Sustainable Recruitment Strategy

Recruiting in the age of sustainability
Sustainable SAP – Dec 10th 2010

Vincent Truyens
+32 496 596 612
vincent@greenrecruitment.eu

© 2010 Green recruitment SA, Inc. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential

Recruiting is about:
Attract
Select
Retain
Motivate
the right talents

What makes your company attractive today ?


What do we know about best places to work ?

Source: Agoria


What do we know about best places to work in Belgium ?
1. Les entreprises gagnantes continuent à communiquer avec leur personnel même si le message est
négatif.

2. Leurs managers ne se cachent pas en temps de crise, ils restent disponibles pour parler avec leurs gens
de leurs plaintes. "Ils nous écoutent", disent leurs collaborateurs.

3. La gestion reste en tous points transparente : même lorsque les salaires sont gelés, tous les
collaborateurs peuvent voir sur leur fiche de paie comment cela se passe.

4. Ces firmes accordent une attention personnelle à chacun de leurs collaborateurs que la crise met sous
tension : elles organisent pendant les heures de bureau des activités sportives, des sessions de coaching
personnel, etc.

5. Ces entreprises sont conscientes de leur responsabilité sociale. Elles organisent des actions de solidarité
auxquelles participent leurs collaborateurs. Professeur Buyens : “C'est un phénomène qui n'existait presque
pas il y a 5 ans.”

6. Ces entreprises croient dans la valeur d'un effectif diversifié. C'est notamment pour cela qu'elles
mettent sur pied des actions qui permettent aux plus de 50 ans de garder une place active dans
l'entreprise.


Recruiting in the age of sustainability
The new workforce is aware of and actively involved in encouraging
their employers to consider sustainability.
A study in Australia indicated CSR as the main reason whether or not to work for a company.

In Belgium, values and environment have increased in importance during the last five years, while
financial health and earnings fell. Some 53% of students do not apply at a ‘corporate social irresponsible’ company.

While candidates of all generations have begun evaluating potential employers based on
their “greenness”, few have integrated this hot topic in their recruitment strategy.

Individual recruiters need to make their firm’s SD policy
a critical element of their sales pitch to potential applicants and candidates.


Employer Branding

start Communication

Sustainable
Recruiting Strategy
Beta version
Selection

Sourcing
Preselection

Respect, authenticity, integrity and honesty are the key
values around which recruitment and selection must
turn in order to be in line with SD principles.
Treating workers fairly starts here.

Employer Branding Communication

Going “green” is becoming a significant factor in the shape of an employer brand !

• This is a way to differentiate yourself from your competition.

• Creating a green message can support retention efforts for employees who are
themselves, becoming more socially conscious and will look for this values alignment
in their work experience.

• Being clear about who you are from a cultural perspective can also repel the
candidates you know are not a good fit.


Create a 3P story and advertize it !
No matter what message you create, if it is not authentic and congruent to your true
organizational culture – employees may be attracted, but will not stick around very
long once they are on boarded.

Your credibility is damaged when it turns out that you do not ‘walk the talk’.
People get the message when a company is greenwashing.

HR could play a gatekeeper role and find the balance between what it is externally
communicated about CSR, and how really it lives internally.

Building your Employer Branding
Compile all the information you can find about your company’s employment
brand and the level of greenness of the organization before getting started.
There may be initiatives underway that you’re not aware of.

• X-ray your whole HR policy with the P-P-P filter (social benefits, …)
• Corporate Communication (philanthropic initiatives, …)
• Annual company and social report (training, diversity, health & safety, …)
• GRI Report (environmental figures, commitment to reduce CO2 emissions,
energy efficiency measures, …)
• Go to your competitor’s website and check how sustainable they are.

CSR programs should be deeply integrated with HR initiatives that aim
to develop, motivate, reward and attract the best employees.


• Career Website (not only a link to corporate site)

• Job Description
•Company policy
•“Sustainable competencies” : values, ethics.



• Green Car Policy: Subsidies for low carbone cars
•  On site farmers markets
• Green commuting vouchers
• Organic dry cleaning
• Employer-supported volunteering (ESV).
Volunteering projects are an excellent way of making employees feel recognised,
appreciated and motivated, while developing soft skills such as leadership,
communication and adaptability.
• Tailor-made mobility plan:
Mix between public transportation, pool car, “Villo”, parking, …
http://www.references.be/carriere/votre-place-de-parking-contre-le-train-en-1e-classe-composez-votre-pack-
mobilit%C3%A9-sur-
mesure?utm_source=carrierepush&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article1_link&utm_campaign=cp_weekly


Examples
“Schoenen Torfs is een bedrijf met een hart voor mensen en dus voor haar
medewerkers. U & Us is ons uitgesproken motto als het om onze medewerkers
gaat. U omdat er plaats is voor jou als authentieke mens met jouw gaven,
behoeften, dromen. Bij Torfs mag je "jezelf" zijn. Jawel, just be U! Us omdat we je
bij Torfs graag opnemen in onze "community". Je hoort erbij. Welcome to Us!”
Best Employer
Rank 1st 2010

