Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM

Across the globe, we are moving from an industrial-based financial system to a talent based
economy. We are also entering a green economy one in which consumer and employee
expectations and future environmental change will require businesses to address green issues.

!nvironmentally conscious organi"ations will become increasingly prominent as we re-enter into
a period of growth. While #$% growth may have stabili"ed during the recession, it is destined to
increase again as businesses increase production and other business activities. &n addition, during
the recession, the main environmental focus of many businesses was placed on reducing waste
and optimi"ing resources. A renewed focus on growth provides unique opportunities for
businesses to become green by loo'ing at ways to create new environmental ()A while
producing operational savings by reducing their carbon footprint.

What is Green HR?

*he term +green ,-. is most often used to refer to the contribution of people management
policies and practices towards the broader corporate environmental agenda. *ypical green
activities include video recruiting, or the use of online and video interviews, to minimi"e travel
requirements.

/reen rewards can include the use of wor'place and lifestyle benefits, ranging from carbon credit
offsets to free bicycles, to engage people in the green agenda, while continuing to recogni"e their
contribution. While many employees often feel it is not their responsibility to protect the
environment while they are at wor', the new wor'force of millenials are emphasi"ing
environmental consciousness as they chose their employers. *here is also a broader opportunity
to engage the wor'force given that more and more people see' meaning and self-actuali"ation in
their 0obs.

$ther simple green actions include minimi"ing the amount of printed materials used in
performance management, salary reviews and so on. While there is definitely a substantial
amount of +green washing. occurring in reducing waste, there are many opportunities here too.

,owever, ,- is never going to have a truly significant impact on a business through the
improvement of ,- processes alone so the greater opportunity is to contribute to the green
agenda of the business as a whole.

Building the Green Business

,- can have a significant impact on the broader green agenda. 1or services-oriented business in
particular, employee focused green initiatives can be extremely impactful since the wor'force is
often the largest single contributor to waste and pollution. Although green initiatives are often
supported by an operations group, ,- can also play a role in reviewing how the business wor's
and identifying how people can act differently in order to reduce their use of energy and
materials.
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM

A relevant focus should be placed on 0ob and organi"ational design. &ncreased efficiencies in
organi"ational hierarchies, more virtuali"ed wor' or eliminating unnecessary time spent in the
office and optimi"ing the use of company resources, including travel, can uncover significant cost
savings and efficiencies. &ncreasingly, companies around the global are supporting greener
options include telecommuting, flexible wor' schedules 3allowing people to travel outside pea'
times4, hot- des'ing or hostelling office space, etc.

,- can also wor' collaboratively with the wor'force to encourage employees to thin' more
environmentally consciously when developing products and services 3and even creating products
and services to help customers manage their environmental impacts4.. 5roduct and
manufacturing companies have a great opportunity to loo' for supply chain efficiencies that can
have both a long-term economic and environmental impact.

&n the evolution of ,-, establishing a green agenda can have a big impact on an organi"ation and
can also increase ,-.s impact outside of traditional wor'force and personnel areas. 6trong
environmental management can and should have an economic impact to an organi"ation
including reducing operational costs, increasing sales in new mar'ets, engaging employees and
building a strong employee-centric culture.

However, for most businesses, there will still be limits to how far this approach can go. Unless
employees are already highly engaged in helping a business succeed, it is unlikely that they
will be very highly engaged in helping the business through better environmental management
Creating a Green Brand

#reating a green initiative requires a comprehensive approach throughout the organi"ation.
-ather than using environmental policies to help achieve existing business ob0ectives,
organi"ations can embed a green brand at the core of the corporate strategy and throughout all
aspects of sustainability and corporate social responsibility. &n other words, creating a green
brand can be, in the words of 7im #ollins a 8,A/ or big, hairy, audacious goal. 8eing green
can become an integral part of the company.s way of doing business and a basis for both the
organi"ation.s corporate and employer brand.

*he green opportunity for many organi"ations can be a compelling competitive advantage. &n
terms of the corporate brand, this is not 0ust about ma'ing the existing business more green, but
finding more green ways to do business. &n terms of the employer brand, it is both about see'ing
to recruit people who see environmental management as important, and being able to compete for
critical talent more effectively by leveraging an employment brand.

