HR Professional - February/March 2008 - (Page 43)

Be in demand A X A N T RE X T E C H N O L OGY S O L A R I N S TA L L AT I O N I N C A L I F O RN I A . will be key challenges over the next decade.” Stewart adds that most Canadian companies can forget about competing strictly on compensation. Corporate culture—the values and behaviours of a company—is a tremendously important recruitment tool for Westport Innovations, which brings in employees from all over the world. “We’ve attracted employees from pretty much every continent except Antarctica,” says Burke. The company is ramping up its 200-odd staff and while they offer a competitive salary and benefits package, Burke says it’s the company’s vision and mission that keep people aligned and engaged. “It’s one thing to sell environmental products, it’s another thing to really stand behind them, and the best way to do that is to live the way you are asking your customers to live,” he says. Xantrex Technology Inc. is another green company that has undergone tremendous growth in a short period of time. It now has 800 employees—300 in its head office in Burnaby, B.C. While the company started in 1982, its focus on renewable energy is only a few years old. Essentially Xantrex makes technology that can convert raw electrical power from sources w w w.H RThought L eader. c om such as wind or solar installations into energy that can be used in a home or business. Shelley McCloskey, vice-president of human resources, says one thing making it easier to attract employees—more than 100 of which are engineers—is that renewable energy has reached the public lexicon. As large corporations such as General Electric and Siemens move aggressively into renewable energy, they provide more competition for employees, but they also bring credibility to the industry. “The people that tended to be attracted to green technology because of their environmental sensitivity and awareness are still involved, but it’s now becoming a much more compelling business proposition,” says McCloskey. McCloskey says a big challenge is to find people who not only have a global perspective, but can move around the world with relative ease. “Many of us have a supply chain that begins in China, for example, so we are looking for people who have global supply chain skills, understand the impact of different market jurisdictions in product design and development, and understand the regulatory requirements,” she Register today c h 2 0 0 10:18:39 PM 355666_Psychometrics.indd F e b r u a r y / M a r 11/21/07 8 1 43 http://www.HRThoughtLeader.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Professional - February/March 2008

HR Professional - February/March 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Contributors Leadership Matters Boards By the Numbers Did You Know Sustainability Education News: E-Recycling Communications News: HR Study FYI Ethics World Watch News: Legislation Legal Compensation Focus Strategy The Colour of Money Sustainable Skills From Brown to Green HR Trends: From Winners to Also-Rans Branding Human Capital HR 101 Interview with David Suzuki Off the Shelf The Last Word

HR Professional - February/March 2008

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