Pioneering a greener path in healthcare recruitment

18 July 2023 • Globe Locums

Environmental concerns are affecting every industry, healthcare recruitment in particular. This makes it imperative that companies take action to promote sustainability in their sector, helping them to chart a course which other firms might follow. Globe Locums is a proudly green company, and continuously works to improve the industry’s sustainability standards by setting a strong example. In this article, we elaborate upon our green initiatives and their positive long-term effects on healthcare recruitment.

The Green Grow a Tree Candidate Referral Scheme

Our candidate referral program aims to reward people who refer a new healthcare professional to us by growing a tree in their name with WeForest, letting them personally contribute towards sustainability and reforestation. Each tree helps reduce the carbon present in the atmosphere through a process called carbon sequestration, which can in turn slow the effects of climate change. There’s also a cash reward for each successfully placed candidate referral to sweeten the deal even further!

We understand that good people know good people, and that’s why we’re always happy to receive introductions from the healthcare professionals that we work with. At Globe Locums, we make sure that workers from any healthcare background find a suitable site for their skills.

Click here to learn more about our referral scheme.

Cycling Towards Sustainability

Globe Locums encourages our team to cycle to work wherever possible, with many of our staff members taking up the Cycle to Work scheme. These initiatives unite members with a tax-free bike which they could use to significantly lower greenhouse gases by not commuting via car or public transport. Through a Cycle to Work scheme, the employer purchases the bike, which the employee then repays from their wages via salary sacrifice over the course of a year. For the scheme to reach its full potential, employers must provide a specific bike area or otherwise have ample space for employees to keep their cycles.

To put it into perspective, roughly 10% of NHS carbon emissions are due to transport, and staff commutes generally comprise a significant amount of this. The program has various benefits beyond aiding the environment; cycling to work also helps an employee’s physical and mental health, enhancing their work in the process.

Partnering with a Green Cleaning Company

At Globe Locums, we work with GreenZone Cleaning and Support Services to make sure our head office always follows the practices we preach. We recently made this switch from an alternative supplier because we believe in the importance of eco-friendly cleaning. This includes products that contain no volatile organic chemicals (or VOCs), making them far less harmful to the environment, our employees, and even the building’s air quality.

We are proud of our GreenZone partnership and how it allows us to truly exemplify the values of sustainability and environmentalism; both of which are key parts of our service. Their approach is also site-specific, meaning GreenZone understands the requirements of every individual commercial environment, including the products that are most useful. We recommend that companies associated with healthcare recruitment, or healthcare in general, invest in sustainable cleaning.

Illuminating Efficiency with Motion Sensors

Our headquarters also makes use of motion-sensitive lights calibrated specifically for office work – this ensures they won’t suddenly turn off if everyone remains at their desk for extended periods of time. However, this also guarantees that these lights are only on when somebody needs them to be. Even if one of our employees were to accidentally leave the lights on overnight, they will automatically switch off to conserve electricity.

At Globe Locums, we reduce both monthly electrical expenses and our own ecological footprint with the aid of these motion sensors. On a more practical level, these lights offer unparalleled convenience for staff members and can even serve as a deterrent against criminals, who typically rely on the cover of the darkness. Combining motion-sensitive lights with LED bulbs increases their efficiency even further while providing even more light.

Responsible Paper Usage

Companies are embracing digital solutions to accommodate their administrative needs – significantly lowering their dependence on paper in the process. Many organisations are also becoming wholly paperless, partly due to the growing popularity of working from home. The usual production processes for paper have a clear effect on the climate, with wood extraction contributing towards deforestation. This makes it critical that companies using paper are responsible with how they do so.

Globe Locums continuously aims to reduce paper use and substitutes a digital approach where possible. When we do need to print something off, we always make use of ethically-sourced recyclable paper that significantly reduces landfill waste. Non-recyclable paper releases methane upon disposal – which can be more destructive than carbon emissions. If you wish to make your business more sustainable, switching over to recyclable paper is an easy first step.

Powered by Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is highly cost-effective for businesses both large and small – this term can encompass solar, wind, and hydropower, as well as biogas from anaerobic digestion. We proudly work with Opus Energy, which specialises in providing renewable solutions to over 224,000 businesses across the United Kingdom. They have helped us tremendously since our partnership began, identifying several ways for us to enhance our efficiency as a company.

The use of limited fossil fuels is immensely destructive and releases high volumes of carbon dioxide into the air every day. This makes it imperative that your company avoids contributing towards these practices; even small or new organisations can take steps to embrace renewable energy, for example, installing a smart meter helps you gain a deeper understanding of your energy use.

Globe Locums works to reduce our greenhouse emissions through recyclable paper, renewable energy, motion sensors, the promotion of cycling schemes, and other innovative initiatives. There are plenty of ways you could improve your company’s environmental strategies, making a clear difference to your community, industry, and the world at large. If you would like to learn more about how we’re revolutionising the healthcare recruitment sector, contact our team today.