6ustainability and environmental management can be used as a beachhead for a number of
ongoing initiatives which, if continued over a relatively lengthy period of time, can ma'e a very
worthwhile contribution to the environment, an employer.s carbon footprint, the employees and
the profitability of the organi"ation.

#ompanies such as /!, 6hell and )i'e have recreated their corporate brands around their social
and environmental behaviors. Wal-9art has been using +going green. to offset negative press
coverage regarding its treatment of employees and impact on local communities. 9ore than a
half a million of Wal-9art employees have made personal commitments to the environment by
supporting company-sponsored initiatives.
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM

8ritish 6'y 8roadcasting 36'y4, the largest :;-based television service, has established a +bigger
picture< strategy to raise its customers. awareness of the impact that individuals have 0ust from
living their lives, and to engage them in practical and inspiring ways to use energy efficiently.
*he company believes that to support this it needs to help its employees inspire others by
becoming more progressive and efficient in their own energy use. 6pecific actions within the
company.s green program have included offering staff incentives for buying a hybrid car, savings
on carbon offsetting, on public transport and bi'es. 6'y have also made additions to their holiday
discount scheme to feature holiday companies operating in an environmentally friendly way, and
to their volunteering program, for example to volunteering in schools, to help pupils underta'e
environmental pro0ects. 6ome of the company<s actions have been really simple, but still very
effective 3at least for raising awareness4, for example allowing employees to buy a coffee mug at
their coffee bar rather than using disposable cups, and then receiving a small discount off a cup of
coffee.

6'y has also launched a carbon credit card where employees receive points for ta'ing public
transportation or wal'ing to wor', or video conferencing rather than ta'ing a flight. 5ri"es are
given to people with the most points. !ach employee.s individual portal to the company.s
intranet shows a coral reef, and the more points that employees earn -- the more fish and perhaps
a shar' swim around the reef. 1ewer points means the reef starts to get dirty and all the fish swim
away. *his is a really simple but also an imaginative and engaging solution
(eveloping a green ,- strategy provides a great opportunity for ,- to increase its impact on the
business, and beyond. As described above, the opportunity includes=

/reen ,- activities reducing the environmental impact of ,- activities
6upport for the green business, engaging staff in higher impact changes
#reating a green employer as well as corporate brand, providing the opportunity to
significantly transform the way an organi"ation wor's.


*he opportunity may be particularly significant in the :6 where businesses have typically done
less to develop a positioning in environmental management. /reen initiatives are seen by
prospective employees, particularly ones in the younger /eneration +>. and 9illennial groups as
being increasingly important as they ma'e career decisions. #ompetition for the most talented of
this generation is expected to be fierce, and a by-product of organi"ational green initiatives will
often be increased awareness and visibility as an employer of choice in this important
demographic. #reating wor'places of the future, reducing the organi"ational impact on the
environment, and ma'ing strides to becoming a highly admired employer are all benefits that can
accrue from the +greening. of ,-.
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
Green hrm helps in following activities
*he influence of social, economic, mar'et and other external forces on the approaches
to environmental management adopted by firms
Wor'force development needs created by increasing demand for employees in
the newly emerging green economy
(iscussions of how and to what extent ,- policies and practices can improve
the environmental performance of organi"ations
6pecific ,- philosophies, policies and@or practices that support or inhibit change
around environmental issues
&nternational differences in /reen ,-9 practices *he -ole of the ,- function in environmental
management
*he role played by trade unions and employee representatives in environmental
9anagement
#hanging attitudes and behaviors related to environmental issues in the wor'place

