting talent but often fail to leverage it effectively.
David Watson of RL Equity highlights the need for clear job roles and salary transparency to attract top candidates.
The circular economy market is projected to grow significantly, increasing the importance of strong teams in M&A deals.
Retail returns pose a massive environmental challenge, highlighting the need for consumer education.
The beauty of circularity is that it is an attractive proposition. Individuals can join and be truly impactful, accelerating systemic change and ultimately changing the world we live in. But you have to tell people that. You have to make it visible.
Circular economy companies have an edge, they just need to use it. The mission is compelling, the impact is real, and purpose-driven candidates are paying attention. But instead, too many circular businesses blend in when they should be a shining beacon for attracting top talent in a crowded job market.
David Watson, Founding Partner of RL Equity and Managing Director of RL People—firms focused on M&A and recruitment in the circular sector—and author of the Circular Connect newsletter, has watched too many companies waste their natural advantage.
Invaluable yet invisible: Too often, companies in the circular space undermine their own hiring efforts with vague roles and clunky recruitment processes. “A lot of organizations struggle to define their proposition adequately and be attractive in what is a somewhat candidate-rich environment,” says Watson.
“The beauty of circularity is that it is an attractive proposition,” he explains. “Individuals can join and be truly impactful, accelerating systemic change and ultimately changing the world we live in. But you have to tell people that. You have to make it visible.”
Dough, not donuts: A feel-good mission helps, but clear salaries and real growth matter more. Watson advocates for salary transparency in job postings. From a candidate’s view, “I wouldn’t want to spend 20 minutes applying to something if I don’t know what I’m ultimately applying for,” he says. “Salary is important.”
But pay is one piece of the puzzle. What wins talent, Watson says, is “what they can earn every month, the impact they can have, and the ability to grow with the organization.” As for office snacks and fluffy perks? “Not as impactful as certain organizations think they are.”
Foot in the door: “Organizations these days are looking for individuals who are willing to hone their skills in different business units and focus on different outcomes,” says Watson. Sticking rigidly to one lane is a red flag. “If you are not willing to adapt and learn and pivot, then you will ultimately put off hiring organizations.”
Just as important is being proactive. “A willingness to engage with other professionals either internally or externally, having proactive discussions, building relationships—all of that sort of good stuff is what companies are looking for,” says Watson.
If you don’t have synergy internally and you don’t have complete alignment on vision, then you don’t have a successful organization. That alignment is categorically essential.
Raising the bar: Even niche roles like reverse logistics now demand more than operational know-how. “The ability to look at reverse logistics in the circular economy holistically and articulate that to potential customers or internally, that’s important,” says Watson. Once seen as a cost center, the field now plays a strategic role. And the bar is higher: “You have to be on top of your numbers” to manage volatility and prove impact.
M&A magnets: Teams that click attract capital. When talent aligns with purpose—and culture aligns with vision—companies don’t just perform better, they look better to buyers. “If you don’t have synergy internally and you don’t have complete alignment on vision, then you don’t have a successful organization,” says Watson. “That alignment is categorically essential.” Culture gaps and high turnover, he warns, are red flags in any deal. With the circular economy’s global market projected to jump from $463.07B in 2024 to $517.79B in 2025, strong teams are fast becoming deal-makers.
The market’s hot: Circular M&A is heating up, especially in hardware services, where strong teams are a magnet for capital. “The momentum is building,” says Watson, pointing to rising investor interest in IT asset disposition (ITAD) and related services. Despite macroeconomic volatility and tight capital, “the demand is there and the willingness to invest is there.” In some cases, talent is the entire deal. “Acquisition deals have happened principally just to get access to very talented individuals within an organization,” Watson adds.
Free returns, at what cost?: One of the circular economy’s biggest blind spots isn’t in the supply chain, it’s in shoppers’ carts. Watson flags the environmental toll of retail returns, which rack up global costs in the trillion-dollar range and lead to massive landfill waste. “There needs to be a way of educating consumers on the sheer volume of returns and the impact they’re having on the environment,” he says. Most people don’t see the damage, but if they did, he believes behavior would change. “Education helps us accelerate systemic change and consumer behavior,” explains Watson.
