Greenskilling Special Part Three: Green HR Management and the Green Gender Gap
By Fay Capstick
Welcome to part 3 of our deep-dive trilogy into greenskilling. So far we have covered a lot of ground, including what greenskilling is, how it will impact you, and whether there is a skills gap. We went on to discuss the 6 top green skills that will be needed in the Green Revolution, the role of schools and businesses in meeting this demand, the role that a project manager and consultant can play in your green transformation project, as well as the benefits that this can bring to your business.
In this final part, we shall investigate green HR management, and the green gender gap (you won’t be surprised to learn that this imbalance is on the female side). We shall discuss what you can do as an individual and why society needs to come together to do this, as well as what we at Parker Shaw are doing and ending with what we think.
That is a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get going.
What is green HR management?
Green HR management is also called Green HRM. This means encouraging green decisions about all things and at all levels within a company. This will include the policies, systems, and practices used in your businesses and transforming them to become more sustainable. HR management can help with this and can include things such as reducing energy consumption and making the workplace as green as possible. Examples include having a no-print unless essential policy, double-sided printing when printing is essential, recycling and reuse policies, minimising waste, and changing workplace appliances to be as efficient as possible. These will hopefully be things that you are already doing! HR can also play an important role in making sure everyone understands why this is happening and is keen to help.
As recruiters, we at Parker Shaw can also play an important part in helping deliver the candidates who will help secure the future. We can do this by actively seeking the valuable candidates who are best equipped to deliver solutions in the green revolution.
The Green Gender Gap
Research has found that men currently have more green job skills than women. This discrepancy is obviously not good. Men represent two-thirds of the green global talent pool. Only 1 in 10 have green skills enough to be considered ‘green talent’, and figure far lower than men’s 1 in 6. Most worryingly it is considered to be a gap that is widening, having increased 25% in the past 7 years.
As we have seen in previous blogs, start-up funding is far more likely to go to male-led businesses. Sadly, in renewable green energy, this gap is even higher than in other industries by a full 8%.
It is important that this green gender gap is closed as it will be to the benefit of everyone, including the planet.
What can you do as an individual?
If you are an employee rather than a business owner, try and find out about the environmental practices in your workplace. Are there written policies on your intranet? Is there someone in charge of greenskilling? In smaller businesses, is this something that you could step up and help implement?
As individuals we can also all make a difference with the choices we make in our daily lives. What businesses and services do you use and how do they operate? Are they being as environmentally aware as possible? Who are you investing your money with, and do you know what they are doing with it? Is there anything you could change in your life that would benefit the environment?
Remember, our choices of who we choose to spend our money with and how we choose to live really can make a difference, especially in a capitalist economy. There is always something you can do that will make a difference, however small - it all adds up!
With your career path, try and be flexible. Expect some upheaval in the economy and try and get ahead of it where possible. Can you expand your skills?
Why should we do this?
If nothing else, becoming more sustainable should save money. This is particularly true for those in green HR management, as their changes should make future cost savings for their business. The more immediate downside is that some of these changes will come with an initial financial outlay.
On a wider scale, this is a worldwide movement and one that will bring job opportunities and therefore economic benefits. This will benefit our country and help it compete in the global economy. It comes down to the mindset shift that will be needed in everyone.
What are Parker Shaw doing?
We are practising green HR management. Since COVID, we have a work-from-home if possible policy. This reduces the waste involved in running a large office space. Further, this massively reduces the amount of carbon released by staff commuting to an office. If travelling is essential, for example, a client meeting that cannot be held online, we insist that if it is possible public transport is used. We operate an only print-if-necessary policy. We recycle where possible and do everything we can to minimise the waste we produce. HR have documents on our wiki making these policies clear to new starters.
As a recruiter, we can play a role by making sure we understand and put forward the candidates with the most suitable green skills for the job. We are well placed for future growth and opportunity in our sector of the recruitment industry, as green IT is in the top 10 of the fastest-growing green skills in the EU’s 2022 report.
What do we think?
We believe that there is nothing more important than the future of our planet. Therefore it is vital that every business in every sector is motivated to undertake this transformation. The government needs to support and encourage this change. As with most new environmental initiatives, subsidies and incentives may initially help speed the uptake. We believe that net zero can be achieved and we all have a part to play in making it become a reality, but transitioning to a low-carbon future is dependent on greenskilling.
Final thoughts
At Parker Shaw we have been at the forefront of the sector we serve, IT & Digital Recruitment and Consulting, for over 30 years. We can advise you on all your hiring needs. If you are looking for your next job in the IT sector please check our Jobs Board for our current live vacancies at https://parkershaw.co.uk/jobs-board.