Workforce Development - A Good Investment?

Do you agree with the differences between education and training?

I frequently hear statements akin to:
Academic world = education; corporate world = training.

Ever hear statements like,
“the purpose of an education is to become a critical thinker and well rounded.”
“The purpose of training is change what participants will be able to do after the training is over.”

Maybe it’s the difference between knowledge acquisition and skill development.

But is it that simple and straightforward? 

And, where does the measurement of what people have learned come into the picture?

Why in a downturn, employers are still having hiring challenges

During the current economic downturn, companies are laying off more employees than they have in years. But NCPA Distinguished Fellow Terry Neese says there are a number of companies looking to hire new employees, but they can't find qualified workers.

A report by Dow Jones backs this up, saying nearly three-quarters of those firms that wanted to add workers reported few or no qualified applicants for the job openings they were trying to fill, and 8 percent said finding the right hires was a top business problem.

Neese, who owns a temporary and executive search firm, says despite new layoff announcements everyday there are still companies in the highly skilled sector that are looking for the right employees to hire. "Many workers lack the education and skills to qualify for the positions employers are hiring for," Neese said, "and it's becoming a major concern for small business." Neese adds that administrative and call center positions also are increasingly difficult to fill as well.

Legal, health care, education, and government are among those industries struggling to find qualified applicants, according to Neese. "I'm finding that many companies are considering paying for further education for the applicants who, with additional skills, would be a great asset to the company," Neese said.

14 Myths About Women in the Construction Trades

The Work4Women project provides tools, strategies and a virtual community to help increase women and girls' integration and retention in high-wage jobs that are considered nontraditional for women.  While I was looking over their site, I came across a list of 14 myths (and why these are myths) about whether women can or should work in jobs that are considered nontraditional for them. Dispel some of these common myths about women working in male-dominated Non-Traditional Occupations (NTO)s with the facts!

1. Women are in the labor force to earn some extra spending money.   
2. Women and men are represented equally in most occupations.
3. Jobs in which women are traditionally employed pay salaries comparable to jobs in which men are traditionally employed.
4. Certain jobs are "men's work" and other jobs are "women's work."
5. Blue-collar work or heavy, physical labor is nontraditional for women.
6. Women are not strong enough to do heavy labor.
7. Nontraditional jobs are too dirty, noisy and dangerous for women.
8. A woman's place is in the home, not on a construction site.
9. Women won't like trade work.
10. Women will leave a job to get married and have children; therefore, the job should go to a man who will stay.
11. Married women who have husbands to support them should stay home and leave the good paying jobs for men.
12. Women on a job site make it difficult for men to concentrate; they are too distracting.
13. Women will lose their femininity if they work in a trade.
14. Women do not have the mechanical or mathematical aptitude for skilled trade work.

While much has been written about gender (and pay) inequality in the workplace, much of this material relates to administrative and professional jobs.  An area where disparity in hiring that has not received as much attention has been in the "non-traditional jobs" arena.  Work4Women is a welcome addition to this conversation.

AND you'll want to check this piece and see why these myths are just that

The National Dropout Crisis Continues and Is Not Improving

America is currently in the throes of a persistent high school dropout crisis that has been a long time in the making, with substantial disparities in dropout rates across race, ethnic, and income groups and geographic areas.

The absence of new funding at the federal and state level since the 1980s has led to decades of disinvestment in re-enrollment programs across the country.

In the current global economy, having at least a high school diploma is a critical step for avoiding poverty, and a college degree is a prerequisite for a well-paying job. The costs of dropping out of high school today are substantial and have risen over time, especially for young men, who find it almost impossible to earn an adequate income to take care of themselves and their families.

A new report published by Northeastern University.entitled "LEFT BEHIND IN AMERICA: THE NATION’S DROPOUT CRISIS" takes a in-depth look at this problem and what can be done.  This is a strategic issue for our workforce, and this report should be "essential reading"

Why On-boarding makes sound financial sense

Mark Stein, a colleague over at Kaiser Associates just sent me this update on on-boarding, and it's information you need to think carefully about...

• According the U.S. Department of Labor, over 25 percent of the workforce has been at their current company for under a year
• Young people entering the workforce today will change jobs an average of 10 times before they turn 40
• Employees are most likely to leave an organization in the first 18 months after they are hired, according to the U.S. Department of Labor

It may take significant time for new employees at your organization to become functioning members of the team:

• According to Mellon Financial Corporation, the average times to full productivity are
  • Eight weeks for clerical jobs
  • 20 weeks for professionals
  • 26 weeks for executives

Also, there are significant costs to ineffectively On-boarding your new hires:

• The direct cost of recruitment, according to Staffing.org and the Bureau of National Affairs, ranges from 5 percent to about 21 percent of annual compensation, and ineffective On-boarding could mean wasting these investments

• The Institute of Industrial Relations at the University of California, Berkeley, has estimated that the total cost of employee turnover is 150 percent of annual compensation, including hiring costs and more intangible elements such as “ramp-up time and lost productivity while the job is vacant”

Top 10 Most Difficult Jobs to Fill Include Many in the Hourly Realm

Why are some positions consistently harder to fill than others?

