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Over 40 per cent of Generation Z would quit their job if their employer failed to take climate action (Deloitte, 2023). This is not a hypothetical risk, but the current reality. And it hits companies where it hurts: in a tight candidate market where any loss of credibility comes at a high price.
While many companies mention sustainability in their ESG reports, it often remains an empty promise in HR work. Employer branding, on the other hand, thrives on lived values – or loses substance. Today, employers who want to be convincing as a brand must not only show their stance, but also make concrete decisions. Decisions that are reflected in recruiting, benefits and the everyday lives of employees.
In this article, we look at ten initiatives that show how sustainability in HR can become a cornerstone of a credible corporate culture. With a measurable effect on retention, recruitment and reputation. Without pointing fingers, but with a clear view of what matters today.
Paperless recruiting
Paper is not the real problem. But it is a symbol of everything that unnecessarily slows down, consumes and seems outdated in application processes. CVs, cover letters, printed contracts: they represent old routines and serial CO₂ emissions.
Modern recruiting departments today rely on end-to-end digital processes: From job postings to contract creation, everything runs on cloud-based tools. This saves resources, speeds up processes and ensures a consistently positive candidate experience. It becomes particularly efficient when applications are processed automatically and analysed with AI-supported pre-selection – ideally using systems powered by green electricity (BENOMIK, 2025).
At the same time, paperless processes send a clear message to applicants: this company is serious about sustainability – even where it is visible in everyday life. So if you want to attract climate-conscious talent, don't start with your image, start with your infrastructure. Recruiting that is not only modern but also low-emission is part of credibility.
Remote First & Green Interviews
Video interviews have long been standard practice – but their potential in the context of sustainability is often underestimated. Those who consistently use digital interview formats not only save on CO₂-intensive travel, but also demonstrate flexibility and consideration. Especially in the early selection phase, structured video formats can be used in a resource-saving and efficient manner – without any loss of quality.
‘Remote First’ means thinking digitally throughout the entire selection process: from video interviews and collaborative online assessments to virtual insights into the culture and team. This creates an application process that is not only effective, but also inclusive and low-emission. For many candidates, this has long been the norm – companies are lagging behind if they insist that ‘serious’ interviews can only take place on site.
A well-thought-out remote process signals foresight – both technologically and ecologically. Those who not only allow climate-friendly interviews, but prefer them, are making a statement. According to BENOMIK (2025), more and more applicants consider the approach to mobility to be an indicator of sustainability in practice. In a market where values count, this is not a detail, but a selection criterion.
Green applicant journey
The candidate journey is the first reflection of corporate culture – and thus a lever for sustainability in practice. Digital application forms, automated communication, paperless contract documents: all of this saves resources and sends a clear signal. Those who consistently act in a digital and climate-conscious manner position themselves as modern and responsible.
A green candidate journey takes ecological factors into account at all levels: Is all information available digitally? Is there transparent information about environmental commitment, CO₂ targets or social projects? How resource-efficient are job interviews organised? Answers to these questions shape the image of an employer brand that lives by its values.
Onboarding also offers opportunities: digital welcome packs, virtual induction days and a culture of co-creation not only reduce emissions – they create connections. Applicants who feel part of a mindset early on are significantly more loyal. Studies show that the more clearly companies communicate their sustainability in the application process, the higher the conversion rate of qualified applicants (PALTRON 2025).
In short, sustainability does not begin in the HR strategy paper, but in every single point of contact with potential talent.
Sustainable HR tech infrastructure
Sustainable HR processes always require the right infrastructure. Technology is the backbone of any modern HR organisation, but not every solution is sustainable. The significant impact of IT decisions on the environmental balance is often overlooked. Yet the difference is measurable: cloud-based tools powered by certified green electricity generate up to 80 per cent less CO₂ than locally installed systems (Seeds for Sustainability, 2024).
