Sustainability in recruiting and sustainability communication from HRM

Sustainability is not a new topic for many companies. On the other hand, specifically placing sustainability as a topic in recruitment and in communication with potential applicants and existing employees is a rather recent discussion.

In the following article, we explain why this is important and the relevance of sustainability in recruiting for applicants. We were able to work out how climate and environmental commitment increases the company's attractiveness - both for existing and potential employees. The article is linked here.

In this blog post, we therefore want to look at how sustainability can be incorporated into recruitment and communication with your own employees. We will explore the following questions:

• Who am I addressing with sustainability and why?
• What are the foundations for sustainability communication from HRM?
• How do you communicate sustainability authentically and effectively in the recruitment process?
• How do I organise sustainability communication from HRM to internal and external people?
• How can I get my employees on board and get them excited about the topic?
• Conclusion and further contributions

Added value when sustainability is considered in recruiting: Inspiring people and ensuring the company's ability to work

On the one hand, it is about targeting people with an affinity for sustainability in the recruitment process. These young talents can be worth their weight in gold for the direction and development of the company. These so-called sustainability talents have a high level of ambition and ability to drive innovation and business development in the interests of sustainability, for example.

It is also important to present your own sustainability achievements and efforts, for example, in order to inspire those who place a (high) value on sustainability. Every second person now states that sustainability is a decision criterion for their own choice of job and company. For around a fifth of the next generation, it is even the Top priority. As a company, this is a good place to score points when looking for new people.

On the other hand, we have already shown in the linked blog post that environmental sustainability has an influence on satisfaction and the desire to change jobs. Non-sustainable behaviour or corporate involvement in environmentally harmful activities have a negative impact and increase the phenomena of demotivation, internal resignation or a high-profile job change. Keyword: Climate Quitting.

Ultimately, this can help combat the shortage of skilled labour and secure a skilled, motivated workforce for today and the future.

Emphasise sustainability in recruiting, but don't greenwash! Communicate genuine ambition and serious commitment!

Before we delve deeper into the topics of sustainability in recruitment and sustainability communication from HRM, it is important to emphasise the following. Communicating about sustainability presupposes that companies are actually active in terms of sustainability. This means that they have a sustainability strategy and principles. At the very least, there should be an initial programme, roadmap or concept for sustainability, CSR or ESG measures. These ambitions of the company must then also be consistently underpinned with concrete measures in order to maintain credibility.

It is important that the topic is driven forward continuously and that there is accountability and capacity. A one-off event for sustainability or a concept paper that is not implemented is not enough. If these minimum requirements are not met and you still communicate with employees and potential applicants, you risk drifting into the realm of greenwashing or bluewashing. A situation that undermines the trust of employees and applicants, damages the company's image and makes future sustainability measures appear untrustworthy.

We have already written a comprehensive guide to setting up sustainability strategies. The article is linked here. Once that's done, you can start communicating! We have also already discussed how to approach good sustainability communication in general in this linked article.

In the following sections of this text, we assume that a sustainability strategy exists or at least that initial steps and measures have been taken in this direction. From this point, communication about sustainability in the recruiting process or the involvement of employees through sustainability communication can begin from HRM.

Basis for sustainability communication from HRM

An honest Inventory of the sustainability measures to date is often the first step. This as-is analysis helps to understand where the company already stands in terms of sustainability.

It should be supplemented by a Roadmapwhich shows which projects have already been completed, what is currently underway and what is planned for the near future. This emphasises the fact that we do not want to stop at the current status quo, but are already looking ahead to the next sustainability steps.

This can be additionally underpinned by company values or a Vision for sustainable alignmentto show the company's general direction of development.

Now you can start targeted sustainability communication from HRM and make (potential) applicants aware of your own sustainability in recruiting.  

Utilising sustainability in the approach

We have collected some approaches on how to communicate sustainability in recruiting.

Measures that are incorporated into the approach to applicants and the application process:

• Emphasise sustainability in job advertisements and company presentations: Job advertisements and your own company presentation may emphasise sustainability. This directly signals to applicants whether and how sustainability is anchored in the company. Here are two specially created examples:

• Address sustainability in the job interview: Your own sustainability measures and strategy may be an integral part of the job and company discussion with candidates.
• Use of testimonials: Use testimonials from employees who report on their experiences in working groups focussing on the environment or social responsibility. These personal stories make the company's commitment tangible and authentic. These stories can be featured prominently in the sustainability report or in video form on the website and social media.
• Use of rating portals and participation in competitions: Present your commitment to sustainability on employer rating portals. Voices from the company (ratings) can authentically emphasise the commitment to sustainability. If the ratings are particularly good, it is also possible to be recognised as a top employer.
• Advertising job offers on specialised portals: Use portals where specific job offers with a sustainability profile are listed, e.g. Jobverde or Greenjobs.

