ASSESSING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF SOCIAL MEDIA RECRUITMENT: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND GREEN TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

As digital recruitment technologies transform talent acquisition, their environmental implications remain underexplored, particularly in green technology sectors. This study investigates the carbon footprint of social media recruitment (SMR) by analysing the environmental impact of digital hiring practices across 248 green technology organizations in India. Using structured surveys and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), ten factors influencing recruitment-related carbon emissions were examined. The results indicate that digital infrastructure efficiency, technological sophistication, and energy source composition significantly reduce carbon emissions, while organizational size, platform characteristics, and data transmission intensity contribute positively to emission levels. All ten hypothesized relationships (H1–H10) were statistically supported, and the structural model demonstrated high explanatory power (Adjusted R2 = 0.672). The study introduces the Carbon Footprint of Social Media Recruitment (CF-SMR) as a novel construct, providing a validated framework for evaluating the environmental impact of digital hiring. These findings contribute to green HRM literature and offer actionable insights for policymakers and organizations seeking to align digital transformation with environmental sustainability.