When people hear Green HR, they might think about recycling, reducing paper use or switching off the lights at the end of the day.
While these things can contribute to a more sustainable workplace, Green HR is much broader.
Green HR, or Green Human Resource Management (GHRM), is about integrating environmental and wider sustainability considerations into how an organisation manages, develops and engages its people.
At its heart, Green HR recognises that people are essential to making sustainable change happen.
A business can introduce sustainability policies and environmental targets, but without the understanding, engagement and behaviours of its people, those changes may struggle to become part of everyday business.
What does Green HR look like?
Green HR can be incorporated throughout the employee lifecycle.
Recruitment and onboarding
Businesses can communicate their sustainability values through recruitment and help new employees understand how sustainability fits into the organisation from the beginning.
This isn’t about expecting every employee to be an environmental expert. It’s about being honest about the organisation’s values and helping people understand how they can contribute.
Training and development
Employees and managers may need new knowledge and skills as businesses respond to environmental and social challenges.
This could include sustainability awareness, sustainable leadership, responsible decision-making or understanding the environmental impact of roles.
Managers also need support to lead change effectively and encourage their teams to get involved.
Employee engagement
Employees often have a valuable understanding of how a business actually operates.
They may spot opportunities to reduce waste, unnecessary travel, resource use or inefficient processes that aren’t immediately obvious to senior leaders.
Green HR can create opportunities for employees to share ideas and become involved through initiatives such as sustainability groups, employee forums or “green champions”.
The important thing is that employee involvement is meaningful and that good ideas are acted upon.
Performance and leadership
Where appropriate, sustainability can form part of performance objectives.
For example, a procurement manager might consider sustainable suppliers, while a facilities manager could have responsibility for reducing energy or resource consumption.
However, sustainability targets shouldn’t simply be added to every employee’s objectives.
The better question is: What can this role realistically influence?
Leadership is equally important. Employees are unlikely to consistently adopt sustainable behaviours if managers and senior leaders don’t demonstrate them themselves.
“Sustainability shouldn’t just look good on paper…It needs to work in practice!”
Green HR is about people as well as the planet
Although “Green” naturally makes us think about the environment, sustainability also has a people dimension.
From an HR perspective, this can include:
- Employee wellbeing
- Inclusion and accessibility
- Learning and development
- Employee voice
- Fair employment practices
- Sustainable workloads
- Career development
- Leadership development
A genuinely sustainable organisation needs to consider both people and planet.
Green HR doesn’t have to be complicated
You don’t need a huge sustainability strategy or a dedicated sustainability team to start thinking about Green HR.
For a growing business, it could begin with some simple questions:
- Recruitment: Are we communicating our values honestly?
- Training: Do our people have the knowledge and skills they need?
- Leadership: Are managers equipped to lead sustainable change?
- Culture: Do employees have opportunities to contribute ideas?
- Working practices: Could we work differently to reduce environmental impact while still meeting business needs?
- Employee experience: Are we creating a workplace that is sustainable for our people as well as the planet?
The right approach will look different for every organisation. The important thing is to focus on changes that are meaningful, achievable and relevant to the business.
People + Planet + Business
For Green HR to be effective, sustainability needs to connect with the organisation’s wider commercial objectives.
Reducing unnecessary travel can reduce environmental impact and costs. Developing managers can improve leadership capability while supporting sustainable change. Better employee engagement can help create a culture where people actively contribute to the organisation’s goals.
Green HR isn’t about making HR “greener” for the sake of it.
It’s about asking: How can our people, culture and HR practices help us build a more sustainable business?
That is where HR can make a real contribution.
Green HR at NeoGen HR
At NeoGen HR, Green HR is about helping businesses understand how their people practices can support their wider sustainability ambitions.
Whether that’s through HR strategy, manager support, training, employee engagement, practical Green HR advice or preparing your people practices for B Corp certification, the focus is on making sustainability work for both people and business.
For businesses considering B Corp certification, HR can play an important role. Your people practices, employee experience, policies, leadership and workplace culture can all form part of the wider picture when demonstrating how your business considers its impact on people and the planet.
I can help businesses look at their HR practices through a sustainability lens, identify opportunities for improvement and put practical changes in place as part of their wider B Corp journey.
I also offer talks and sessions for businesses, networking groups, professional groups and other organisations looking to understand more about Green HR, sustainable people practices and how they can be applied in practice.
If you’re interested in exploring Green HR, preparing your people practices for B Corp certification, or would like to arrange a talk or session for your group, I’d love to hear from you.
📧 hello@neogenhr.co.uk
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