Given recent economic forecasts for 2009, the doom merchants are having a field day, Yes, change is definitely on the horizon but with change comes opportunities. A positive attitude and a thorough reappraisal of recruiting activities will see your organization grow from strength to strength.

For HR professionals, 2009 is shaping up to be a year that can be best summarized by The 3 Cs (change, chance and calculation) and The 3 As (attitude, activity and “A-class”).

The 3 Cs

Change

As businesses respond to the challenges brought on by the current economic climate, the positions that companies need to fill in order to grow and prosper will also change to include new focus areas such as Distressed Assets, Facility Management, Infrastructure, New Media, Informatics and Revenue.

These new focus areas will bring with them the need to define roles that might previously never have existed, recruiting new kinds of people in entirely new ways.

Chance

The quantity and quality of people actively looking for work as a result of layoffs at other firms are going to increase, bringing more great candidates out into the open for you to choose from as well as others who were previously out of your reach.

Can your company really miss the chance not to hire from the high quality talent pool that 2009 promises?

Calculation

Everything has a price, every hire you make and every one you don’t make too. Recruiting decisions have to be justified, with “Return On Investment” crucial and every single recruiting activity providing a positive return on investment.

2009 is the year, more than any other, when HR professionals will have to learn the language of CFOs and risk managers.

The 3 As

Attitude

You have to stay positive and maintain a can-do attitude. Confidence, strength of purpose and staying focused are absolutely vital. Change isn’t pretty, but it’s a reality and those who cope with it best come out on top.

Accept that there will be times of confusion and uncertainty; stay positive and you’ll keep your head while other companies are losing theirs.

Activity

Don’t just keep busy, double your activity because 2009 is going to be a time for action and by that I am not encouraging anyone to chase lost causes. Far from it.

Increasing your activity means getting organized, setting priorities, and not letting distractions manage your day. Recruiting activities should be still driving the company forward in new ways and in new directions toward growth and prosperity.

A-class

Only the best will do — 2009 is not going to be business as usual and you are going to have to be on top of all aspects of recruiting.

Tough decisions will need to be made during tough times. With the need to justify all activity, you’ll need to analyze everything closely, get creative and perhaps lose some of that over-reliance on outside agencies.