Attracting young talent through green human resource management: investigating the mediating role of organisational attractiveness

Purpose Green human resource management (GHRM) techniques have been used by numerous organisations because of the emphasis on attaining a sustainable environment. The impact of GHRM procedures on current employees in industrialised nations has been the subject of numerous studies. However, few studies have looked at how potential employees see GHRM practices in an organisation before starting work. This study aims to investigate how potential employees’ job pursuit intentions (JPI) are impacted by their perception of GHRM. Design/methodology/approach A moderated mediation model was put forth with gender and educational qualifications investigated as a moderator and organisational attractiveness (OA) acting as a mediator. The sample included 224 final-year students from technical institutions in India for this investigation. An experimental scenario-based methodology, having self-administered questionnaires, was utilised to investigate people’s impressions of a fictitious organisation. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was utilised to investigate the framework using bootstrapping techniques. Findings The results confirmed that prospective applicants’ JPI and GHRM were shown to be highly correlated and the GHRM–JPI interaction was mediated by OA. The demographic variables, i.e. gender and educational qualification, however, did not contribute to our knowledge of the link mentioned above. Practical implications Through the provision of evidence regarding the psychological assessments that candidates go through during the selection process, organisations can formulate suitable tactics to attract talent to their establishments. The findings demonstrate how GHRM may help organisations become talent magnets. This information could encourage practitioners to successfully incorporate GHRM into employee initiatives, policies and practices related to human resources to draw in qualified candidates. Originality/value In addition to offering more perspectives on how environmentally conscious behaviour affects people, the study responds to the request for research integrating the various disciplines of environmental management and human resource management (HRM). It contributes to the literature on sustainable HRM by offering a thorough grasp of the circumstances under which GHRM affects potential employee outcomes. In order to accomplish sustainability, the study emphasises the critical importance of integrating sustainability aspects into human resource systems. It highlights the role that HRM plays in attaining sustainable development of the environment.