Increasing awareness of Environmental issues
As everyone is becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues, 
sustainability is of huge importance to many businesses,
both large and small.
A company’s sustainability ethos should be reflected at all
levels of the business and the human resources department can play a vital role in this.
Recruiting for sustainability
The recruitment process is just one of the stages where an HR department can impact on sustainability within a company. They can do this by searching for and then recruiting employees that share the overall ethos of the company and will strive to achieve sustainability targets. Many graduates are aware of environmental issues and are keen to be employed by companies that are taking measures to operate in a green way. The HR department can find out more about the views of potential employees during the interview process.
Leading by example
It is also important that the HR department lead by example. Their actions and systems should reflect the company’s sustainability policy in a positive manner and this should be evident in the work of each team member. The HR department can also look for ways to improve on sustainability, both within their own department and in the company as a whole. Employees from other departments in the company should be able to recognise the measures the HR department are taking to work towards improved sustainability and copy these strategies within their own departments.
Training current employees
One of the best and most effective ways to encourage current employees to work towards the company’s sustainability policy is through training. A lack of knowledge on the subject can often lead to the employees not promoting sustainability in the workplace. Staff should be made aware both what sustainability is and also the role they can play in this for their company. This is best achieved through training that is tailored to the different roles that the various departments can play. The methods of training should also take sustainability issues into consideration. Staff should be able to complete the training through interactive training sessions or online as much as possible without the need for printed training materials. This is where HR software for your business is a useful tool as you can create training modules for staff using this.
Rewarding sustainability
Once staff have gained more knowledge around environmental issues and are aware of the role they play as an individual within the company, it is important that they continue to work towards a greener future and strive to make improvements. Setting targets and rewarding employees who meet them is a great way to encourage a team to continue with their good work. This is another way that HR software can be a useful tool. It allows an HR department to set individual and team progress, track progress towards these and record any rewards. It can also help the HR department to see when people are continually failing to meet their targets and to identify potential reasons for this. When problems are identified, solutions can be found to rectify these situations.
The HR department of any company can make a significant contribution to its sustainability targets. Just some of the ways they can do this is through recruiting employees who will strive for better sustainability, leading by example, training current employees and rewarding those who meet or exceed targets. HR software is a useful tool that can be used in many different ways to support the HR departments’ work towards improved sustainability.
The End.
