If You’re New to the Game: Start Small, Start Smart
For organizations without any Green HRM policies, don’t fret. Start with a mini-project. Pick one function. Let’s say, green recruitment. Rewrite job descriptions to include environmental values. Use paperless hiring processes. Incorporate a question on eco-awareness in interviews. Then evaluate. What worked? What didn’t? Iterate.
Alternatively, begin with green training. Develop one eco-training module on waste reduction or energy conservation. Make it fun. Make it interactive. Track participation. Solicit feedback. Use the data to build your next initiative.
Another easy win is energy conservation. Implement auto-shutdown systems for unused office equipment. Switch to LED lighting. Promote hybrid work models to cut down on commuting. These small steps accumulate, snowballing into an organizational culture shift.
The Final Plea: Let’s Not Wait for Another Goring
The memory of Typhoon Goring a couple of years ago still lingers. The water that refused to recede. The cries of those who lost everything in the nearby Barangay Bariri. The helplessness of watching nature retaliate against decades of neglect. And yet, within that despair is a glimmer of hope: we can change. Not all at once, not perfectly, but incrementally and intentionally.
Green HRM is not a silver bullet, but it is a powerful lever. When HR professionals align their strategies with environmental goals, they become catalysts for systemic change. We influence mindsets. We create accountability. We build green cultures from the inside out.
As our nation inches toward a more sustainable future, we must recognize that policy alone is insufficient. We need people. Trained, motivated, and empowered people. HR is the bridge between lofty environmental ambitions and grounded daily behavior.
Let this be our call to action: If you are an HR practitioner, plant the seeds of green culture in your workplace. If you are a leader, fund those seeds. If you are an employee, nurture them.
Don’t wait for another typhoon to remind us that nature, when ignored, always returns—and not with kindness.
HR doesn’t just hire for the future—it can help save it.
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Nicasio A. Pimentel III is a UK-certified human resources practitioner and educator with over 15 years of experience spanning HR strategy, analytics, systems integration and talent management across several Fortune Global 500 companies and public sector institutions in UK, Australia and the Middle East. He holds an MSc in Management and Human Resources from the prestigious London School of Economics and a BA Psychology from the University of the Philippines Diliman. A former Christian missionary to marginalized ethnic minorities in Cambodia, he now teaches psychology at the University of Antique and continues to serve underserved communities in Western Visayas through grassroots ministry and education advocacy. He is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (Assoc CIPD) in the UK. For questions, e-mail nicasio.pimentel@antiquespride.edu.ph./PN
