The Mayans were wrong; the world didn’t end on Dec. 21.  If you were too busy preparing for the end of the world and didn’t think about your resolutions for 2013, we’ve got you covered.

Rather than resorting to the ever popular “I’m going to lose 15 pounds,” here are three resolutions you can actually keep this year.

1.   Go Green. When Hurricane Irene blasted the East coast in 2011, it baffled many tenured meteorologists and scientists. Fast forward one year later and Hurricane Sandy, aptly labeled a Super Storm, blasts the New England states. Mystified by these occurrences, scientists have called these storms “the new normal,” citing climate change as the primary causes for such extreme weather.

What causes climate change? We do. Usage of fossil fuels, removal of resources, such as trees and other greenery, and skyrocketing waste levels are undoubtedly not good for our planet. There are many relatively effortless things you can implement to help reduce your company’s, or simply your department’s, carbon footprint:

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–         Go paperless. Make all of your department’s forms fillable
electronic documents. Only print if you absolutely need to.

–         Use HR technology to your advantage. Today’s up and coming
SaaS solutions for HR professionals eliminate the need for paper and let you
take your data with you, wherever you go, right on your mobile device.

–         Recycle. Place recycle bins around the office for paper, plastic,
aluminum, glass, and even consider adding a compost bin for biodegradable
products. You can even recycle
or donate office equipment and electronics.

–         Start a ‘Bike or Walk to Work’ campaign. Encourage employees in
your department or company to find alternative ways to work. 

2.  Make employee engagement a priority. It is proven through many forms of research that companies with happier, more engaged employees experience higher productivity, fewer absences and higher performance. This all leads to a higher return for the company. Times are tough and it’s important to make engagement a focus so your company is still armed with effective employees.

Encourage managers to identify what is and isn’t working with their teams. There are plenty of employee engagement survey vendors, like Metrus Group, you can use to poll employees anonymously. Once they’ve identified opportunities for improvement, help managers develop action plans to improve certain areas of the employee experience. 

3.  Review and edit HR policies and procedures. Keeping your policies and procedures up to date is pretty important. Having policies that are written clearly and are regularly reviewed for accuracy (legal, company, brand) can be effective when it comes to employee relations and even avoiding any legal snags should they come up.

Your policies should reflect new laws, new regulations, any company language, branding or strategy changes, and any lawsuits that have happened as a result of gaps in the policies and procedures. Make sure to circulate and communicate any changes made to employees.

New Year’s resolutions are meant to pave the way to a successful and more fulfilling year. And let’s face it – you don’t have to finish everything up until Dec. 31, 2013. But if you do, you don’t have to wait until next December to set more goals. This could be your year! Go get ‘em.

Post by Kadi McDonald