e-HRM for Green HR Towards Green World!!!

e-HRM for Green HR Towards Green World!!!

Green awareness is not a new topic from last few years. Most interesting thing is HR professionals in the organization are not only aware about this rather they start working for it. As mentioned one of the article before how e-HRM can assist or organization’s to be greener through paperless office and others, this time few new points added in this article.

HR professionals in organization can develop a powerful social conscience and green sense of responsibility internal and external customers, stakeholders, partners etc. Recent times, consumers demand ethics and environmental credentials as a top priority. Society and business see their agenda align. HR department have to drive corporate behavior towards more environment friendly path. HR professional cannot wait for others like production or supply chain department or the engineering team will initiate the program. Its part of CSR and HR has to launch it now. The environmental lobby is so pervasive that organization, especially the HR department must be quick to react to consumer concerns about any aspect of their business which could be deemed unethical. Clear communication and clarity about products and services is essential. 

Pic Source: http://thegreenitguy.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/human_resources.jpg

Apart from above HR need to assist their SCM team to have strong control over their supplier networks to ensure that corporate ethical values are upheld across the supply chain, and be able to troubleshoot when things go wrong. This has led to many organizations taking greater ownership of key components of the supply chain through vertical integration. Rigid contractual obligations are in place covering every eventuality.

Green Audit by HRM: 

HR professional need to implement the green audit process within their organization. The audit process and quarterly organization reports are characterized by a focus on measuring greenness detailing carbon emissions ratings, and carbon exchange activity, as well as the more traditional company valuations. This is an indication of the importance shareholders and investors place on these issues which are reflected in the share price. They need to alarm others about big corporate fines. Brands can rise and fall on the basis of perceived green credentials, with government imposed corporate fines for bad behavior in this highly regulated world. Corporate responsibility is not an altruistic nice to have, but a business imperative.

How HR will Manage Human Capital in the Green World:

- HR Folks, your current human capital (employees) are expected to uphold corporate values and targets around the green agenda. Most are given carbon credit tokens which are used like ration books to be cashed in for printing documents in hard copy, company travel and other anti-societal activities. So, be cautious and start campaign about no print, less utility and stationary as well as toiletries e.g. toilet paper, napkin consume.

-  To attract fresh blood in your talent pool note the followings: new graduates look for employers with strong environmental and social credentials; in response HR departments play a key role in developing the corporate social responsibility programme. Failed to do so, for sure you’ll lose some talents.

-  Be proactive. Manage your top management to allocate fund for virtual social and work network. Make the office fully equipped with latest technology like internet, informative and interactive website, skype, linkedIn, FB, Twitter and others. So that the sales, marketing team can communicate and give demonstration about the products. Less travel will not only save carbon emission as well as big amount of travel budget and time.

- If your organization have the budget please don’t hesitate to provide company transport between work and home to minimise the need for car use. This has led to many organizations choosing to relocate parts of their operation to where people are based and out of big cities.

Last but not least, if the world becomes unhealthy to live, there is no value of our Talent, Competency, Skill, Know ledges and Experiences. So, start your war now and say e-HRM for Green HR Towards Green World.

P.S: Any of my articles/write-ups can be shared, modified, used anytime for better Human Capital Management, with or without giving credentials. I do believe: Sharing is Caring :)

© Shaki, Ahmed R (2012), Candidate of PhD in HRM, UUM

HRIS, DTS, ICT are the Enabler for Green Human Resources Management.

HRIS, DTS, ICT are the Enabler for Green Human Resources Management.

Getting inspired from one of the article by Edwin Ebreo, I realizes that as a HRM practitioner I have to write something about HR initiatives which can help us to focus environment friendly work place. We are more concerned about carbon emotions, ICT junks, less paper and accessories wastages in present era. To boost up this realization and take more initiatives we the Human Resource Management practitioners can do a lot considering the amount of influence we have in the organizations we work in. HR practitioners can launch a green campaign that will not only save the environment but will also help the company save on cost.  What we have to do is talk with our management, take their permission, we can form a green committee that will look at how we can change the way we work so we can save energy, cost and contribute to environmental conservation.  And to do so, we have to understand the need of Human Resources Information System (HRIS), Digital Technology System (DTS), implementing more Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the workplace to enable the e-HRM and thus we can run more towards the Green HRM. And how that is?  Allow me explain a bit:

HRIS: As we know what HRIS is and its applications within any organization. HRIS is the real tool for make paperless HR Department in any type of organization. Starting from Recruitment e.g. Job Application, Resume screening, Call for Interview, Taking online test, Circulating Result; to Leave Application, Employee Handbook to Grievance/Sexual Harassment Handling,  Employee Personal records to Training Needs Assessments, these all can be available in a good HRIS software and that really reduce the use of paper, printer and other stationeries for organization.

Intranet and Internet Tools (ICT): Before you raised your eyebrows to me, let me ask you, whether we use email for communication now a day or not? If yes, why can’t we use it for sending memo, offer letter, requisition letter etc. Yes, we can, right?  HR personnel have to make others aware to work with as little paper as possible. Even though we have to suffer with few inconvenience but that is so minor compared to the number of trees we can save by collectively decreasing the demand for paper.

DTS: RFID, Smart Chip, Bio metrics, GPRS all these tools can help us to save our mother world. Think no attendance card or registrar needed if we use smart card or thumb print. Less energy consumption by using GPRS to locate our employees who work out sides. One smart card can be use as an employee ID card to till bank card and what not? So, HR can take the initiatives though preliminary investment a bit high.

Apart from those as HR personnel we have to make aware other department employees about saving environment activities. We have to run the “Go Green” campaign. We have to create a responsible committee whom will take care about electricity consumptions starting from air-conditions to light, using of printers to photocopiers and fax. A benchmark data of before and after definitely boost up the motivation level of all department’s employees.  HR has to launch a recycling campaign and turn some of the recyclable waste into extra income that can use to fund some small employee events. Cash or other incentives can be declared for best department who can save more about these issues.  Last but not least HR is the prime department who has to take project of “Tree Plantation” as a major event of organizations annual activity.

It’s high time for us to do something for the world. Go Green and save our mother world.

© Shaki, Candidate of PhD in HRM, UUM