Digitalization of Work and Human Resources Processes as a Way to Create a Sustainable and Ethical Organization

Remote and hybrid working models and accelerated digitalization of the human resources processes were introduced in most organizations worldwide as a consequence of the COVD-19 pandemic. This digital revolution at the workplace was forced by extraordinary circumstances, thus its impact had not been anticipated before. This motivated the authors to study the new work reality. The research was based on a hypothesis that the digitalization of work and the human resources processes, approaches organizations to the sustainable development ideal. Sustainability is here understood as maintaining a balance between economic, environmental, and social factors. The authors analyzed the impact between the digital processes and the way of working on the following areas: CO2 emissions, creating plastic waste, saving energy, creating a gender-diverse and inclusive workplace. To verify the hypothesis, the authors used their own original and desk research. The original research was conducted within a Berlin-based tech startup between March 2020 and August 2021. Additionally, the authors ran surveys among international startups and scale-ups. Based on their findings the authors concluded that there can be a positive correlation between digitalization and increased organizational sustainability. This result is significant not only for the human resources specialists but can indicate a direction for a general business strategy.