Sustainability is a word we hear all the time now. It can mean many different things and is used in many different contexts but the definition I am referring to is from a business perspective. A sustainable enterprise is one that balances social, environmental, and economic factors for short and long-term performance.

I’ve written about HR’s success at playing a strategic role in an organization and earning a “seat at the table” but it occurred to me that Human Resources should be heavily involved in working toward the company’s sustainability.

HR professionals can make a strong contribution in organizational development.

Think about your skills: 

Facilitation and conflict management
Change management
Culture change
Alignment of human resource and other systems and processes

Research shows that HR is relatively uninvolved with sustainability efforts due to being largely unfamiliar with the concept of sustainability and as a result, many organizations are making implementation mistakes.

Wouldn’t becoming well-versed in sustainability help you become more of a strategic partner in your organization? You have the knowledge of HR challenges and the skills, like those listed above, to overcome them. Sustainability is a goal that requires these skills in order to be achieved effectively.

Are you involved in sustainability efforts within your organization? Do you stay up to speed on sustainability and help develop and implement strategies to achieve it? Do you agree that HR as a whole is relatively unfamiliar with this business concept?