Green Human Resource Management

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Green Human Resource Management

Environmental issues and corporate sustainability have become a significant managerial challenge of the 21st century. Companies are taking many small and big steps to start with going green and sustainability. More "green" management practices have to be included also in human resources, just like we also have green marketing, green operations, green investing, etc. The alignment of Human Resource Management with environmental management is being called Green Human Resource Management (Green HRM). Below I collected and summarized information on Green HRM. Please help me make this subject more complete.

What is Green HRM?

Green HRM can be defined as the whole of policies, practices, and systems of an organization that makes the organization and its employees green, for the interest of the individual, society, natural environment, and the business. In Green HRM different human resources practices such as recruitment and selection, training, compensation and rewards, and performance appraisals are adapted to ensure their employees understand and promote green behavior. Green HRM aims to design, implement, improve, and maintain a green vision within every employee of the organization.

Why is Green HRM important? Benefits

Green HRM can have many advantages. Ten of the most mentioned are:

1. Supports producing environmentally friendly products, services in an environmentally friendly way (operations);
2. Reduces the firm's carbon footprints;
3. Creates green awareness among the employees;
4. Enhances the firm's image, which will help customers and employees become more loyal;
5. Reduces costs (it may also increase them);
6. Increases profits (if applied well);
7. Generates green investors' preference;
8. Improves participation, commitment, morale, quality of work of the employees, leading also to a higher retention rate of the human capital in the organization.
9. Conserves resources for future generations, and improve the prevailing conditions of the environment where all citizens live.
10. Contributes to successful environmental management on a global basis;

What are the Main Components of Green HRM? Elements

A GREEN HR VISION can be implemented in a GREEN HR STRATEGY by establishing:

1. GREEN COMPETENCIES: the possession of a sufficient amount of knowledge and skills on greening;
2. A GREEN ATTITUDE: all organization members, at all levels exhibit a positive attitude towards being green;
3. GREEN BEHAVIORS: the extent to which the employees are engaged in actual positive actions and official duties aimed at helping the organization to achieve greening (this engagement could be voluntary or an official requirement to be met by the employees);
4. GREEN RESULTS: the extent to which the employees have achieved specific environmental performance targets and green results (for example a reduction of electricity consumption, inputs wastage, etc..).

How to Make Specific HRM Functions Green?

Making individual HRM (sub-) functions green involves modifying them and including policies, procedures, and practices that ensure a green performance of that function. Here are some ideas on each of them:

1. JOB ANALYSIS: Add the environmental dimension as a duty in the job description. For example add green competencies as a special component in the job specification.
2. RECRUITMENT: Include environmental criteria to the recruitment messages.
3. SELECTION: Select applicants who are sufficiently aware of greening to fill job vacancies.
4. TRAINING: Design a training program to impart the right knowledge and skills about greening for each employee.
5. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: Include green-related criteria when evaluating an employee's job performance, and add a component for progress on greening in the performance feedback interview.
6. REWARDS MANAGEMENT: Give financial and/or non-financial rewards to employees for good green performance of the job.
7. DISCIPLINE MANAGEMENT: Formulate and publish rules of conduct relating to greening, and develop a progressive disciplinary system to punish employees who violate the rules of green conduct.

⇨ Please help me make this topic more practical. What green HRM ideas and practices are applied in your organization? Let's focus only on the HRM ones. What is the effect they have on the overall performance of it?
Sources:
Ali H. Halawi, Wael Sleiman Zaraket (2018), "Impact of Green Human Resource Management on Employee Behavior".
Sabzar Ahmad Peerzadah et al (2018), "Green Human Resource Management: A Review", International Journal of Enhanced Research in Management & Computer Applications, Vol. 7(3), pp.790-795.

		Comments by date▼ Comments by rating Rating
		2 Melchiorre Calabrese Business Consultant, Italy
	Green Human Resources Management Requires Education Environmental staff education should be perceived as a moral duty by all organizations. To achieve this, organizations can refer to the suggested guidelines also to obtain certification of the environmental management system. From the "top management" it is a matter of acquiring and transmitting the following awareness to the staff: A) What are the risks of environmental impact associated with the activities that take place in the work area? B) What are the opportunities for improvement that can be planned in order to reduce energy consumption and reduce waste production, especially if not recyclable? C) Carry out an analysis of the "Context" in which the organization operates in order to get to know the needs and expectations of the interested parties. D) Consequently, determine "Objectives", which are made known to all, while assigning resources and responsibilities for their achievement. In all of this, top management must demonstrate leadership and commitment, so that the implementation of the management system is integrated into the strategic management processes of the organization. In the strategy of the organization that really wants to move towards virtuous environmental management, training and information sessions for staff at various levels must be included. With regard to the personnel selection phases, it is obviously better to choose people with a mentality that is already directly oriented towards respect for the environment. However, keep in mind that each productive reality is a story in itself; therefore a specific environmental training period is always essential.

		2 Dr. Alan Williams Professor, Thailand
	Green Human Resources Management Going green is of course admirable, but I believe it should be the whole organization, department by department. Plus, until the whole green approach is totally embedded, it should be championed by th...

		2 Teun Wolters Professor, Netherlands
	Let's Start with Strategic HRM and Sustainability Many of the above statements are valuable. For a relevant context, I suggest starting with Strategic HRM and sustainability. Strategic HRM is there to support a company in achieving its strategic goal...

		1 Melchiorre Calabrese Business Consultant, Italy
	Going Green Requires Involvement Top Management I agree, Mr. Alan Williams. In fact, as you can see, I also wrote: "From the top management it is matter of acquiring and transmitting the following awareness to the staff"; And "... Top management ...

		3 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	HR's Role in Going Green Initiative Thank you all for your excellent contributions. Without top management as champions any major attempt of "going green" or corporate sustainability is doomed for failure right from the start. On the o...

		1 SHAIQ ALI MIRZA Manager, Pakistan
	Idea of Green HR Although the idea of going green is very useful, I think it does not mean that we paint green color everywhere inside & outside of the company. Everyone should contribute to support this (going green)...