Take the dire need for qualified auto mechanics. Many dealers are in a position to limit their service hours because they cannot find enough mechanics to handle the workload they are seeing in their shops. 

A part of the reason for this national phenomena is the start of the Baby Boomers now reaching retirement age. Too many of our younger workers have been brought up in a "go to college or you’ll die" mentality. Not enough have given thought to a career in what used to be considered either dirty or menial work that didn’t pay well. All of those old perceptions are long gone.

It's an issue that affects many industries, where steady good-paying positions are unable to be filled because these jobs aren't considered as "attractive" or desirable as other career choices.  Although a number of these are not "blue collar" positions, putting yourself in someone considering a position, there are two questions you may want to ponder:

1. Is this a job that I feel is worth pursuing?
2. Is the education and training I would need to do this job worth the effort?

To get insight into the matter, Manpower conducted a survey. 

The employment services company (NYSE: MAN) says 30 percent of employers
worldwide are struggling to find qualified job candidates, especially skilled
tradespeople, sales representatives and technicians. Manpower surveyed nearly
39,000 employers across 33 countries and territories to gauge their ability to
find the talent they need.

The 10 hardest jobs to fill, as reported by U.S. employers in 2009, are:

1. Engineers
2. Nurses
3. Skilled/manual trades
4. Teachers
5. Sales representatives
6. Technicians
7. Drivers
8. Information technology staff
9. Laborers
10. Machinist/machine operators

Think about how scarcity of these situations affects you.  Consider the short and long-term consequences if people continue to shy away from these types of jobs, regardless of the reasons.

Am I the only one confused by all of these "Green" designations?

GRI, FSC, CERES, CCAR, LEED....what do they all mean? In the last two years, demand for "green"   certifications has exploded, now everyone wants to be green!

How do you know which 'green credential' Which is right for you?  And, how do you know which vendors are offering truly 'green' services and products?

Am I the only one asking this question, or are some of you likewise thinking the same thing?  Let me know what you think, and what you've discovered?

Troubled by worker behavior? Perhaps its time to look at the sources...

Discouraged by the work habits of many new employees, a handful of states, led by New York, are working to create a nationally recognized "work readiness" credential. Proponents say the credential would certify that a prospective employee understands the importance of "soft skills" such as punctuality, a willingness to accept supervision and an ability to work in a group.

"You'd think people would know to call in sick when they're not coming to work, but that's not always the case," said Michael Kauffman, an executive at Anoplate Corp., a 175-person metal manufacturer in Syracuse. "We're having many more problems than in the past getting people who understand what it means to work in an office or a factory............

I think that's only part of the story. Part of the problem, as I understand it, is that employers can't find suitable employees at the terms and wages they offer. If you pay crud wages, you'll get crud workers.  Many employers think the way to keep their business afloat during difficult times is to pay as little as possible,  Bad idea.  It can blow up in your face.

Offer $20 an hour, and you'll be inundated with applications from intelligent hard-working people. Offer $5 an hour and the only takers will be apathetic and semi-literate.

Henry Ford found this out several decades ago when he raised the daily wage from $2 to $5; the other manufacturers protested at Ford's decision, but the consequence was that Ford got good workers, and absenteeism plummeted.

Maybe it's time to rethink the "cause and effect" of employer behaviors and how it is reflected by the way the workforce behaves (or not)

An Important Piece Of The Puzzle Regarding What New Engineers Should Learn

Anne Scarlett, of Scarlett Consulting, (former principal of Zweig-White), who appears in the AISC's publication, "Modern Steel Construction" produced a very good article entitled "10 Things Entry-Level Engineers Should Know"

The article points out many of the essential things that a young engineer should to to become well established in the profession.  But she missed an important one.

Professional Development.  And ny this I don't just mean getting the necessary continuing education (CE/PDH) credits needed to maintain an engineer's license(s) or certification, but the kind of ongoing life-long-learning habit that takes you beyond what a new engineer needs to stay current with in order to practice.

