GREEN HRM – New trend in HR

The term ‘GREEN HR’ is often used to refer to the contribution of HR policies and practices towards the broader corporate environmental agenda of protection and preservation of natural resources. When we talk about Green HR , two essential elements have to be considered: environmentally friendly HR practices and the preservation of knowledge capital.

The impact of our daily activities on the environment and the desire to go green has expanded from just individuals to organizations. More organizations are volunteering to operate in a more environmentally responsible way.

The Green Human Resources Management is based on green movement related to Protection of Environment and save the planet Earth from future disasters caused by the organizations in order to achieve their sole objective of profit maximization.

The Green Human Resource Management will play an important role in Industry to promote the environment related issues by adopting it, in management philosophy, HR policies and practices, training people and implementation of laws related to Environment Protection.

Green HRM will also help the employers and the organization in building a good corporate image and brand in the market by strictly implementing the ISO 26000, environmental audit, thinking about waste management and pollution. Even the new Companies Act  2013 make it mandatory for the companies having a net worth of more than 500 crores and annual turnover of 1000 crore or more to contribute towards the betterment of society.

Because of the excess consumption of natural resources as a raw material by the industries and other commercial organization there is tremendous pressure on the natural resources of planet Earth which has lead to discussions on topics such as ecological imbalances and bio diversity.

Many companies are adopting green HR which helps in reducing carbon footprint through less printing of paper, video conferencing and interviews, etc.

Some Initiatives companies can take to go green are-

1. Conducting an energy audit- Most local utilities offer businesses free on-site consultations on how they can reduce usage and save money.
2. Going paperless – Encourage e-mailing.
3. Recycle – Recycle glass, paper, plastic, metal trash and manufacturing waste materials.
4. Reducing business travel – Teleconference instead of traveling.
5. Buying green – Tell suppliers that company is interested in sustainable products and set specific goals for buying recycled, refurnished products.
6. Implement green manufacturing processes – Use energy-efficient equipment, and streamline processes to use fewer steps and less materials and packaging.

Benefits of Green HR Initiatives

Green HR initiatives help companies find alternative ways to cut cost without losing their top talent. Green HR refers to the contribution of people management policies and activities towards this broader agenda. It’s an important issue for HR because it is clearly an important issue for all employees, as well as customers and other stakeholders. It’s also one in which HR can have a big impact without causing much expenditure, good environmental management can improve sales and reduce costs, providing funding for green benefits to keep staff engaged.

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