APPENDIX B

Green Human Resource Management

Introduction

Many organizations are now adopting green management policies, procedures, and practices out of their concern for environmental protection. Across the world, there is a growing realization among the companies about the need for a proactive approach towards environmental management. This realization is caused by the negative impact of organizational activities on environment. The increased level of environmental pollution caused by industrial wastes, the growing concern over global warming, strong government policy interventions, and awareness campaigns of pressure groups forced many organizations to undertake green initiatives seriously. Managements even develop and publicize separate “green” vision and mission for their organization.

Most of the green management initiatives are aimed at reducing the damage to the non-renewable resources and its negative impact on the society as a whole. “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” is the slogan of many of the companies engaged in green management initiatives. Green HRM is one of the aspects of green management initiatives of the organizations. Green HRM has emerged as an important thrust area for management due to its enormous impact on people issues.

Green HRM is concerned with the protection and preservation of natural resources through people management functions such as recruitment, training and development, performance management, and compensation management. Green HRM looks to promote the sustainable use of resources available with organization and foster the cause of environmentalism.¹ HR people now believe that green HR practices can have positive impact on commitment, morale, quality of work life, engagement, and retention of employees in the organization.

Green HR initiatives of organizations are aimed at achieving lower costs, greater efficiencies, improved employee engagement, and reduced employee carbon footprints. As a part of Green HRM, managements carryout environment-friendly HR initiatives such as electronic filing, car-sharing, teleconferencing and virtual interviews, recycling, telecommuting, and online training. The purpose is to reduce the usage of consumables such as paper, plastic, envelope, ink toner, etc. that have negative environmental impact. We shall now see the possible green practices in different HR functions.

Green Recruitment Initiatives

The term green recruitment refers to recruitment practices that make minimal environmental impact. In simple, green recruitment implies an eco-friendly and paper-free recruitment processes. The green recruitment involves the following:

1. Inviting applications through online mediums like e-mail and filling of online application forms by candidates.
2. Conducting virtual interviews like telephonic, online, and video interviews. Virtual interviews can be conducted as an alternative to the “in-person” interview. This can reduce recruitment-related travelling by the candidates and paper works.
3. Choosing competent people who believe in green initiatives. In this regard, a few environment-related questions can be asked to identify suitable candidates who are interested in protecting environment.
4. Using green criteria for evaluating the candidates at the time of selection process.
5. Highlighting the organization’s environmental successes in job descriptions, recruiting advertisements, and also during selection interviews.

Green Training Initiatives

Green training involves the integration of environmental training into the overall training programme. The purpose of training as a part of green HRM is to transfer environmental awareness smoothly into the mind set of employees. During training, the importance of environment can be explained and emphasized as follows:

1. Training employees in the principles of sustainable development.² Employees can be taught about corporate goals and objectives including environmental elements. Training should enable employees to develop knowledge in environmental management and green skills and attitude.
2. Employing online and web-based training modules and interactive media as training tools to train employees. In this regard, Internet, intranet, websites, blogs, and emails can be extensively used to reduce the paper work.
3. Familiarizing the new employees with green aspects of the organization during the induction stage. Similarly, green orientation programme can be conducted for existing employees to create eco-friendly values. Induction programmes can discuss the green issues of the organization and employees such as green working conditions, employee health and safety, energy efficiency, waste management, and
   recycling.
4. Organizing role plays, group discussions, seminars, and workshop to create green consciousness among employees.
5. Encouraging employees through training to adopt green concepts and initiatives in their personal life.
6. Forming advisory committee or green teams with environment-friendly employees to suggest measures to improve green initiatives in training and other HR functions.

Green Compensation Initiatives

Organizations can also use their compensation policies and practices to protect and preserve environment. The reward system of these organizations should be designed in such a way as to attract and retain eco-friendly candidates. In this regard, management can try the following measures:

1. Organizations can link a part of the employees’ pay and benefit packages to their eco-performance. Besides, organizations can offer cash incentives and bonuses to employees acquiring green skills necessary to tackle environmental issues.
2. Management can provide rewards to employees who practice green initiatives such as use of bicycles and pollution-free vehicles for commuting to and from office.
3. Organizations can give green rewards to units, departments, or individual employees when they come up with innovative eco-friendly suggestions relating to waste reduction, nature-friendly workplace, etc.
4. Organizations can offer rewards to the managers who cultivate green habits or practices among employees.

Green Performance Evaluation Initiatives

Organizations can make use of performance evaluation measures to reinforce the importance of green management among managers and employees. This can be done through the following:

1. Introducing green standards in performance evaluation process. Green targets, goals, and responsibilities should be established for employees and managers. Green performance and achievement of people should be measured through the performance evaluation process.
2. Communicating clearly the roles and responsibilities of every employee in promoting green initiatives and achieving green outcomes.
3. Conducting environmental audit to determine whether employees comply with the relevant green values and practices and eco-specific regulatory requirements.
4. Honouring the employees performing exceptionally well in green management. Imposing punishments and penalties for non-compliance with eco-specific rules and regulation.
5. Introduction of e-evaluation system for evaluating the performance of employees.

Other Green Initiatives

Besides these green HR activities, organizations can also undertake green initiatives like (i) giving donations to green causes as a part of organization’s green campaign (ii) encouraging employees to plant trees inside and outside the office premises (iii) organizing entertainment programmes that highlight the importance of green issues among employees and their family members and the general public (iv) posters with green slogans can be displayed at all vantage points inside the office and factory premises of the organizations and (v) conducting green propaganda to create awareness about the impact of environment degradation.

Notes

1. R. K. Mishra, Shulagna Sarkar and Punam Singh (ed), Today’s HR for a Sustainable Tomorrow, (New Delhi: Allied publishers private limited, 2012) p. 137.
2. Susan E. Jackson, Deniz S. Ones, Stephan Dilchert, Managing Human Resources for Environmental Sustainability, https://books.google.co.in/books?id=oPtRSNFQpHkC&pg=PT268&dq=green+recruitment+practices&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7dkzVe6vCoKiuQSb9IHYDw&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=green%20training%20&f=false