Inspiring and engaging people: sustainability communication measures from HRM to new and existing employees

• Use of labels and sustainability logos: Demonstrate your commitment by using labels or logos that signal sustainability. For example, by using a 100% green electricity label, cooperating with sustainable brands or successfully passing sustainability certifications. We have linked an overview of seals and certificates here.
• Publication of a sustainability report: Create a sustainability report in your own format or in accordance with recognised standards such as the DNK. This report can be a central document in the introductory meeting, in the onboarding process and in communication with the core workforce.
• Use visual representations: Images and graphics support texts from reports. One example is the mapping of corporate sustainability measures to the 17 sustainability goals of the United Nations (SDG), as the IT company Adacor does.

Sustainability measures in the environmental, social and corporate governance dimensions are assigned to the 17 SDGs and presented in an overview. This complements the detailed texts in the report. The presentation was reproduced with kind permission from the CSR report from Adacor utilised.

Onboarding communicates sustainability and core corporate values

Once you have been hired, an onboarding programme offers you the chance to settle in well at the company and quickly get to grips with your new role. Corporate culture to grow into it.

New employees can be familiarised with the company's values as part of a mentoring or buddy system or with an intro guide. Sustainability should not just be presented as a code of values that is routinely ticked off, signed and then filed away at the start of work. It is better if corporate values such as sustainability in practice are discussed in buddy or mentoring meetings. Similarly, case studies or stories from the company described in the guide can make the values tangible and easy for the newcomer to grasp.

The importance of sustainability for the company and in the core business should be emphasised through further formats in the further course of the period of employment. This can happen as follows:

• Adjustment of the Teaching/trainee/training contentSustainability topics should be clearly named in the learning objectives.
• Additional Group or individual training on technical and methodological knowledge relating to sustainability.
• Regular Personnel and feedback discussions focussing on the sustainability performance and innovation of its own department.
• Learning the Working with decision matriceswhich incorporate CSR and ESG aspects into the solution-finding process, allowing sustainability to flow into individual, departmental and team decisions.

Setting an example of sustainability in recruiting: Conserving resources in processes and communication

Communicating sustainability is one thing, taking action is another. Here you can show integrity by harmonising both. Sustainability in recruiting means checking your own instruments and measures for their environmental impact or implementing them with a strong sense of social responsibility. The application process as an intensive point of contact with potential employees can be used to demonstrate how sustainability is consistently practised. What's more, if the recruitment process is not perceived as sustainable, the communicated sustainability efforts of the entire company may be called into question.

We show you how to implement your HRM tools and measures in terms of sustainability with a few approaches:

• Career events and job fairs with a focus on sustainability: This is a good environment in which to present sustainability aspects in training and sustainable corporate activities.
• Promotion of environmentally and climate-friendly travel: For on-site events such as trade fairs or personal application appointments at the company, environmentally friendly travel should be made possible, e.g. by public transport, train or bicycle.
• Produce advertising materials in an environmentally friendly way: This includes the use of environmentally friendly materials and processes for advertising media. For example, recycled paper products, ordering from eco-friendly print shops and even digital advertising materials or digital business cards to save on printing and paper altogether.
• Climate-neutral hosting of websites: Websites and digital services, such as company career portals, may be hosted by climate-neutral providers
• Digital trade fair visits and virtual job fairs: Physical trade fair visits are often associated with high energy consumption, resources for the trade fair stand and travelling for everyone involved. This is where digital job fairs offer an environmentally friendly alternative. The added benefit: People from a wider area can be addressed, which can also contribute to diversity and attract a broader field of applicants. 
• Partnership with sustainable organisations or universities: Cooperation with universities, colleges, associations and other organisations that are committed to sustainability. These can be climate schools, universities with a sustainable profile or sustainability-orientated university groups.

Such measures make it possible to experience how sustainability is directly implemented in recruiting. Sustainability communication from HRM gains a high level of credibility when the promise of sustainability is directly honoured - ideally at every point of contact with (potential) employees.

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Conclusion: Show sustainability authentically, communicate actively and thus inspire 

In previous posts, we have shown the relevance of sustainability in job selection and that applicants want more information about this in the application process. In this blog post, we have outlined a number of ways to implement this. From highlighting sustainable activities in the core business in job advertisements and in the company's own company profile to addressing sustainability topics in job interviews and integrating them into the onboarding programme. All of these sustainability communication measures by HRM managers help to convey a clear image and target people with an affinity for sustainability.

It is important that the communication of sustainability in recruitment and to the core workforce is based on a sound foundation. Otherwise, you run the risk of entering the realm of image-damaging and dishonest greenwashing.

Communication should be an authentic reflection of genuine values and measures that are deeply rooted in the corporate strategy and culture. Companies that manage to communicate their sustainability vision credibly and transparently are not only perceived as an attractive employer brand, but also inspire current employees. In this way, they actively contribute to a more sustainable future with motivated and talented people.

Further contributions:

• We have explained the relevance of sustainability in recruiting for applicants in the linked article.
• How to Employees motivated for sustainabilitywe have created a Book contribution with a practice partner, excerpts of which are published here.
• Who the If you want to understand and change your company's culture with regard to sustainability, we recommend this blog post.
• This article is an aid to the organisational anchoring of sustainability as a cross-cutting issue in the company in order to systematically and continuously improve sustainability performance.

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Transparency note. The Large Language Model GPT-4 (KI) was used to support the creation of this text.