Green Human Resources Management: The Way to Go
Posted on 23 February 2021 in Business | Gabriel Chua
Time to Go Green
It is no secret that there is a need for humans to reduce our carbon footprint. As a matter of fact, global temperatures in the past few years have steadily been among the warmest in recorded history. With climate change having many disastrous effects such as the loss of flora and
fauna, humans will too, suffer in the long run as a result of harsher living conditions brought about by global warming. Businesses are no exception, with climate change projected to increase costs for various organisations, by about 1 trillion US dollars starting 2025.
Without question, there is a new need for Green Human Resource Management (HRM) practices. Green HRM calls for a development of HRM practices to include policies involving the transition from traditional resources and materials to newer and sustainable forms for the preservation of the environment. Through such techniques, companies can help lower the emission rates of greenhouse gasses, thus preserving Earth for the betterment of future generations to come.
The Human Resources (HR) department has traditionally been at the forefront of various policy adoptions. In addition to ensuring fairness, it is also their responsibility to ensure the holistic well-being of all employees across the organisation. What then, can your HR Department do to help your organisation to go green?
Sustainability, not Envy
When going green, it is always necessary to realise that sustainability is at its very core. It is through this realisation that an objective view can be established to what policies best suit your company in its effort of reducing its carbon footprint for a truly holistic benefit.
Tip#1 – Utilise Recycling Bins
It's always good to start off simple when trying out something new. In going green, one of the easiest ways to get started would be installing recycling bins in your office.
Pulau Semakau, Singapore's only landfill which stores incinerated waste, is predicted to be completely filled by 2035. Therefore, it is imperative that HR drive a corporate-level push to reduce waste. By sorting waste into recycling bins, it will reduce unnecessary dumping of materials.
Through basic recycling practices, companies will additionally be able to reap many benefits. For instance, cost savings and an improved company image. Reduced wastage equates to reduce costs via a lower demand for disposal services. The NEA has even started a new initiative whereby support is provided to businesses across all industries that generate large amounts of food waste, in which employment of proper segregation and treatment systems is encouraged to lower disposal and haulage costs.
Furthermore, customers are increasingly on the lookout for companies that are geared towards social responsibility. Other than traditional business concerns such as quality and cost, customers are now increasingly concerned about a company’s sustainability efforts. It is no longer an option for businesses to care about their bottom line. Instead, by embracing a transition to more sustainable production, a business can win over customer loyalty and raise retention levels in the long run.
Tip#2 – Tap on Green Energy
Change is hard to readily adopt but nevertheless should be considered especially if it’s for the common good.
Energy generation in Singapore comes largely from the burning of non-renewable energy sources, such as natural gas, coal and petroleum, at an approximate 97.2% . It is no doubt a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the country. With thousands of businesses heavily reliant of electricity, one thing that organisations could do differently would be to rely on renewable sources of energy, like solar, instead.
In addition to reducing a company's carbon footprint, solar energy is becoming more affordable with the cost of implementing solar panels for energy dependency declining steadily in recent years, which could help organisations to benefit from cost savings. It is no wonder why major companies like Google , have started relying on Sembcorp for clean energy to power their
operations in Singapore. With solar energy touted to save both individuals and companies several hundreds to several thousands of dollars each year, it is easy to see why Google has chosen such an energy supply. Reduced electricity costs and going green. Killing two birds with one stone.
Tip#3 – Embrace Cloud-Technology
Embracing the latest HR technology will help you go green in more ways than one.
For instance, did you know that in transitioning from traditional physical services towards cloud systems, that you’ll be able to reduce your total energy consumption by up to 87% ? Using a cloud system reduces need for on-site hardware, thus lowering energy needs and subsequently, your power bill. In addition, HR Technology can automate many of your HR processes, such as payroll generation, application of leave, claims, while keeping you fully compliant with local laws and regulations. Utilising cloud services can bring about many cost savings , up to as high as 55% of traditional IT operational costs.
This is why many large corporations are leveraging upon the latest developments to incorporate cloud tech in several areas of their businesses such as Human Resources.
In addition, research has shown that if large organisations were to switch their core HR applications to the cloud, an average of 30,000 metric tons of CO2 would be saved in roughly 5 years. This is largely due in part to a huge decrease in paper trail. In switching towards digitalisation of data via cloud technology, you’ll be on your way towards not only saving your company time and money, but also going green and saving the earth.
Greener on the Other Side
With environmental issues being a worldwide concern, Green HRM is the way to go for businesses across the globe. In adopting various green policies at work, not only will you be able to cut down on various costs and expenses, but so too will you take into account the interests of all stakeholders in your organisational decisions. All of which helps to establish your company as a socially responsible entity with care for all, driving sustainable business practices even into the future.
And if you happen to be in the process of going green and searching the market for cloud HR services yourself, QuickHR is the cloud HR software of choice. In addition to catering to the whole HR spectrum, all data pertaining to Human Asset Management, Workforce Management and Human Capital Development will be stored on Amazon’s Web Services (AWS), the world's most secure server. Thus, not only will you be empowered to streamline your organisation's workflow, but so too will you be able achieve your green goals of reducing wastage without worrying about a compromise in data security and protection.
Once again, we hope that you've enjoyed a good read. And remember, Think Now, Think Far, Think QuickHR.
* Get in touch with us at https://quickhr.co/ to find out more about our state-of-the-art HRMS solution!
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