Employee Retention: Examining the Interplay of Green Recruitment and Selection, and Green Work Engagement

This study investigates the impact of Green Recruitment and Selection (GRS) on Employee Retention (ER) by examining the mediating role of Green Work Engagement (GWE) within the Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garments (RMG) sector. Although Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) is increasingly emphasized in sustainability-oriented industries, limited empirical work has explored the psychological mechanisms linking green hiring practices to long-term retention outcomes. Grounded in Social Exchange Theory and the Ability–Motivation– Opportunity framework, this study adopts a quantitative research design and analyzes survey data from 178 garment-industry employees using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4.0. The findings reveal that GRS positively influences both GWE (β = 0.380, p < 0.001) and ER (β = 0.416, p = 0.001), while GWE significantly predicts ER (β = 0.563, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis further confirms that GWE partially mediates the GRS–ER relationship (β = 0.214, p = 0.003). These results highlight the strategic value of embedding environmental sustainability in recruitment practices, which cultivates a more engaged and loyal workforce. The study contributes to GHRM scholarship by identifying a key psychological pathway through which green hiring enhances retention, offering theoretical and practical insights for advancing sustainabilitydriven HRM in emerging economies.