Redefining the Role of HR in Sustainability with Jyoti Chopra

MGM Resorts International’s Jyoti Chopra recently appeared on SHRM’s Tomorrowist podcast. A summary of that conversation appears below.

It only takes a few minutes speaking with MGM’s Jyoti Chopra to wonder if the standard HR role has become dated and narrow. To some, Chopra’s role as chief people, inclusion, and sustainability officer for the organization may appear to be a cost-cutting, startup approach—why else would the company combine unrelated roles into one? However, MGM’s integrated model of HR and sustainability is both strategic and visionary. 

The terms “people,” “inclusion,” and “sustainability” have been tossed around ad nauseam to such a degree that they’ve lost meaning. But Chopra’s combination of these roles is focused and worth replicating. Human resources, sustainability, inclusion, community engagement, and sustainability have a collective focus: human and social capital. “I believe that it’s strengthened the way we work together with our people and our teams, and our properties,” said Chopra.

From HR to Human and Social Capital

“We’ve been doing sustainability work for a very, very long time. By bringing together the people and the planet components, we’re able to effectively leverage our physical footprint,” said Chopra. This distinction is significant—and it suggests that organizations should adopt a more unified and focused way of looking at what Chopra calls “human and social capital.”

Chopra’s role unifies initiatives including philanthropy, environmental sustainability, and workforce engagement to mobilize over 64,000 MGM employees for community impact. She noted that such synergies allow MGM to effectively innovate, as demonstrated by its program addressing food insecurity. Through repurposing excess food from conventions and banquets, the initiative also brings a cohesive approach to the company’s sustainability efforts.

Sustainability Beyond Greenwashing

Chopra detailed MGM’s extensive sustainability initiatives, including water conservation and energy-saving measures, highlighting efforts such as using recycled water for fountains. Going a step further, Chopra explained that MGM also provides rebates and water-saving kits for employees’ personal use at home. “Water conservation is of paramount importance to us,” said Chopra, emphasizing that MGM focuses on water conservation more than most companies due to its desert location. “We have partnered with the Southern Nevada Water Authority as an example, and through a grant that MGM has made—[sic], we are providing rebates to our people, our employees, to encourage them to adopt water-saving measures.”

In addition to providing water-saving kits, MGM encourages the use of artificial turf to save water and offers other conservation measures that can extend into employees’ homes if they wish. Chopra also discussed MGM’s solar array project—which now powers 90% of daytime operations at its Las Vegas properties—and emphasized how the company integrates technology and community collaboration into these projects.

Balancing a Luxury Brand and Responsibility

High-end brands often flaunt excess and opulence. So how does a brand like MGM maintain an over-the-top image alongside one of sustainability? Chopra views sustainability and luxury as aligning more than customers may think, underscoring the importance of customer education and involvement in sustainability initiatives. “It’s a combination of both—what our customers want, what our customer preferences are, what our guests are interested in, in addition to doing what’s right for the environment,” said Chopra. 

Chopra explained how the MGM brand uses its resources and teams to drive community sustainability initiatives. She described the “Planet Protectors” group, an employee-led initiative focused on environmental activism, saying how “they organize, for example, cleanups in parks on the weekends. They do events after work in and around sustainability.”

“What our teams did was they identified an opportunity around when there is excess food at a property like ARIA, for example, identifying the food that can be rescued or saved,” Chopra explained. “We innovated with our chefs and with some partners outside a way to safely, and in accordance with food and health regulations, flash freeze the food at the appropriate temperatures.” 

Getting the food to those in need took some strategizing, said Chopra, referencing how MGM had to find a partner for the project and retrofit a mobile van to transport the food. “By putting together this partnership … we rescue excess food from our banquets and meetings at ARIA,” she explained.

Evolving the HR Role

Chopra exhibits the evolution of the HR role through her focus on human and social capital. “It’s a much deeper type of function,” she said, stressing the need for HR departments to adapt to modern challenges. 

“I think the role has evolved,” Chopra concluded. “We’re all about the well-being of the people of MGM, and so that’s a very different role and department than what you may have had a few years ago in the more traditional human resources area.”