Last week’s State of the Union address included a myriad of partisan and bi-partisan talking points - with cheers from one side and stoic faces from the other. But through and through, nothing was as pertinent to both sides of the general public, and coincidently the HR community, as the budgetary blueprint for 2011, or more specifically, the $100 billion designed to create more jobs. Specifically cited in the big budget was the focus on and education of green energy and thus, creation of green jobs.

With green job prep programs popping up across the country, the clean-industry is expected to experience exponential growth in 2010 and beyond. With that being said, those green companies already in existence are preparing for an onslaught of hiring.  Just yesterday, New Haven, Connecticut’s, "green" agency, or the "Office of Sustainability" sought to hire a fearless leader, but after an overwhelming 200 candidates responded to the post, the city had to stop taking applications and remove the job post from its’ website.
"Any resumes that came in, we wouldn’t be able to get to," said Administrative Officer Robert Smuts to NBC Connecticut.

If this case is any indicator, green companies have a lot of preparing to do.  But how does an eco-friendly company recruit candidates in a green manner? Companies of all industries and sizes know that HR isn’t the most environmentally-friendly sector of an organization. From the paper-intensive onboarding process to filing cabinets full of compliance documents – many green companies are struggling to align their core organizational missions with their human resource initiatives. W-4 forms, employee surveys, performance appraisals, exit interviews…the list goes on and on.  Aside from wasting hours on manual data entry and filing old resumes – these paper processes are using an exuberant amount of unnecessary paper.  Let’s take just one aspect of the talent lifecycle – onboarding. A new hire-packet alone includes endless amounts of heath insurance forms, compliance docs, 401k packages, company handbooks and more.  Aside from the time it takes to print and collect these documents – they are taking their toll on our eco-system's natural resources – mainly, trees. Wondering how your organization is treating the rainforest?  Take a look at the Rainforest Maker’s Business Paper Calculator. Feeling guilty yet?

So how can green companies (or really any business) keep their carbon footprint (see greenhouse gas emission refresher course here) to a minimum while hiring and retaining top talent?
 
Eliminate all those paper processes through automation! Talent management systems can spearhead businesses’ green HR initiatives by eliminating time-consuming, paper-intensive recruiting tasks and replacing them with efficient, eco-friendly HR solutions. And don’t let your organization’s commitment to the environment go without reward, get something back!  As part of their corporate responsibility program, iCIMS offers an iCARE discount to firms that clearly commit to reducing reliance on non-renewable energy. Organizations that demonstrate a commitment to solar, wind, and ethanol energy sources are eligible for iCARE contract discounts when they partner with iCIMS for their HR technology needs.

Depending on your level of social media savvy-ness (or in some cases, willingness), your LinkedIn account can be the gateway to a plethora of opportunities.  Whether you’re unemployed and looking for a job or employed and looking for a knowledge sharing outlet, LinkedIn can be a worthwhile resource. But the key to this gateway isn’t always in how many recommendations you have, or how often you update your status- it can actually be in the groups you join.  After a recent overhaul, LinkedIn groups have added features that can be of value no matter where you are in your career. 

Find & Be Found

A quick group search of “HR” yields a little over 4,000 results, the top being “Linked: HR (#1 Human Resources Group)” with over 200,000 members.   While the biggest group isn’t always the most valuable, something can be said about strength in numbers.  Joining a group like “Linked: HR” will give you access to each of the members full profiles, as well as have them included in your search results. That being said, joining a group that matches your business interests is a non-committal way to expand your network.  Not looking? Be found! The more people you’re networking with, the more likely you are to come up in a relevant search.

Looking for a job?

A well-managed LinkedIn group will have their companies open positions posted in their group profile.  Not only will you have the convenience of all their open jobs in one place, but you can also take advantage of companies' RSS news feed, discussions & subgroups.  So after the company is wowed by your resume and calls you in for an interview, you can wow them will your knowledge of their company news, client discussions, and global expansion (as told in their UK subgroup of course!). 

Industry Knowledge

Whether you’re looking for tips about a successful Onboarding program or have a question about Applicant Tracking, an active group with updated discussion & news features is an endless source for industry knowledge.  Some of our favorites include the aforementioned Linked:HR (very active discussions), the official SHRM group, ERE.net & (blatant self promotion) the brand new iCIMS LinkedIn Group.

A recent white paper about how to more effectively leverage your LinkedIn account also got a lot of traction. Feel free to check it out at http://bit.ly/4SJX6q

With reports of optimism and a Q3 profit gain, the U.S. Commerce Department is letting policy makers know that it’s time to start planning for the recovery.  While the government is busy planning its post-recession procedures, companies across the nation are gearing up for new types of necessary HR practices.  And if there’s one sector that’s all too familiar with hiring surges and alternative hiring pools, it’s the retail industry.  With the holiday season quickly approaching, the retail industry is preparing for yet another year of seasonal hiring.  From an increase in hourly hiring to utilizing alternate forms of recruiting, the retail industry serves as a microcosm for what the rest of the nation can expect for hiring practices in 2010 and beyond.

But with unemployment still on the rise (but increasing at it’s lowest pace yet!) someone forgot to tell the job (and housing) market that the recession is over.  However, it’s never too early to begin planning for the recovery. Every year, the retail industry slows down for nine months, a full two-thirds of the year.  In a way, retail experiences a mini-recession every year (with a Presidents Day Sale here and a Back-to-School, One-Day Sale there).  Yet as the last days of summer come to a close, managers and recruiters are readying themselves and their staffs.  They know that in order to have an efficient and prepared staff for the holiday months, they have to begin planning before the rush. Creating a talent pipeline and hiring the most qualified candidates well in advance, while the applicant pool is still full of top talent, is essential. The extra staff must be trained and familiarized with the ways that stores are run so they can be effective sales people when Black Friday rolls around and the holiday buying-season officially begins. 

Now you’re probably wondering, “How can I possibly ready myself for a hiring rush, when I have all this shopping to do?”  Fortunately, iCIMS is presenting a webinar on just such a topic (blatant self promotion, I know).  The webinar, Post Recession & Seasonal HR Practices will consist of a panel discussion offering best practices from retail industry leaders.  The webinar takes places next Wednesday, November 18^th, 2009 at 1:00 pm EST.  To register for the webinar, you can click here. 

Is your organization doing anything to prepare for the economic recovery? What does your 2010 outlook look like?

...has become synonymous with negativity and crisis.  From recruitment freezes to lay-offs, most mid-market business employees may be finding it difficult to see a light at the end of the office. 

But just when all hope was about to be lost, ITChannelPlanet.com released the aptly titled article, “Study: Mid-market Not Drastically Cutting IT Budgets”and stated that not every office budget is suffering, and one aspect is even seeing growth…

“A new study commissioned by IBM Corp. of nearly 2,000 mid-market companies worldwide revealed that despite the economic slowdown, most midsized businesses have not dramatically curtailed IT spending but instead are redirecting available resources to improve efficiencies, reduce costs and prop up relationships with customers.”

Either these IT directors are attempting to single-handedly stimulate the economy, or there's a different reason for this growth in software spending.  The author continues to explain that there is some money... somewhere... to be spent.  Mid-market companies are taking their budgets, investing in technology, and in turn, are seeing a nice ROI. 

“The study’s participants identified their top business priorities as improving efficiency and reducing costs, increasing employee productivity, upgrading customer service and pursuing new customers. More than 80 percent of midsized companies in the study said that improving efficiency, reducing costs and boosting productivity were highest on their list of business concerns.”

Funny, I thought better food in the cafeteria would be in there somewhere?  Probably next on the list. In any event, as technology continues its relentless march towards increased automation and power, companies are realizing that in order to stay ahead of the competition, they must continue to invest in IT.  To the short-sighted, plunking down dollars on software in the midst of a recession may seem a foolish thing to do, especially if a company is doing fine with the IT that it currently has.  But what company wants to do just fine?  Don't forget, if you're happy to continue doing fine, your competition is saving many more thousands of dollars by increasing efficiency, automating routine tasks, and eliminating needless processes and workflows.