Recruiting top-drawer employees doesn’t stop just because hiring slows or freezes. The recession, however bad, isn’t permanent, and forward-looking executives realize that the most ambitious and productive workers—the ones they hope to attract—remain alert to opportunities from companies that market themselves vigorously and confidently no matter what the economic climate.

The following are some trends that will affect hiring as the economy rebounds:

1. Don’t expect the best candidates to accept a smaller salary in return for additional stock options. Given the stock market’s performance over the past year, most employees would rather have a dependable source of income than gamble on stock options that might prove worthless. They also value their personal time and will likely negotiate for more vacation.
2. The Internet has made it possible for job seekers to be more connected than ever through social- and professional-networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and various blogs. It’s also offered ways for job hunters to dig up all sorts of information about companies that interest them. An employer can use this as a qualifying tool: Given all the information that’s available online and elsewhere about most businesses, a candidate has no excuse for coming ill-prepared to an interview.
3. Workers today expect more from their jobs than a steady paycheck and opportunities for advancement based on a willingness to sacrifice for the good of the company; they also want to feel that they matter personally to their employers. Knowing this, a savvy recruiter will craft job descriptions that define goals instead of listing tasks.
4. Employers might be wary of people who drift from company to company, but they’re becoming more common than workers who spend many years or a whole career at one company. Rather than dismissing a job hopper outright, a wise recruiter will determine what the candidate is looking for that his or her company could provide—an opportunity that breeds long-term commitment.
5. In today’s sluggish housing market, many prospective job seekers are willing to stick it out in an unsatisfactory job when the alternative is to sell their house at a loss for a slightly better job in another city. It’s the employer’s responsibility to demonstrate why the opportunity he or she offers is too good to pass up—and even to sweeten the deal to decrease the employee’s risk and make the offer more compelling.

Businesses that continue to actively recruit, even in a sluggish economic climate, are the ones that are more likely to benefit from the rewards provided by a workforce made up of people who genuinely enjoy their jobs.

Those who missed the event may be interested in the content of certain sessions. Even those of you who attended may have missed a session or two you were interested in. Please click on this link to access these video and slide files.

In addition, there has been interest from a number of folks to continue conversations started at the Summit and contribute to next year’s planning. We have created a LinkedIn group to help facilitate sustaining and growing the community of interest around New Energy and the Summit. LinkedIn seems to be the most professional way to grow a community of interest that preserves the business nature of the relationships and conversations.

I hope you will consider joining and participating in this group. Start a discussion topic of interest (solar, wind, smart grid, etc.) or contribute to one. Activity will create “energy” and ideas.

In her tenure as vice president of human resources at various high technology companies, Tina Rulo has created and led the implementation of worldwide staffing and training programs, professional and leadership development institutes, and employee retention plans. At Eclipse, Rulo directs the company’s continued efforts to establish the culture and supporting policies to attract and retain highly skilled employees.

Download Tina’s presentation. (PPT; 109 KB)

The VC Forum
VC Forum:
John Dunning, “Wasatch Venture Fund”:http://www.wasatchvc.com/

Description:
Jarratt Applewhite has more than twenty years experience as an entrepreneur in the private sector as well as twenty years experience in public service. Special expertise has been acquired in founding and managing five successful companies that interact with state and local government. His current job is CEO, “New Mexico Community Capital”:http://www.nmccap.org/.

The VC Forum
VC Forum:
Jerry Mattingly, Executive Director, New Mexico Angels

Download Jerry’s presentation on New Mexico Angels (formally New Mexico Private Investors, Inc.) (PPT; 236 KB)

Description:
Kenneth J. Martin is Professor of Finance in the College of Business Administration and Economics at New Mexico State University and is a past holder of the Bank of America Distinguished Professorship. His research interests include topics involving executive compensation and corporate governance as well as the impact of mergers and acquisitions on shareholder wealth. He has published research articles in such journals as the Journal of Financial Economics, The Journal of Finance, Journal of Corporate Finance, Financial Management, Journal of Accounting and Economics, International Review of Law and Economics, University of Cincinnati Law Review, Washington Law Review, Boston University Law Review, Wake Forest Law Review, and Managerial and Decision Economics.

Download Dr. Martin’s Presentation (PPT; 264 KB)

The VC Forum
VC Forum:
Greg Kulka, Director of Alternative Investments for NM State Investment Council
Brian Birk, Regional Director for Fort Washington Capital Partners

Download Greg and Brian’s presentation on the New Mexico State Investment Council and Ft. Washington Capital Partners (PPT; 2.1 MB)

Description:
One of New Mexico’s most successful technology entrepreneurs, Mr. Bice founded ProLaw Software shortly after graduating high school. He served as CEO of ProLaw from the founding until its sale to West Group, the pre-eminent provider of information resources to the legal industry.

Download Bill Bice’s Presentation (PPT; 133 KB)

The VC Forum
VC Forum: Trevor Loy,
Flywheel Ventures

Download Trevor’s presentation on Flywheel Ventures (PPT; 2.9 MB)

Description:
Clinton Bybee is a Managing Director of ARCH Venture Partners. He established ARCH’s Albuquerque, NM office in 1996 and the Austin, TX office in 1999. Mr. Bybee has helped organize a number of companies including MicroOptical Devices (acquired by EMCORE), ePolicy Solutions, InnovaLight, Intelligent Reasoning Systems (acquired by Photon Dynamics), and Xtera Communications. He is currently a board member of Nanosys and InnovaLight. Previously, Mr. Bybee managed a venture investment fund for the State of Illinois and was a production engineer with Amoco Corporation. He holds an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago and a B.S. in Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Download Clint Bybee’s Presentation (PPT; 1.5 MB)

The VC Forum
VC Forum: Tom Stephenson
General Partner, “Verge-New Mexico Seed Fund”:http://www.vergefund.com/

Download Tom’s presentation on Verge Fund (PDF; 152 KB)

Description:
Dennis Wood leads vSpring’s human capital practice with a focus on building world class management teams inside the vSpring portfolio. Dennis also works with the portfolio to leverage his understanding of which human resource practices offer the greatest return on shareholder value. Prior to joining vSpring, Dennis built an executive search practice in technology and finance at The Diestel Group, a boutique executive search firm. He worked nationally and was instrumental in helping organizations expand their operations and succeed by attracting and retaining world-class talent.

Download Dennis Wood’s Presentation (PPT; 1.3 MB)

The VC Forum:
VC Forum: Mike Connolly
Principal, “vSpring Capital”:http://www.vspring.com/

Download Mike Connolly’s Presentation (PPT; 1.1 MB

Description:
Prof. MacLean has a unique track record for entrepreneurial success as a founder, CEO, seed investor and board member. She has been listed by BusinessWeek as one of the 50 most influential business women in America and was featured by Forbes in a cover article on Angel Investing under the headline, “The One to Know in Silicon Valley.” MacLean has nearly three decades of combined experience in the computer and communications industries. She was a founder of Network Equipment Technologies which went public in 1987 and later co-founded and was CEO of Adaptive which merged with NET in 1993. Building on her own entrepreneurial success, MacLean has been instrumental in helping to launch and grow successful companies through her work as a mentor capitalist and as a professor of entrepreneurship. The companies she has seed funded which have gone public include: Pure Software, Pete’s Brewing Company, AdForce, dsl.net, and Selectica.

Venture Capital Forum:
Richard Harding, Santa Fe Venture Partners,