Here's a perspective that I see too frequently, from the point of view of a firm that is a leader in professional development education/training for engineers:

• an engineer will look for the simplest way to amass the nesessary number of PDH in order to complete the requirements for the state boards by the mandated completion deadline.
• in cases where a education provider offers multiple levels of course difficulty (basic, intermediate, advanced) the learner will often opt for the easiest material, just to ensure a passing score and getting the needed credits
• the closer they get to the reporting deadline, the less discerning the learner will be regaridng the relevancy of the course, to their job area, or professional needs

I have asked several "professionals" why they do this, and often get the response, "I don't have the time to be picky", or "I don't want to risk not passing"

When I've asked managers of engineers if they wonder why an experienced engineer would load up on courses that are very basic, they often tell me that they don't watch what their people take that closely, or even will tell me "it's up to the engineer"

What would happen if you discovered that your newest engineers were regularly stretching themselves and taking intermediate and advanced courses, and doing well on them?  Wouldn't you look at these individuals as "high potentials" for the firm's future.  Likewise, what about the ones that consistently just do the minimum?

With today's powerful Learning management Systems, and the increasing popularity of eLearning for Engineers, managers can now observe not only what their people are taking, but watch how they are growing professionally.  Isn't that a great asset to the firm?  Strange, isnt it, how in a profession where we put so much emphasis on improving outcomes based upon use of data and process, that we often overlook one of the most important processes in the Engineering profession - professional development?

30,000 workers in the skilled trades needed for the economic upturn

If you want a view on what is likely to happen as a result of the ARRA (stimulus) program here in the  US, it may be helpful to look across the border to our neighbors in Alberta, British Columbia, who have recognized that they need to plan for the rebound and where the necessary skilled workforce may come from.

The massive influx of workforce training dollars is already starting to flow, and will be accessible through the Workforce Alliance. One of the areas that is going to provide steady work, good pay, and job security are in the "skilled trades" and "technician" jobs

These areas refers to a broad range of job titles that require workers to possess specialized skills, traditionally learned over a period of time as an apprentice (apprenticeships are paid "earn while you learn" programs.

Examples of skilled trades jobs include: electricians, carpenters, cabinet makers, masons/bricklayers, plumbers and welders.

Technicians positions according to the Labor department include primarily in plant production/operations, engineering and maintenance. In other words, these are "local" (to U.S.) jobs that cannot be outsourced (due to their "Hands-on nature", where males and females alike can prosper, and will need to be done "here" by US workers.

What Occupations are Considered "Non-Traditional" for Women?

Nontraditional occupations are defined by the U.S. Department of Labor as jobs in which 25 percent or less of the workforce is female. The list includes:

• Aerospace Engineer
• Agricultural Engineer
• Air Traffic Controller
• Air-Conditioning Mechanic
• Airline Mechanic
• Airline Pilot
• Ambulance Driver
• Announcer
• Appliance Repairer
• Archeologist
• Architect
• Astronomer
• Audio Engineer (TV and Radio) 
• Automobile Mechanic
• Banking Officer
• Bellhop
• Biologist
• Boiler Maker
• Bricklayer
• Building Inspector
• Bulldozer Operator
• Business Machine Repairer
• Carpenter
• Carpet Layer
• Cement Mason
• Chemist
• Chiropractor
• City Manager
• Computer Repairer
• Congressional Representative
• Dentist
• Detective
• Diesel Mechanic 
• Diplomat
• Drafter
• Drywall Finisher
• Electric Sign Repairer
• Electrician
• Electronic Technician 
• Elevator Constructor
• Engineer
• Environmental Specialist
• Exterminator
• Film Director
• Film Set Designer
• Film Soundperson 
• Firefighter
• Food Scientist
• Foreign Service Officer
• Forestry Technician
• Funeral Director
• Furniture Mover
• Gardener 
• Gem Setter
• Geographer
• Geologist
• Glazier
• Grip
• Ground Radio Operator
• Guard
• Health Service Administrator
• Hospital Administrator
• House Painter
• Industrial Chemist 
• Insulation Worker
• Ironworker
• Judge
• Lathe Operator
• Lawyer
• Locksmith
• Marketing Researcher
• Mathematician
• Meat Cutter
• Metal Fabricator
• Meteorologist 
• Milkperson
• Millwright
• Motion Picture Projectionist 
• Motorcycle Mechanic
• Oceanographer
• Operating Room Technician
• Organ Tuner/Repairer
• Painter
• Paperhanger
• Physician
• Physicist
• Pipefitter
• Plasterer
• Plumber
• Podiatrist
• Police Officer
• Political Scientist
• President of the United States
• Press Photographer
• Printer
• Radio Repair Technician
• Ranger Manager
• Rehabilitation Counselor
• Religious Leader
• Rigger
• Roofer
• Service Station Attendant
• Sheetmetal Worker
• Sportswriter
• Stonemason
• Supermarket Manager
• Supreme Court Justice
• Surveyor
• Tailor
• Taxi Driver
• Telephone Installer
• Television Director/Television Lighting Director
• Television Repairer
• Television Set Designer
• Theater Manager
• Tile Layer
• Tow Truck Operator
• Train Conductor
• Truck Driver (Local Delivery and Long-Haul)
• Watch Repairer
• Weatherproofer
• Welder

 As you can see, the list cuts across all types of job categories : Skilled Trades/Apprenticeships, Technical Jobs, Service Jobs, Professions, and Public Service Jobs 

Here's my question - why do we need such a list today, in an era where women can and do anything their male counterparts can do?  