A critique addressing the pros and cons for research and@or practice of focusing
narrowly on environmental management versus addressing environmental concerns
as part of a more expansive approach 3e.g., focusing on the *riple 8ottom
Aine or striving for sustainability4
(iscussions of how current theoretical perspectives and framewor's 3e.g., those
related to strategic competitiveness, 'nowledge management, learning organi"ation,
communities of practice4 can be applied by reflective practitioners to create
an eco-friendly organi"ational culture
Recruiting & Selection
Green Recruiting Google
:ntil recently, few firms have made a concerted effort to leverage the company<s environmental
stance as a critical point in recruiting pitches. 1irms li'e /oogle, *imberland, and yes, even old-
school /eneral !lectric have led the way by underta'ing ma0or efforts to ma'e being
environmentally friendly a critical element of their employment brand. /oogle, the world<s only
Brecruiting machine,B leads the way not 0ust in its environmental practices but also in publici"ing
their environmental record and approach. Ai'e many emerging green companies, /oogle has
hired a director who coordinates corporate environmental efforts in an attempt to match their
corporate business strategy with their environmental efforts.
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
Green Recruiting Helps Bring in Top Talent - General Electric
&n the race to attract the most talented innovative employees, some companies li'e /! are
painting themselves in green - a rich environmental green - to boost their recruiting leverage. An
environmental pedigree, recruiting experts say, can help lure applicants.
Training
Raising Employee Awareness - an! Rover Group" #$
Aand -over /roup encourages all their employees to play a role in reducing the impacts of our
operations. All Aand -over employees receive environment training appropriate to their 0ob, from
basic awareness to spill response training. *hey communicate with staff about environmental
issues through briefings and regular newsletters. !nvironmental notice boards at all sites display
their sustainable development policy, 'ey goals and environmental commitments. *hey run
suggestion schemes to encourage employees to come up with new ways for us to reduce their
environmental impacts. Awareness-raising events such as their water and energy wee's
encourage employees to use resource efficiently. &n %DDE, they held events at /aydon and
,alewood to promote water - and energy - saving ideas through competitions and give-a ways.
1or example, staff attending /aydon<s energy awareness day learned about the importance of
energy efficiency and were offered grants towards insulation for their own homes. *hey plan to
hold further awareness events at all sites in %DDF. *heir employees also learn about=
environmental nest practice by observing the good wor' done by their colleagues and promoting
these achievements through company maga"ines. At 6olihull, <centers of excellence< were used as
best practice example on which to base environmental performance of the whole plant.
Employee Training Siemens
;ey activities in fiscal %DDF also included delivering more extensive training to employees who
interface with suppliers or who speciali"e in providing buyers and quality managers with
professional support in implementing the #ode of #onduct for 6iemens 6uppliers. *hese training
help to ensure that their employees are fully equipped to answer questions on sustainability in the
supply chain, professionally and precisely, and to ta'e appropriate action. *his is why, in fiscal
%DDF, we not only trained their procurement staff intensively but also those in 'ey interfacing
roles such as quality management, compliance and legal affairs. *hey also extended their
procurement training program, adding a special module on supply chain sustainability which they
co-developed with their operating units and based partly on real-world situations that they had
experienced. &n addition, they continued their successful program of procurement compliance
conferences and put more then CDD senior managers in procurement, quality management, legal
and compliance functions through mandatory training on compliance requirements and execution
at events in !urope 35rague4, &ndia 39umbai4, the :.6. 3)ew >or'4, and Aatin America 39exico
and #olombia4. *hey also designed a special course for their global auditor training program in
how to wor' with the corporate responsibility 9odule in regular supplier quality audits.
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
%erformance &anagement
S'A()* +sharehol!er value a!!e! per poun! of pro!uction, -u%ont
(u5ont defines 6HA as the shareholder value created above the cost of capital, which typically is
2DI to 2%I for corporations in the :nited 6tates. A company can increase its 6HA by adding
either material or 'nowledge or both, but 6HA@2b. emphasi"es only the addition of 'nowledge=
*he higher the 6HA@2b., the greater the 'nowledge intensity in creating economic value. Along
with more traditional financial measures li'e return on invested capital and cash flow, the new
metric provides a useful indicator of the long-term sustainability of different growth strategies.