A sustainable HR tech stack starts with the choice of software: providers that use energy-efficient data centres and operate in a carbon-neutral manner offer clear advantages. This also includes criteria such as long product life cycles, low maintenance intensity and compatibility with existing systems. This becomes particularly relevant when large amounts of applicant data or performance dashboards are processed on a regular basis.
Hardware also deserves attention. Anyone who provides devices to employees should pay attention to low-emission production, high reparability and climate-friendly disposal. All in all, this results in an infrastructure foundation that is not only digitally efficient but also ecologically responsible.
For companies that take sustainability seriously, responsibility often begins invisibly – in the tech stack that supports everything.
Ecological employee benefits
Green benefits are an obvious statement. Offering sustainable additional benefits not only gives employees a practical advantage, but also a sense of belonging to a responsible organisation. Particularly in demand: mobility solutions that go beyond e-bikes.
Subsidies for the Deutschlandticket, carpooling platforms and charging facilities for electric vehicles are now among the most effective measures when it comes to ecological benefits. Combined with mobility budgets or flexible working time models, they create incentives that change behaviour. Without coercion, but with effect.
Sustainability can also be put into practice in the area of nutrition: fruit baskets with regional origins, purely plant-based canteen days or the opportunity to participate in CO₂ compensation programmes not only promote environmental awareness, but also team culture.
Employee retention increases significantly when benefits are understood as an expression of lived values – and not as an interchangeable incentive (PALTRON 2025). It is not only the offer itself that is important, but also how it is communicated: explaining why certain benefits have been introduced has a much greater impact than silent implementation. In other words, those who take a stand must also make it visible.
Healthy and sustainable nutrition in the workplace
Nutrition is more than just sustenance – it is an expression of culture. Especially in the working world, where canteens, meetings and communal areas shape social interaction, it offers enormous potential for sustainability in practice. Not mere symbolism, but real changes that have an impact.
Switching to regional, seasonal and plant-based offerings not only reduces emissions, but also strengthens team spirit and health awareness. Studies show that companies with sustainable nutrition concepts not only leave a smaller ecological footprint – they also promote concentration, energy levels and general well-being (Seeds for Sustainability, 2024).
In practical terms, this means veggie days in the canteen, partnerships with local organic suppliers or switching from single-use packaging to reusable systems. Snack options and beverage selections are also part of the strategy – because even small signals change the perception of corporate values.
Consistent communication is important here: Involving employees in decisions and making the ecological impact transparent creates trust and participation. Nutrition thus becomes part of the employer brand and corporate attitude.
Home office as a driver of sustainability
In recent years, remote working has proven that it is more than just a stopgap solution. It has long since become an integral part of modern working culture – and for good reason. In addition to increased productivity and employee satisfaction, it acts as an often underestimated lever for sustainability.
Less commuting means fewer CO₂ emissions. According to current calculations, a company can save several hundred kilograms of CO₂ per employee per year by allowing two days of home office per week – an effect that adds up significantly with a larger workforce (Seeds for Sustainability, 2024) .
But clear standards are needed: energy-efficient home workplaces, sustainable end devices and guidelines for resource-efficient working. Companies that actively promote these structures – for example, through remote scholarships, equipment leasing or CO₂ compensation programmes – are making a noticeable difference.
However, the greater impact is felt in cultural change: those who not only allow home working but establish it as part of a responsible way of working strengthen trust and self-organisation. Employees experience autonomy – and recognise that sustainability is also their responsibility. This connection shapes not only daily work, but also the understanding of leadership, efficiency and climate awareness within the company.
CSR & engagement programmes
Sustainability cannot be delegated; it thrives on participation. That is why it is crucial not only to make offers to employees, but also to open up spaces for them to get involved. CSR and engagement programmes are an ideal field for this. They combine corporate responsibility with personal meaning.
The spectrum is broad: from volunteer days for social engagement to internal environmental challenges to the promotion of individual projects. Programmes in which employees can contribute and realise their own ideas are particularly effective – for example, in the form of a company-wide ‘Green Lab’ or CSR budgets per team.
