Human resource management in the construction industry – Sustainability competencies

While environmental sustainability has been the subject of much debate in the last decade, it was not until recently that attention started to shift towards human resource management as an enabler for sustainability.  Yet, this is still a relatively under researched area.  Much is still unknown about the role of an individual worker in contributing towards sustainable development.  This paper addresses the gap by proposing a framework to measure sustainability competencies of employees within the construction industry sector.  As part of the framework, four proficiency levels together with relevant descriptions are defined for a total of eight sustainability competencies.  Suggested proficiency levels are then mapped to main construction related jobs based on the framework.  An example is also given to illustrate the manner in which competencies should be assessed.  This framework is original and of practical use to construction managers and human resource practitioners.