%erformance Review %rocess & &anagement Review Siemens
6iemens< most important ,- management instruments are their 5erformance -eview 5rocess and
their 6iemens 9anagement -eview. )ow standard practice company-wide, their purpose is to
enable management-level and non-managerial employees ali'e to set clear personal goals and to
give and receive continuous, open feedbac'. *hey provide a transparent measure of employees<
environmental performance and accomplishments and, as such, determine future career
development and remuneration.
Rewar!s
.%+%ollution %revention %ays, %rogram - .&
?9 has encouraged employees to propose changes to generate revenue and reduce pollution
through their 5ollution 5revention 5ays 3?54 program. 6o far, ?9 claim their ?5 initiative has
produces more than %,GDD pollution solutions, halving their waste release, and saving them nearly
J?DD million. &ndeed, later estimates for ?9 are that their ?5 program has seen employees
propose more than C,EGD pro0ects worldwide, preventing 2.E billion pounds of pollution, and
saving them JFGD million in pollution control and raw material costs.
E/ompetition Roche
!mployees submit their suggestions as to how -oche can help to protect the environment or use
energy or natural resources more efficiently, and pri"es are awarded for the best submissions. *he
competition is open to individuals or teams of up to three employees. 9anagers at the local site
level then examine the feasibility of their employees< suggestions, estimate the potential cost
savings, and commit to implementing the proposed improvements. &deas are evaluated by a team
consisting of the eco-delegates and two members of the corporate 6,! department 3#6!4. *he
inclusion criteria have been tightened up over the years in order to focus on those pro0ects which
are significant at a group level.
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
Share &atching %lan Siemens
6iemens< 6hare 9atching 5lan, open to their entire employee base as of fiscal %DDL, was launched
to enable their people to share in the company<s environmental success and to help them
accumulate assets. :nder the terms of the scheme, participating employees receive one free
6iemens share for every three shares they have purchased, provided the latter are retained for a
period of three years
0o* -escription
an! Rover1s Environmental 0o* -escription
&n the -over /roup, :;, environmental responsibilities were introduced in all 0ob descriptionsM
therefore environment was defined as a criterion for the selection of new employees.
Team 2rgani3ing
Green /ore Team Avaya
Avaya<s executive team oversees the /reen #ore *eam and considers Avaya<s environmental
stewardship a top priority. *he /reen #ore *eam<s role is that of a catalyst and driver for
company-wide green targets, roadmaps and actions.
/ompliance 2rgani3ation Siemens
#lean business everywhere and at all times= this principle guides 6iemens< actions and their
company culture, without any ifs, ands or buts. Worldwide, all 6iemens managers and employees
are bound to a fundamental rule= "ero tolerance for corruption. All business activities have to
comply with applicable laws and regulations. *o fight corruption, 6iemens also has internal
organi"ations that are binding worldwide. *heir compliance organi"ation has been designed to
provide interfaces and full transparency with other staff functions as well as with the company<s
operational units. *hey see the wor' of the compliance organi"ation as an important career step
for the respective compliance employees. *his is bac'ed by a #ompetency 9anagement 5rogram
initiated together with #orporate ,uman -esources to systematically support and promote
employees in the compliance organi"ation. #ompliance conferences in the regions and regularly
scheduled meeting with their worldwide compliance $fficers support their goal of strengthening
cooperation within the compliance organi"ation and exchanging best-practice examples.
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
2rgani3ational /ulture
4Tone-from-the-top4 %rinciple Siemens
*he behavior of managers plays a decisive role in the creation of an integrity culture. B$nly clean
business-everywhere and at all times. #ompliance has the highest priority at 6iemens as part of
their corporate responsibility.B All 6iemens managers are required to spread this message from
6iemens president and #!$ 5eter Aoscher throughout the company. 8y the end of the period
being reported, members of the managing board, the chief compliance officer and top managers
of the compliance organi"ation had visited a total of GC regional companies. *he visits focused in
particular on those countries that are especially important for the success of the compliance
program due to their high business volume or existing corruption ris's. *heir top management
acted as compliance ambassadors and spo'e at employee town hall meetings and with local
managers about the importance of compliance. *hese efforts paid off, because a worldwide
employee survey on compliance conducted in the summer of %DDF confirmed that their messages
have reached their employees.
2rgani3ational earning
2rgani3ational earning of /olom*ia1s /auca 'alley
&n 2LKF and 2LL?, #auca Halley could continuously improve its programme of pollution
reduction of effluents because, by using a process of attempt and ma'ing mista'es, it too' into
account the opinions of the representatives from local companies when devising its strategies.
Aearning by exploration too' place when #auca Halley corporation introduced a system of fees to
control the water pollution by companies of the region. )owadays, pollution reduction
programmes run by this #olombian company are recogni"ed by the World 8an' as some of the
most effective in the world.
2rgani3ational earning of -ow /hemical
(ow #hemical in the :6A annually publishes its Waste !limination &dea 8oo'. &t contains the
main ideas and pro0ects used in procedures of pollution reduction in one year. *his boo' is
distributed to the various plants of the company in order to motivate discussion. *he success of
the environmental management activities of this organi"ation has to be attributed to its effort of
organi"ational learning, which focused on transferring 'nowledge to employees and the various
productive units.
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
,- has a role in the pursuit of greener business practicesM a role which could help to both save the
planet and recruit new employees.
,uman resources 3,-4 has a role to play in building greener businesses. &ts closeness to people
across departments ma'es it arguably the best-placed business function to introduce and enforce
greener wor'ing practices and change environmentally unfriendly behaviors. And while its scope
may be limited to managing the behaviors of people 3as opposed to directing wider strategic or
operational policies4, ,- has a significant opportunity to contribute to the green movement. &f
being green is not reason enough, the motivation to get involved might be driven by the fact that,
increasingly, people want to wor' for greener businesses.
,- is already involved in the development, training, re-training and behavioral management of
people, with the overall ob0ective of improving business performance. &t also has a role in
defining organi"ational policies, such as flexible wor'ing rules or codes of conduct. With these
competencies in mind, it is apparent that managing certain green policies from within ,- could
be advantageous. Where an individual.s choice of behavior could impact the environment, ,-
could play a role in defining policy. 1or example, ,- could define instances where face-to-face
offsite meetings are necessary, or where video or web conferencing could be used as a greener
alternative.
A survey conducted in the :6, which analy"ed responses from L? organi"ations from a range of
different industries, identified some commonly practiced green-friendly ,- initiatives, including
encouraging online@tele-conferencing to reduce travel, and promoting the reduction of paper use.
*he survey commented that employee involvement in green programs dramatically increases
when organi"ations appoint an individual to lead the efforts. (on 6anford, managing director of
8uc'.s #ommunication, the company behind the survey, concluded that there is still much more
that organi"ations can do.
*o go further, ,- leaders could pursue green initiatives on a number of levels. 1or example, ,-
could wor' with &* departments to define policies on the correct use of computer power
management systems, or promote the importance of turning off computers, printers and lights
when leaving the office. 9ore widely, building green responsibilities directly into 0ob
descriptions could provide a two-fold benefitM first ensuring green policies are explicitly part of
an employee.s responsibilities, and second, providing routes for employee feedbac' on ideas
which could help to improve environmental efficiencies. !mployees who are familiar with their
own 0ob roles may be best-placed to identify green opportunities and proactively suggest
improvements.
&ncreasingly, new recruits are li'ely to consider the green credentials of employers. &f ,- has a
vested interest in a company.s environmental practices, it could position the business as a more
attractive proposition to new talent. &n this respect, being green could be strategically valuable to
tomorrow.s ,-.
&t is clear that whilst ,- cannot always ta'e the lead in an organi"ation.s green approach, it could
wor' with decision ma'ers to define and disseminate information and instructions to its people,
so that they can learn how to behave in more environmentally friendly ways. As well as
contributing to an important corporate social responsibility, this positive action could ma'e the
company a more attractive employment proposition for new talent. &f you wor' in ,-, why not
as' yourself what role you could play in helping to save the planet.
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
How to /reate a Sustaina*le 5 Green 5 HR 6unction
$nowle!ge7 S8ills7 an! A*ilities +$SAs,
$nce the organi"ation establishes that social responsibility and sustainability is important to their
business strategy, they must define what this will mean to the company. $nce this is defined, it
will need to be incorporated into the company.s vision, mission, values as well as touted in their
mar'eting materials, website, and all communication vehicles. )o easy tas' here, but assigning
