Green recruitment and selection: an insight into green patterns

Purpose Although the role of green recruitment and selection (GRS) has been widely recognised as an important dimension of green human resource management, no study has ever mapped the terrain of GRS and reviewed the literature. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap while exploring the following questions: How do organisations select candidates in line with their pro-environmental stance? What impact do a company’s corporate environmental sustainability (CES) practices have on attracting pro-environmental job seekers? Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a systematic review of 22 peer-reviewed articles published during the period 2008–2017. The articles were included in the review if they addressed at least one of the two research questions. Findings Some companies choose to apply green criteria when selecting candidates while others do not. In any case, communicating a company’s environmental values and orientation is worth practicing during GRS. Previous studies have identified four mediators (anticipated pride, perceived value fit, expectation of favourable treatment, perceived organisational green reputation/prestige) that intervene between signals of a company’s CES and a job seeker’s perceptions of organisational attractiveness. However, the strength of this effect is influenced by five moderators (pro-environmental attitude, socio-environmental consciousness, desire to have a significant impact through one’s work, environmental-related standard registration, job seeker’s expertise). Originality/value This paper provides the first systematic review of GRS and thus paves the way for future research.