“Umicore focuses on application areas where it knows its expertise in materials
science, chemistry and metallurgy can make a real difference. Umicore
generates approximately 50% of its revenues and spends approximately 80% of
Rank 46th its R&D budget in the area of clean technology, such as emission control
2010 World Top 100 catalysts, materials for rechargeable batteries and photovoltaics, fuel cells, and
Most Sustainable precious metals recycling. Umicore’s overriding goal of sustainable value
Companies creation is based on this ambition to develop, produce and recycle materials in
a way that fulfils its mission: materials for a better life”

Examples
Starbucks: Living our values – Starbucks commitment to Social Responsibility.
Developed a six panel brochure that outlines their values and how the values
are woven into their mission statement and guiding principles.

On the main menu link to Sustainability :
“We strive to be a sustainable company, one that recognises its responsibilities
towards the environment, our employees and the people who make our
products. In our Sustainability Performance Review 2009 - 'TEAM TALK' we respond to the
questions our stakeholders have asked us, review our sustainability performance and
present our strategies for managing social and environmental issues in the future. To read
the Sustainability Performance Review 2009, please click here.”

Royal Haskoning is acutely aware of its responsibilities to all stakeholders and
to society as a whole. Therefore some actual themes deserve our special
attention: Sustainability, Innovation , Diversity


Sourcing How make your recruitment channels the most sustainable ?

Career Fairs and College focused events:
• Paperless (encourage onsite CV download, rational use of flyers, …)
• Recycling paper
• Sustainable merchandising
• Car pooling
• Eco-friendly building materials (stand)
• Witnesses
•…
Organize Sustainable Recruitment events/incentives (“springt voor goeie doel”)
Be explicit on your website about electronic CV
Challenge your suppliers (job boards, recruitment agencies, …) about their
sustainable approach. Consider working with specific actors (e.g. Wheelit, Green
Recruitment )


Preselection CV and phone screening

Ask yourself in what extent your selection tools are socially
responsible or respectful towards the candidate

Sensitize your staff about diversity and discrimination (gender, age, race,
handicap, …)
There is sometimes unconscious prejudice among line managers and employees, and
it is up to HR to disprove those by sensitizing and educating about dealing with other
cultures.
Anonymous CV ? (problem -> interview)

Implement a double sided printing policy
“Be green, leave it on screen” messages


Selection Interview

• Be ready to
answer questions about the company commitment to Sustainability.
Recruiters must be the first readers of GRI reports

Are any of your products and/or services environmentally sustainable?
Are there efforts to facilitate and engage employees broadly to examine operational
processes and maximize sustainability development?
Do you know the company’s carbon footprint
Does your staff’s restaurant provide bio-food ?
Do you have any jobs whose responsibilities are to reduce you firm’s carbon footprint?
What is the yearly budget dedicated to philanthropy ? (proportion of turnover?)

ask questions about the candidate’s personal values and involvement


Selection
Interview

• Be ready to

Give feedback and access to the candidate’s file !

Convince line managers not to compromise in terms of CSR competencies (while they
often focus only on technical aspects)


Selection Interview

Source: The Green Job Interview


“You improve our environment; let us help improve yours!”

VALUES & BUSINESS PRINCIPLES

SUSTAINABLE talent acquisition

Transparency
Ethics
Reliability
Passion


Some examples of Green Recruitment’s commitments
•Sustainable pricing
Abstract of HR Roundtable about CSR (White Paper HRM Info)
“How head-hunters and recruiters work in order to make a profit may sometimes be at odds with sustainability. The rewards for
the recruitment of candidates put the focus on providing people, and less on how long the candidate remains in the job. There
is indeed a guarantee of a few months, but in a sustainable policy, a sustainability bonus could, for example, be linked to it. “

• Transparency : weekly report with all information about actions and contacts.
• Bilan Carbone © of our recruitment process is foreseen

• Send your CV, plan a tree. Support of Graine de Vie. 1CV=1 tree. 1 hiring=1000 trees.

• Health & Sustainable: support of Green Energy Run

• Use of Skype © for pre-selection if the journey > 60 km

• Cars < 105 gr CO2 (Smart, Volvo V50)
• Promotion of green jobs in elementary schools
• Use of Web 2.0 (transparency)
• Bike parking
• Waste Management
• Green merchandising
•…


Source: The Green Job Interview


Our Evolution

Low
carbon
Economy

What’s important is that your work is your passion, it is part of your career
path and it contributes to sustainable use of energy and natural resources.

There has never been a more exciting time to be choosing a career in GREEN
JOBS where there is a diverse range of opportunities …


Sources:
•HRM Info White Paper on « Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability The new challenges for HRM – October 2010
• “Creating a Sustainable HR Function” , Emerge International, June 2010


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