Green HR can be transformative
Over two thirds of Kiwis in the workforce believe their employers could be doing more to address sustainability and environmental issues. The findings come from a Frog Recruitment poll that also revealed only 27% of the 955 workers felt their employer was trying to address green issues.
How can organisations meet the expectations of their sustainability-minded employees? Human Resources leaders need to think outside the box, says AUT Business School’s Marjo Lips-Wiersma, Professor of Ethics and Sustainability Leadership.
“I think Green HR needs to be more transformative than just including it in traditional HR with a few add-ons,” Marjo explained in a recent interview with HRD magazine.
It needs to be a lot more than a “tacked-on” solution, said Marjo, who noted that “emphasis needs to be placed on embedding Green HR within organisations”.
Of particular importance – how organisations culturally and structurally reflect their commitment to this ethos of sustainability. Marjo said businesses that forego hierarchies tend to be better at actioning Green HR.
“...Companies that are successful at doing sustainability usually have much flatter structures. They know they need everybody to come up with their best ideas, so they have an open, trusting, and flat arrangement.”
“Only then do they get all of the ideas — like those from the shop floor, from the customer interface, or ideas of more sustainable financing.”
Organisations also need to offer adequate training for staff and make sure time is freed up for them to attend to the organisation’s sustainability goals. This way, Green HR commitments are proactively actioned rather than being put at the back of the queue of an already busy workload.
“If the company is in fact not green, but it's using that sort of language, then employees can become quite cynical,” said Marjo.
When implemented well, the results that come from investing in sustainability and green issues can be priceless.
“Companies that have a green reputation have people lining up to join them. They don’t have to advertise jobs. Ethique would be an example, or Ecostore.”