Green Human Resource Management: Meaning, Advantages & Policies
One of the key issues driving the industrial fields’ evolution is green human resource management. When the Green Movement began, this management was put in place. The GHR management bases its operations on developing an organisation that is environmentally responsible and sustainable. According to Indian corporation law, every business company, like every other individual, has a responsibility to benefit society while conducting business under the guiding principle of “growth that meets present requirements without compromising the demands of future generations.” We shall learn about its significance, benefits, and policies in this article.
What is Green Human Resource Management?
To establish a company that is socially conscious, resource-efficient, and sensitive, the human resources department has developed a set of practices and policies known as green human resource management (GHRM). It can also be described as the incorporation of environmental management[1] within HRM. Maintaining a green workforce that practises, understands, and supports green initiatives is the responsibility of green human resource management. This responsibility extends to maintaining green goals throughout the hiring, training, development, remuneration, and advancement of human capital.
Utilizing online training, telecommuting, energy-efficient workspaces, teleconferencing, job-sharing, car-sharing, electronic filing, etc., green human resource management involves adapting environmentally friendly human resource measures that contribute to greater efficiency, better employee retention, lower costs, and better employee engagement. These initiatives will assist your company in identifying cost-effective alternatives without sacrificing top talent.
The strategies used in green human resource management range from promoting double-sided photocopying to utilising morally righteous behaviour. All employees are required to implement sustainable practices and raise public knowledge of environmentally friendly lifestyles. It includes improving energy usage. With GHRM, employees are likely to become more devoted to the company, resulting in higher production.
Policies
As major corporations learn more ways to promote sustainable functioning within their organisations, the idea of “green human resource management” is becoming more and more common. Unquestionably, businesses can significantly contribute to the effort to prevent global warming. The following green human resource management policies can help HRM uphold the organization’s commitment to green practices with the help of top management and staff:
- Green Recruitment and Selecting Process: Technology has advanced to the point that anything is now possible online. Organizations can publish job openings on their websites, and candidates can also upload resumes. These initiatives aid in the significant reduction of paper usage. Now that the method has been chosen, the recruiter must quickly determine whether the applicants are willing to adopt their eco-friendly rules. Some of the interview questions should be directed at group dynamics and the most pressing environmental issues, which blend sustainability concerns with an organization’s strategy.
- Onboarding Process: The way that an organisation conducts its orientation programme must take into account how these new hires will operate by the organization’s green policies. Along with this, the organisation must also describe its environmental policies and the green practices it uses to cut back on waste, carbon emissions, and other things.
- Learning and Development: Learning and development are more similar to a training session given to new employees to teach them how the business runs. The organisation must include the new hires’ green activities and skills when educating and training them on their regular working roles and responsibilities. It makes the organisation sustainable and environmentally friendly. Employees may be inspired by learning and development sessions to come up with fresh ideas for improving the viability and sustainability of their organisations. Using digital and web-based modules is what organisations should do for environmental management training. To contribute to the safety and well-being of the environment, recycling factors, waste disposal, and energy debate are vital.
- Performance Management and Appraisal: Performance management aims to improve an employee’s technical knowledge and abilities, so they can better support the company’s objectives. As a result, it also incorporates sustainability goals that are evaluated using particular metrics to establish a business that is more concerned about the environment. Creating goals, obligations, and tasks that are effective at raising awareness of environmental issues and motivating staff to engage in these green activities is something that is taken into account when evaluating managers’ performance.
- Rewards and Compensation Management: Recognition of your employees’ efforts to create a more environmentally friendly environment is accomplished through reward and compensation management. You can reward your employees with three different types of awards: monetary, non-monetary, and recognition-based rewards. Monetary rewards are typically in the form of cash bonuses, pay raises, and other financial incentives. Additionally, non-monetary rewards might be anything from leaves to gift baskets. While promotion and commendation from senior executives are among the recognition-based rewards.
Advantages of Green Human Resource Management
The main goals of green human resource management are enhancing sustainable business practices, reducing costs, raising social awareness within the organisation, and more. The unique concept of green human resource management is implemented under HRO hiring services. Every organisation must do an environmental audit for this, focusing on their sustainable actions, obligations, and more. With the help of GHRM (Green Human Resource Management), an organisation not only functions with consideration for its social and environmental duties but also gains certain benefits from doing so.
Read on to learn why implementing green human resource management is advantageous:
- With GHRM, businesses can save hiring costs without losing qualified candidates. Making a complete switch to an online hiring system has its benefits because it makes the hiring process simpler, faster, and more affordable.
- When a company is associated with sustainable and green initiatives, it will have tremendous growth opportunities. It comprises eco-friendly measures that help you reduce and eliminate your carbon footprint. Employers who use GHRM have highly engaged employees, which lower the absenteeism rate. Green human resource management aids in cost reduction without compromising their area of expertise.
- The use of green human resource management techniques aids the organisation in establishing a name for itself in society. Additionally, it promotes resource conservation and the use of more affordable, environmentally friendly products. Conducting environmental audits, giving back to society and its citizens, improving workplace culture, maintaining waste management, and other initiatives are just a few of the ways an organisation can earn brand recognition.
- The organization’s employee retention rate can be raised by using green human resource management techniques. When employees discover that the company they work for cares about society and the environment, they begin to feel proud. In addition to its advantages, it creates a favourable impression among the workforce and top talent, enabling them to connect more effectively with the organization’s environmental principles.
- Organisations’ wellness programmes can involve environmental and sustainable issues to raise awareness in addition to promoting physical fitness, good nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle among workers. Green HRM promotes environmentally friendly causes by using policies to encourage resource efficiency, which raises employee morale and satisfaction levels.
Conclusion
The goal of green human resource management is to assist organisations in developing a culture that is sustainable and favourable to the environment. An organisation can use the GHRM practises stated above, such as green hiring, training, performance evaluation, and more, to cut costs, energy use, carbon footprints, and significant waste. In the process, many HR professionals concluded that environmental protection programmes are essential components of overall corporate social responsibility. To conserve the environment, the entire industrial world is currently repeating the mantra, “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.”
Also Read: Meaning and Importance of Employment Verification and How is it done?
