Recruiting Expertise

Green recruiting: harnessing sustainability to acquire new employees

6 min.

Sustainability is now a key consideration in many areas of our lives – not only with regard to our pick of products and services, but also when it comes to choosing an employer. That’s why many companies use their “green” image to bolster their employer brand, in an effort to acquire new employees and retain them over the long term. The recruitment process also offers you environmentally friendly ways of finding new, competent members of staff. 

This trend, which has been gaining more and more traction in recent times, is known as green recruiting. But, what exactly does this mean and how can you follow suit by making your own recruiting process sustainable? The four tips given below show you how to boost the sustainability of your company and practise green recruiting.


Make your mark as a sustainable employer

The younger generations among us, in particular, are becoming increasingly concerned with the issue of sustainability and try to live their lives in a way that is as kind to our environment as possible. This lifestyle also has an impact on their choice of employer. 67% of job seekers would prefer to work for a socially responsible company that is committed to fostering sustainability. With this in mind, if potential applicants see that your company is already taking steps to be more environmentally friendly throughout the recruitment process – when placing job adverts, when conducting interviews and, ultimately, when hiring – this can have a significant impact on their decision as to whether to choose you as an employer. 

Have you never really given much thought to the importance of sustainability in the recruitment process? Perhaps you’ve even been implementing sustainable measures without actually knowing it!


Structure your recruitment process sustainably

One of the objectives of taking a sustainable approach to recruitment is to avoid the use of paper by going digital. Automate certain steps of the process and manage them online – by making this small tweak alone, you’ll already be making a significant contribution to green recruiting.

Reap the benefits of social recruiting 

Are you actively on the lookout for new employees? If so, why not give social recruiting a try? If, for example, you’ve already integrated sustainable aspects into your business or adorned your offices with an abundance of plants and designed them in a particularly environmentally conscious way, don’t be afraid to sing your own praises. Does your company regularly donate to non-profit organisations or take part in charity runs? Then why not share your commitment to society and your community on social media? This allows you to provide an insight into what goes on behind the scenes of your everyday working life and boost your reputation as an attractive employer. Why not use social media to convey your cooperate culture and company values too? This allows interested parties to appraise you as a potential employer right from the word go and decide whether your values align with their beliefs and views.

Refrain from printing out CVs

Save paper by only printing out CVs, cover letters, etc. when this is absolutely necessary. Although reading application documents on your laptop or PC can feel rather strange and unfamiliar in the beginning, you’ll find that getting used to this new way of working takes virtually no time at all. And, if you want to compare CVs and candidates with one another but don’t want to lose track when sifting through a large number of applications, an applicant management software tool can be an invaluable addition to your process. Not only does this allow you to have all the newly received applications at a glance and within easy reach, you can also compare the qualifications and skills of the candidates effortlessly and make notes on them. Draw your colleagues’ attention to particularly exciting individuals via the applicant management system and thus get feedback on candidates online – without a single piece of paper in sight. 

Conduct job interviews via videoconference

Have you drawn up a shortlist of promising candidates and want to get to know them in person? Even on those occasions when a face-to-face meeting isn’t an option for all manner of reasons, this doesn’t mean that you need to take a rain check on this step in the recruitment process. That’s because it’s now easier than ever before to conduct interviews online using videoconferencing tools. This somewhat unusual approach to the initial meeting does bring a host of different benefits – including from an environmental perspective. This is because, due to the fact that the interview is taking place online, candidates do not need to travel to your office, and thereby do not use their car or another form of transport.

Turn heads at the face-to-face job interview with your sustainable office

Every company has its own take on how to conduct job interviews. It is, however, common for recruiters to lead their applicants on a tour of the office premises. The first impression on site can be crucial, as this is also your opportunity to highlight the environmental measures that your company has introduced. Perhaps you have a strict waste separation policy or use pure coffee in an effort to sustainably reduce your company’s carbon footprint? If this sounds like you, don’t be afraid to make mention of these things whilst offering candidates fresh cup of coffee. Make sure that your company’s long-term commitment to sustainability permeates all office spaces – only then will your measures seem authentic and not contrived. 


Conclusion

As you can see, even small measures, such as saying goodbye to printed CVs and cover letters, can make a contribution to enhancing the sustainability of the recruitment process. Regardless of how committed your company is to social and environmental issues, make sure that you communicate your benefits across all platforms and both online and offline. Showcase the fact that you act consciously, both when recruiting new staff members and in other internal company processes, and draw attention to your company with green recruiting. Because, in the battle for the best talents, your fervent commitment to waste separation in the office could prove to be that all-important deciding factor!