the deliverable to one 0ob function actually ma'es quite a bit of sense.
*he role would be highly visible and would have to form strong communication channels, both
internally and externally, so some good 5- and platform delivery s'ills would be required. *he
person filling the role will need to be a team player with an exceptional attention to detail.
(ealing with all the related functions to get the messages created and delivered will be
challenging enough, so a good team approach and an ability to influence others will be a must.
A sustainability officer need not have 2DD years experience in that one industry, but should
understand the business as a business - possessing solid business acumen and be able to connect
the soft s'ill and process dots to hard dollars. 1inance bac'ground is always good, but we 'now
most ,- fol's go into ,- so they don.t have to deal with numbers all day longN 36ide note here=
that perception sure is changingN4
-elating to finance, the sustainability officer will be responsible to identify the current carbon
footprint. While there are websites that can help you do this, such as www.carbonfootprint.com,
this also will ta'e savvy communication and collaboration s'ills to interface with all functions
with in the organi"ation. *his is not a nice to have activity, it is the wave of the future and a
way for ,- to align themselves more closely with the #1$ and financial accountability.
-ecently, it was reported that environmental costs and liabilities associated with preparing
environmental disclosure for 6ecurities and !xchange #ommission filings can be a complicated
process. 9any publicly traded company operations are sub0ect to multiple 0urisdictional
requirements, from very local to international or supranational regimes, according to a ,arvard
Aaw 6chool #orporate /overnance blog posting.
According to a memorandum by 8etty 9. ,uber and 8rianne Aucy', certain new and proposed
changes to environmental accounting rules may affect current and near-term qualitative and
quantitative disclosure. *he 1inancial Accounting 6tandards 8oard is loo'ing for more footnote
disclosure about a company.s environmental liabilities. >ou want to score some significant green
points with the #-suiteO Aearn more about the new reporting laws and create ways to support
your #1$ in this requirement. *hen & would recommend a three-step process to recreate the ,-
function, which includes recruiting and all of its processes.
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
Evaluate
(oes the company.s organi"ational culture, vision, mission, and values support social
responsibilityO $rgani"ational culture and values congruence is paramount the creation of a green
recruiting function. &t continues to be abundantly clear that values not only create cultures, but
also support the alignment of personal values with organi"ational values on many different levels.
*he amount of blogs that spea' to values, personal evolution, and enlightenment is staggering.
*his all feeds into the school of thought that today.s individuals are see'ing experiences with
deeper meaning, deeper connectivity, and relational activity.
What is the company.s business proposition as it relates to being greenO While sustainability is a
factor in building an employment brand and ,- function of the future, it also applies to retention.
$rgani"ations that are not implementing environmental policies or changing the way they.re
doing business may lose current employees to companies that have established themselves as an
eco-friendly company or offer socially responsible incentives. 6ome of these incentives include
subsidies for buying hybrid cars, on-site farmers. mar'ets, use of green fuels and solar power, or
the ability to donate reward monies to charitable causes. *hese are 0ust some of the latest trends
in going green.
Eliminate
:sing proven business process re-engineering, deploy steps to eliminate waste. *otal Puality
9anagement and #ontinuous Puality &mprovement are not 0ust for 6ix 6igma companies. *hese
methodologies are accepted business practices even for the soft processes. When & was an
internal in ,ealth #are, we deployed the 7uran principles to the cycle time for filling vacancies
for our nursing positions. After forming a representative team of sub0ect matter experts, we began
creating a process map which allowed us to all see the complicated steps that had been created in
this process. We wor'ed together to eliminate redundancy, waste, and duplication of efforts. *he
outcome was that the team reduced the cycle time for the vacancy rates by KDIN *rust me here,
you probably have a ton of practices that could use some dusting off and reinvention.
5rocess re-engineering related to being green might be a chic'en and egg situation. When & was
investigating whether organi"ations go green to save money or for more esoteric reasons, & had a
conversation with a high level ,- professional in the hospitality industry. 6he explained that her
organi"ation did not go green for social consciousness, but more for the reali"ed cost savings and
process improvement. *hat struc' me as funny, as & travel so much and have always applauded
hotels that have implemented so many green approaches. )ot that they don.t leverage their green
