I'd like to refer to today's installment of "In case you missed it" as the spring cleaning edition. With the weather finally starting to warm up here in the Northeast, it's that time of the year when I empty my closets, toss out what no longer fits, and replace them with some new items to get me through the coming months.

Here at The Seamless Workforce, we've been seeing a lot of talk in the blogosphere and on the World Wide Web that indicates now might be a good time for companies to perform some spring cleaning as well.

Now that the economy is showing some early signs of recovery, take inventory of the processes and strategies that you've been utilizing the past year or so. And if it's broken, fix it! Consider these best practices as you prepare your company for the change in weather.

The Wall Street Journal: "Five Rules for Making Smart Hires." After months of waiting, your boss finally gave you the go-ahead to ramp up hiring. Now you need to make sure every hire counts. Don't just focus on a candidate's skills and past accomplishments. Look forward and make sure you can envision how they will fit in the company, structurally and culturally, and down the road. Involve other employees in the decision-making process. And don't lose sight of the candidate after the offer has been extended and accepted. The onboarding process is crucial to ensuring the arrangement works.

HRBartender: "Creating an Onboarding Plan." As hiring once again becomes realistic for organizations, it's important to make sure you have a comprehensive onboarding and orientation process in place. The days and weeks immediately following a new hire are your best chances at making a good impression, and helping your new employees get acclimated to the workplace. Read on for the importance of communication at every step of the process.

Entrepreneur.com: "Wanted: Fully Engaged Employees." According to Gallup, more than two-thirds of American workers are "not engaged" or "disengaged" in their workplaces. This is as a result of the drastic economic and workforce changes they have experienced as of late. To reengage these workers, consider asking for their help in feedback, make sure all employees are tuned into the company mission, communicate confidently, and recognize employees.

Inc.com: "How to Reward Employees on a Budget." Budgets are tight. And the bonuses, pay increases, and all-expenses paid vacations that employees might be used to as rewards aren't necessarily possible. This article offers low-budget strategies for employers to recognize and motivate performers, pitfalls to avoid, and offers recommendations for developing reward guidelines.

The Wall Street Journal: "The Five Mistakes You're Making With Top Talent." What are the biggest mistakes managers make when it comes to managing their high-impact talent? To avoid driving your emerging leaders away, here's what not to do: ignore their views, treat everyone the same, allow them to figure out their own career path within the organization (instead, offer guidance), fail to utilize them to train and develop others, forget to formally identify them as "high potentials."

How about you? What processes and practices is your organization looking to update or revamp?