Sustainable Development and the Critical Role of HRM

Abstract The link between sustainable development and human resource management (HRM) has been only recently widely established in the literature. Systematic studies are available but there is a wide range of interpretations and several overlapping terms that often cause confusion to practitioners. HRM practices included in the CSR Programs of a company are often linked with sustainability, business ethics and workplace justice and are often under the terms of sustainable HRM. It is well recognized that HR can play a critical role in enhancing corporate sustainability through policies and practices that benefit its people and society in general and that all these initiatives must be documented and reported to gain visibility and credibility. Lately great emphasis has been placed on the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the dimensions of the Environment, Society and Governance (ESG) which form the criteria for documenting and reporting relevant practices implemented by business firms. HRM can play an important role in designing and implementing such practices, especially those linked to society. This paper presents the notion of Sustainable Development, its increasing importance for companies and its link with Human Resource Management. (HRM). It describes and clarifies Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their history and the three pillars e.g., Environment, Society and Governance (ESG) which form the basic criteria for organizations to implement and report relevant practices in order to prove their involvement in sustainability. Third, the paper presents the concept of Sustainable HRM, and Sustainable practices implemented by companies in Greece following the 2010 economic crisis and the need for reporting them mainly under the social dimension of the ESG Criteria. To stress the need for the involvement of HRM in sustainability in order to enhance its ethical profile, expand its agenda and improve its role as a strategic partner and a source of competitive advantage.