side, it was 0ust not the impetus & expected for launching their sustainability efforts.
&nclude your leader in this exercise allowing them to see what needs to be cut and the potential
cost benefits from ma'ing the commitment.
9lluminate
8ring to life the new concepts, processes, and procedures and communicate them effectively.
(on.t allow for green washing. >ou cannot afford a misstep in this communication activity.
1ocus on creating a congruent and authentic employment brand will help your organi"ation
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
attract, retain, and repel employees. #ompanies large and small are seeing a significant increase
in the -$& of their recruitment and retention programs by creating an employment brand. $ne
component of a significant employment brand is its green recruiting practices. *his is not a
flavor of the month or a new concept. 1ortune GDD companies have been doing it for years and
your organi"ation might have the right stuffQyou 0ust might not be leveraging your green
practices and programs in your recruitment efforts.
9ts impact on *usiness an! HR""
/aining -eputation, perception and goodwill.
&t.s economically useful has a direct impact on the profit and enhances the return on
investment.
8etter 5ower :tility.
Aow cost.
6marter 5erformance which translate into cheaper products.
ESSE:T9A GREE:9:G A/T9'9T9ES 62R HR
2. /orporate 2ffice Buil!ing
/reening the building means getting certified as a /-!!) 8:&A(&)/. 8y this it can save
around GDI of all the energy consumed in the economy as it uses air conditioners and office
equipments.
*wo bodies are set up with the help of :) for certification----
EE- 9:-9A
GR9HA
;" Separate -epartment
,aving a separate department li'e !)H&-$)9!)* 9A)A/!9!)* *!A9 which
drive the green awareness both within and outside to as a social contribution.
6ome practices can be=
9andating use of disposable paper
/iving option of drin'ing coconut water in canteen instead of soft drin's
6witching off the system at lunch time.
#ar pooling
:sing natural daylight instead of electricity
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
." /on!uct a Research
Within the organi"ation on consumption of resources li'e paper, newspapers, pen , photocopy
in', that are subscribed by the organi"ation and their disposable.
C. /reate an <uestionnaire =How to green our company>
And get it filled by the top management as it creates awareness at right place and amongs
right people.
?" 9nitiate /leanliness -rive
Aocal news papers helps in initiation of cleanliness and educating underprivileged ones with
the help of volunteers
@" 9ncrease! recycling
A" -ecrease! printing
B" Elimination or re!uction in the use of *ottle! water7 plastic an! Styrofoam cups
C" #sing reusa*le grocery an! lunch *ags
)D" Switching to compact fluorescent light *ul*s an! other energy saving an! green
pro!ucts
))" /hanging transportation ha*its7 inclu!ing limiting car trips7 carpooling7 *uying
hy*ri! cars7 using mass transit7 an! *i8ing or wal8ing to wor8"
EEA&%ES 26 %R2#- /2&%A:9ES
*oyota
*ata
7 # At'inson and 6on 39anufacturing4
#arillion 3#onstruction4
#o-operative 1inancial 6ervices 31inancial 6ervices4
5ureprint /roup 35rinting and 5ublishing4
6'ans'a :; 3#onstruction4
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
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Aoughborough 6tudent.s :nion 3!ducation4
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According to *he /reening of ,- 6urvey BgreenB initiatives that companies are utili"ing
involving their wor'force and human resource practices. #ompanies are incorporating and
wor'ing toward integrating a number of green practices. *here are several areas for ,-
practitioners to consider in the green space .
The various green programs followe! *y the companies areF-----
G :sing the internet or teleconferencing to cut down on business travel
R 5utting 6ummary 5lan (escriptions 365(s4 or other company information online to reduce
printing
R 5romoting the reduction of paper usage
R &mplementing wellness programs around proper nutrition, fitness, and healthy living
R $ffering opportunities for employees to Btele wor'B or wor' from home
R -ide@6hare programs
!nvironmental responsibility a part of their organi"ation.s mission statement and view the
promotion of social responsibility as the most critical ob0ective of their green programs.
References
,arvard 8usiness -eview on green business strategy by ,arvard 8usiness 6chool 5ress 8oo's. %DDE.
,uman -esources 9anagement by Wendell A. 1rench, ,ardcover.
$rgani"ations, policy and the natural environment= &nstitutional and strategic perspectives 8y ,offman, A.
7., S Hentresca, 9. 7. 3!ds.4. %DD%. #A= 6tanford :niversity 5ress.
www"greenhrm"org
,uman -esource (evelopment -eview , ,uman -elations 7ournal of 9anagement ,,uman #apital ,
&nternational 7ournal of *raining and (evelopment , &ndian 7ournal of *raining and
(evelopment
,uman -esource 9anagement 7ournal ,&ndustrial -elations 7ournal
www"*oo8s"com , www"hrm"com , www"management"com ,www"hrmtheHournal"com
2C
Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
www"managementHournals"com
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Creating High Performing HR Systems: Green HRM
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