The advantage is that sustainability is not perceived as a strategy imposed from above, but as a joint project. This strengthens emotional ties and creates genuine identification with the company's values. According to Seeds for Sustainability (2024), companies that structurally embed voluntary engagement have up to 30 per cent higher employee retention.
Visibility is crucial: CSR activities should not be left to gather dust on the intranet, but should be actively shared and celebrated. Storytelling that shows people and impact makes culture tangible – and encourages those who have been hesitant to get involved. Sustainability thus becomes a living part of employer branding – not as a strategy paper, but as a shared experience.
Involve employees in sustainability
As the previous point makes clear, sustainability only works credibly if it comes from within. Employees are not a target group – they are co-creators. Their perspectives, ideas and daily behaviour determine whether ecological and social goals actually make it into everyday life. HR has the task of actively opening up this space for participation.
This starts with simple structures: feedback rounds on environmental initiatives, climate workshops or participation formats such as internal idea competitions send clear signals. It becomes even more effective when companies define their own roles for sustainable action – for example, as a ‘green ambassador’ or sustainability working group. This not only creates initiatives, but also responsibility.
It is important that this participation does not degenerate into an additional task. It must be recognised, made visible and anchored in working hours. Only then can what we describe as ‘cultural sustainability’ emerge: an attitude that is not preached but lived – at all levels of the company (PALTRON 2025).
The result is measurable: greater commitment, greater identification and employer branding that is more than just fine words. Because employees can sense exactly whether they are part of an attitude – or just the target of marketing.
Communicate sustainability – internally and externally
Credibility is the hardest indicator of a strong employer brand. Anyone who implements sustainable HR initiatives must also communicate them clearly, honestly and consistently – both internally and externally. Because what is not visible remains ineffective.
Internally, this means that employees must understand why certain measures are being introduced, what contribution they are making – and how they themselves can be part of it. This can be achieved through storytelling with real voices: employees sharing their experiences, managers taking responsibility, teams celebrating successes. Communication thus becomes an amplifier of culture.
Externally, transparency is just as crucial. Candidates do not expect perfect ESG scores – but they do expect clarity about where a company stands, where it wants to go and how it measures progress. Career pages, social media and application processes offer numerous opportunities for this. It is particularly effective when companies communicate sustainability as part of their identity.
Candidates trust companies that talk openly about their goals, challenges and progress. It is important that words and actions match. In times of greenwashing accusations, it is not enough to act sustainably – it must be transparent (PALTRON 2025).
Conclusion
If you want to be a convincing corporate brand today, you need more than benefits and digital tools – you need a strong stance. Sustainability has long been a reality – and it determines whether talented individuals apply, stay or recommend you to others.
HR can and must shape this change. With consistent measures, tangible values and transparent communication. The ten initiatives in this article show that you don't need multi-million-pound ESG programmes to be effective. You need consistent behaviour – and the will to make responsibility visible in every detail.
Sustainability becomes an employer branding booster when it is proven rather than merely claimed. Those who are prepared to further develop structures, processes and culture not only strengthen their own team, but also their position in the market.
Sustainability is a promise.
It determines whether talents gain confidence or turn away.
Would you like to know how sustainability can become a credible part of your employer value proposition – and how this can lead to real differentiation? Then talk to us.
Sources
- BENOMIK (2025): The 10 most important trends for sustainable HR practices in 2025
- Deloitte (2023): Gen Z and Millennial Survey 2023.
- PALTRON (2025): Sustainability and Generation Z: What talented individuals truly expect
- Seeds for Sustainability (2024): ESG as the Key to Attracting and Retaining Top Talent – Facts, Figures, and Best Practices
- McKinsey & Company (2023): ESG im Personalmanagement: Vom Reporting zur Wirkung.
- Accenture (2023): Shaping the Sustainable Organization
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