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Cultivate Green Employees and Plant the Seeds EarlyAugust 18, 2010New employees are prime sources for recruiting support and participation in your greening endeavors. Our department isn’t exactly staffing up these days, nor are most government agencies. But some hires are being made and a lull in scheduled orientation sessions is a good time to include or update your green program info. Information about our green program and how to join the effort is on our Intranet. It simplifies what information needs to be provided to new employees and minimizes the paper handouts when you can direct them to the Intranet. We provide basic information as part of a general slide presentation to let them know that the office has an active effort underway to green our business practices. It’s a great opportunity to go over key policies and priorities from environmentally preferable purchasing, to two-sided printing, recycling, and energy conservation tips. If you have an annual report or newsletter, let them know where to find them on the Intranet or Internet. We invite employees to join a local committee or start one. By getting involved in the greening effort and activities, it helps them become acquainted with co-workers outside of their organizational unit. This has the added benefit of fostering their ability to work effectively in their new office by making connections across work units.
If someone representing the green team can be present for this portion of the orientation, so much the better. Provide attendees with a one-page handout that references the policies, highlights your accomplishments, and lists a point of contact in their office. This will help new employees get off to a good, green start. I think it’s a super way to make employees feel welcome.
Recently, we came up with an idea for promoting our sales of re-usable nylon bags. We have sold these bags for two years. Many employees have bought one or more for themselves or family members, and still we have a stash of unsold bags. We are considering inviting staff to “sponsor” a new employee and buy a re-usable bag that will be presented to the employee at orientation or on their first day. We would attach a card to the bag to indicate the giver (or if the giver wishes to remain anonymous) and to tell the employee how they can learn more about our green office program. It’s a small, but significant gesture, and it’s bound to please.
In an earlier blog, I wrote about the link we have on our Internet’s Careers page to our Green Office-DOJ Internet page. It’s an added inducement to prospective job applicants that the employer has a green program and/or is located in a green building. Make a point to do something similar on your website, and you’re more likely to hire employees who come with a supportive and interested attitude toward your greening efforts.
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