I admit it, I'm a tree hugger. I love to be outside and hike and bike and enjoy all that nature has to offer. I like to take my family, get out of the city, and seek out the "green" spaces. Given this passion in my life, I've also gotten keenly aware of the global climate crisis that is creeping up upon us. I've started to research alternative energy sources such as solar and wind and now follow them as they mature and begin to make a dent in the foot hold that coal and oil have on this country.

A good friend of mine sent me an article from the Seattle Times talking about wind energy and the growing talent crisis the industry is starting to face. In his article, "Wind Energy Hasn't Blown in Enough Workers," David Twiddy describes the talent challenges occurring in wind energy.

"Wind-power officials see a much larger obstacle coming in the form of its own work force, a highly specialized group of technicians that combines working knowledge of mechanics, hydraulics, computers and meteorology with the willingness to climb 200 feet in the air in all kinds of weather. That work force isn't keeping up with the future demand, partly because the industry is so new that the oldest independent training programs are less than five years old. The American Wind Energy Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group, estimates the industry employs about 20,000 people, not including those making turbines or other equipment. Future need is harder to quantify, given the uncertainties of the industry's growth. But with two-man teams generally responsible for seven to 10 turbines, the industry would need up to 800 technicians to serve the turbines expected to be installed this year alone."

This article emphases the point that the talent crisis goes beyond the retirement of the "boomers" and also extends into new technologies and the workforce needed to make them flourish. Employers today must understand that the talent pipeline can and should extend far beyond the recruiting portal or job boards. No longer is it simply enough to sit back and wait for workers to come to you. Employers must start to reach out much earlier in the process and work with colleges, trade schools, and other training organizations to influence the talent pool coming into the industry. Partnering with these organizations can have a profound effect on the quality and volume of candidates to choose from.

Link to article: Wind Energy Hasn't Blown in Enough Workers

This past Friday was a big day for some companies (or, at least for the their PR and HR departments).  Last Friday was the day that the Great Place to Work Institute notified companies about whether they made the Fortune Best 100 Places to Work 2008 List.  For some companies that have been applying to be on the list for a while, the day might have not been such a big deal.  For others applying for the first time, I would imagine it being a lot like when I was a high school senior receiving the first letter (either acceptance or rejection) from a college I had applied to:  I wanted to know, and I didn't want to know.

Having been witness to one company's efforts in applying for the list, and having read some of the criteria that the GP2W Institute highlights when publishing the list, I do have to ask whether or not these criteria really are indicative of a great place to work.  Please note:  I do NOT want to take anything away from the 100 companies that made the list at all.  Knowing what I know about many of them, I do not doubt that they have the right stuff to be great places to work.  I just wonder about the degree to which Fortune's article and list do justice to what it really means to be a great place to work.

At Knowldge Infusion, we work with companies all the time that are trying to improve the employee experience  - and the manager, executive, customer, stockholder, etc., experiences, too.  We talk about creating a line of sight for all employees so each and every one can see how they contribute to the bigger picture, and how technologies can enable that.  We discuss providing employees with insight into all possible career paths available to them, not just a job ladder or job family, and how technologies can enable that.  We work on strategies to ensure that the client has the talent needed to realize its business objectives and keep growing, and how technologies can enable that, too.  For us at KI, we believe a great place to work means providing people with the opportunities to realize both individual and collective value, goals, and objectives.  It means providing opportunities for managers, employees, whomever to discover and learn not only about the company, but also their place in it, and how this meshes with one's own values.  These are the conversations we have with our clients.  And, yes, these are the conversations we have amongst ourselves, too.  Being a Great Place to Work is a never-ending journey.  Come along for the ride.

P.S.  To view the 2008 list, click on this link:  http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2008/full_list/index.html