Through the information gathered during the interviews it appeared that depending on the companies, HR management plays either an active or more passive role within the transformation towards a more sustainable company. Human resources executives can be an important actor in carrying out a comprehensive transformation to a culture of sustainability within a company. Indeed, their intricate role within the company should make them  immediate leaders in developing and implementing sustainable strategies. “To effectively execute on sustainability initiatives requires breadth and depth of connection within the corporation and the ability to affect the right levers,” stated Pravir Malik, founder and fractal systems architect at Aurosoorya. “HR is well positioned to step into such a role.”

On top of this specific position within the company organisation, HR executives play a critical role in key management processes such as recruitment, training and leadership development, and they also participate into leading major change management programs.  They also are key mediators in transparent communication on multiple levels.

                 As a general rule, HR departments have been tasked with implementing the reglementary and ethical aspects of Sustainability, such as complying with OECD principles and local social laws, and also developing philanthropic programs which are a good fit with the corporate values. They are responsible for sometimes ambitious Diversity&Inclusion initiatives to support gender equality for instance. A few interviewees have launched programs to train employees on sustainability issues at various levels of the company. Surprisingly enough, very few HR executives have claimed that they drive or support a project that would aim at embedding sustainability within the HR strategy of the company. Clearly, there is a lot of space for HR executives to expand their impact on sustainability issues and play a more active role. This might be the next playground for the HR community!

 

We  invite you to read the following practical guidelines on Human Resources’s role in corporate, social and environmental responsibility: