Brampton - As we are already well into the new year, most company's have strategized and planned out their business goals for 2007. Hopefully, Human Resource initiatives played a part in the planning process.

2007 HR trends to be considered:

Employee Retention:

• Increase employee mobility within the organization and promote rather than recruit
• Recognize employee's by simply saying "Thank-you" and show appreciation for a job well done
• Reward employee's with perks such as time off, working from home, etc
• Motivate by getting employee's involved in various projects, designing their own job descriptions, being involved with setting company goals and allowing for input and feedback
• Reinforce the team's sprit inside and outside the work environment by planning cultural events, pot luck's, contests, informal gatherings after work, etc
• Health and wellness programs provide relief from stress and ensure a healthier lifestyle so offer gym memberships, counselling and assist employee's in keeping their New Year's resolutions like quitting smoking for example
• Provide job sharing, flexible work schedules and tele-work options - employee's will appreciate a better work/life balance

Training:

• Recruit individuals who don't have formal training or experience in the industry and provide training in the field
• Maintain employee interest in their own advancement by providing tuition assistance reimbursement
• Manage performance by giving employee's freedom to grow within their roles, provide feedback and input
• Encourage employee's to do more and strive to be better by continuously learning and improving on weaker skill sets
• Provide orientation and ongoing training and support to new hires

Knowledge Base:

• 2/3 of new jobs in 2007 will be in management as Boomers begin to retire therefore youth and new immigrants will play a critical part in providing the required skill sets
• Increase in retirement will increase the demand for educational attainments such as trade certificates, university degrees and college diplomas
• Bilingual worker's are going to be in higher demand in order to allow company's to work more closely with local and international clients
• Hire and train new immigrants as Boomers begin to retire

Recruiting:

• Increase the base salary of a new hires to remain competitive since unemployment rates are at their lowest in over 30 years
• Outsource recruitment processes such as screening applicants or recruiting for certain jobs to free up management time for achieving other business goals
• Encourage retiree's to stay – provide shorter work weeks as an incentive to remain with the company
• Strategize methods to retain Generation Y's and ensure they see the true value and benefit in staying with the organization

I've recently discovered a great new method in measuring an employee's energy level and productivity while at work called The Juice Check. This system measures 5 key elements: belonging, support, clarity, value and inspiration. Find out what's holding back your employees by checking out www.juiceinc.ca for more details.

The main elements in human resources remain constant. These include staffing and talent management, employee engagement and recognition, performance management and building leadership capabilities.

All the best in 2007!

Dinah Bailey is the principal of HR ByDESIGN. For more information on how to capitalize on your organization's Human Resource requirements, contact HR ByDESIGN by email at hrbydesign@rogers.com or visit online at www.hrbydesign.ca