The language used to promote conservation and improving the environment - reduce, reuse and recycle - can also impart important lessons for HR/benefits professionals in creating a thriving, resilient and diverse workforce.

In fact, amid a slowing economy, shrinking talent supply, shifting demographics and pressing globalization challenges, the most sustainable businesses will be those that effectively apply the three Rs.

It is critical for HR/benefits pros to "go green" to create efficiencies.

Reduce turnover through training

Building a workforce isn't only about recruitment.

Most of today's workers, particularly younger ones, switch jobs multiple times, rather than staying with one firm through retirement, like previous generations did.

Research shows that Gen-Xers, in particular, are the most willing to leave jobs in which they do not feel valued or engaged.

One way to combat this problem is to provide opportunities for your employees to learn new skills.

Training and career development programs not only contribute to an individual's skill set, they also provide a positive impact for employers.

They allow the individual to feel challenged and, in turn, motivated to grow with the organization, rather than seek opportunities elsewhere.

Training and career development programs also increase employee productivity, reduce turnover and improve job satisfaction.

The key to employee retention is a continued investment in the talent that's already on hand.

Growing an organization from within builds strong foundations and allows employers to cash in on the initial investment they made during the hiring and onboarding process.

By investing in employees' ongoing training and development, employers ensure they have a comprehensive arsenal of talent in the pipeline as new opportunities arise.

It also conveys the value that the company places on its employees, while instilling a culture of trust, loyalty and mutual respect within the workplace.

Organizations that have challenges retaining staff can reduce the costs associated with hiring and training their new employees by starting to think green.

Determining the root cause of turnover and implementing solutions that promote organic growth will improve their work environment and prevent further decline.

Reuse talent through redeployment and career mobility

Today's most successful HR/benefits departments are skilled at uncovering hidden employee value and aligning workers' interests and skills to meet the changing business needs.

Identifying career paths not only promotes retention, it also demonstrates an employer's willingness to invest in their workforce.

Offering opportunities to develop individual talents promotes employee engagement while providing the organization with a renewable business resource.

Leveraging transferable skills and harnessing the power of redeployment is another green strategy that organizations can implement to reduce hiring costs and increase morale.

This is especially true during mergers, acquisitions, company restructuring or other times of business changes and uncertainty.

Often, when an organization downsizes in one area, there is a need to fill positions in another.

For example, an insurance underwriter being downsized may be able to  apply certain skills in another company department, such as accounting or finance.

While the skill set may not match exactly, there is a solid foundation to build upon, and the time needed to become a productive contributor to the group will be shorter.

Since the employee already understands the organization and its culture well, he or she can focus more immediately on the nuts and bolts of the position than a new hire could.

However, it is important to firmly establish redeployed employees' relationships with their new manager to avoid disengagement.

Studies indicate an employee's level of engagement is directly affected by the quality of the relationship with his or her manager.

In fact, theConference Board's recent analysis of the 12 leading studies on employee engagement found that all studies, all locations and all ages agreed that the direct relationship with one's manager is among the strongest of retention drivers.

Recycle employees,leverage baby boomers

Workforce turnover is increasingly becoming an issue as baby boomers prepare to retire.

Career development undoubtedly will be an important facet of recruiting and retaining young talent, but employers also should focus on the needs of aging workers.

Many baby boomers are not looking for a quiet retirement and a pension, but rather to continue an active lifestyle.

Taking advantage of potential retirees' knowledge, experience and interest in part-time schedules can be a perfect mix for a company facing both employment shortages and a tight bottom line.

Strategies for retaining these workers include providing alternatives for career continuation such as part-time scheduling and opportunities to mentor younger workers.

Implementing programs to help individuals nearing retirement age explore their options will also enhance employers' ability to retain these workers and minimize exposure to talent shortages.

Diversity is also an important building block for the workplace of the future.

In the environment, diverse ecosystems are less vulnerable and more sustainable in the long run.

Similarly, organizations that have a diverse workforce will be more resilient and better able to position themselves as employers of choice.

Employee diversity provides a depth and breadth of talent with different cultures, backgrounds and skills, increasing the value of a company's goods and services.

Diversity also demonstrates to prospective employees that the company respects and values the unique experiences and perspectives offered by each member of its workforce.

Go green

The "greening" of the workforce is, like all other green movements, an exercise in sustainability.

With a troubled economy and a seismic shift in demographics as baby boomers give way to Gen Y, the companies that flourish will be those that maintain a corporate culture where the new three Rs- retention, re-engagement and redeployment - are an integral part of management and well-communicated by the HR department.

Kim Glinsky is the director at Lee Hecht Harrison, a Woodcliff Lake, N.J.-based firm specializing in talent management.

Greening your benefits

The following is an execerpt from a June 15 EBN article, "Telework: A green solution to the 21st century's employee crisis." The full story is available at BenefitNews.com.

The upcoming book, "Undress4Success: The Naked Truth about Working from Home," estimates that, if telework increased to its full potential, Gulf oil imports could be reduced as much as 80%. This equates to $43 billion dollars at the gas pump, 625 million barrels of oil and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 107 million tons, authors Kate Lister and Tom Harnish estimate.

In the nation's capital, that means 60 hours per person regained each year and $1,094 per person in savings in travel delay and excess fuel consumption costs each year, shows the Texas Transportation Institute's 2007 Urban Mobility Study. In Los Angeles, the number increases to 72 hours regained and $1,374 saved.

If each person were to telework one day per week, each person would save as many as 1.4 gallons of gas per day, four to six tons of carbon emissions per year and one-third to one-half of a household's yearly energy use, estimates Douglas Johnson of the Consumer Electronics Association.