OK, that was a "bait" question.  The reason is that there are incentives and special programs available for women who cannot find work in "traditional" role.

Many of these women, who seek to enterr the workforce are underpriveleged, and frankly, need guidance and help to land a job that pays a living wage.  (Sound familiar?  It should, because that is one of the goals of the Green Jobs Act.)

For many women who are seeking employment, this list introduces the possibility of taking a non-traditional job. A book published by Women's Enterprise of Boston, (739 Boylston Street, Boston) entitled "Earning a Breadwinner's Wage" helps women who are looking at ways to approach the job market. 

Women heads of households, particularly those that are economically disadvantaged, face unique challenges in finding jobs that will adequately support their families. This book outlines the advantages and disadvantages of non-traditional jobs compared to traditional jobs, and helps the reader define her job skills and interests, especially as they relate to non-traditional jobs. and offers strategies for finding and landing a non-traditional job.  

With the current federal funding available to stimulate job creation, thereshould be no barriers for any woman who wants to work in any job.

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A brief narrative description of the journal article, document, or resource.

Why do employees feel compelled to work the way they do?

An interesting article that caught my eye in the Birmingham Business Journal cites a study that was done in 2009 by the Society for Human Resource Management, that indicates that about 72 percent of employees nationwide said they work through lunch, while 70 percent report working beyond a 40-hour workweek and working at home on the weekends, according to the survey dubbed “Pressure to Work: The Employees’ Perspective”

Why do employees feel driven to such levels of work?  Read the article.  You may be surprised at what you discover.

The SHRM poll surveys employee perceptions regarding sick leave, flex time work arrangements, and work beyond the official work day including weekends.

What are our current and next generation of Women Engineers reading?

Today, in several branches of the Engineering discipline, I've heard that only 1 out of 5 engineers is a woman.  And that is indeed troubling, 

But when I travel to speak at various engineering conferences around the country on Generational and Workforce Development issues, I ask the attendees what they are reading, and whether they are actively engaged with the students, teachers and guidance counsellors at the K-12 levels.

What I hear is somewhat disappointing, since there is too little promotion of Engineering as a viable career, at least in light of the promise this field offers, and the demand for quality engineering talent.

What brightened my day was discovering a new publication I recently discovered entitled : "Wonen in Engineering" a fairly new magazine produced by the IEEE.  What I saw was excellent quality, and a worthwhile read. 

Study unveils how Sr Executives are using the internet

A recent study entitled "Google unveils research on executive Internet use" was published in BtoB has some interesting implications for online learning.

The study of both large and small-business owners indicates that they use search and social media more than you might expect, according to new research unveiled by Sam Sebastian, director-local and b to b markets at Google, during his keynote Thursday at BMA’s “Unlearn” conference held in Chicago.

Seventy-three percent of C-suite executives indicated that they are using the Internet daily, Sebastian said, referring to new research Google conducted with Forbes of 500 executives at companies with sales of $1 billion or higher. “They’re not delegating,” he said. “They prefer to do a lot of this stuff on their own.”

Among the findings from the research, which will be formally released in the coming weeks include: 64% of C-level execs conduct six or more searches per day to locate business information.

Interestingly, 1 in 5 said they preferred to watch video rather than read text. Focusing on the impact of video, Sebastian said there are “1.5 million business searches daily on YouTube,” making it the second-most-visited destination for business searches, behind Google.  eLearning execs take note - that as more rich media becomes available, that static "page turner" learning materials will become less popular to learners.

How Many Stimulus Jobs Will Be Green? (And Who Will Get Them?)

One of the key questions floating around today is how many jobs will be created by Recovery Act spending?  And who will benefit the most?

The Economic Policy Institute estimates $200 billion in construction spending over 2 years will create 770,000 jobs in:

• Transportation infrastructure
• School retrofit
• Electric power grid
• Home Weatherization Assistance Program
• GSA federal building retrofit
• Public and affordable housing

Most of these jobs unfortunately will go to men, not women, if the current workforce composition is any guide:

Women in construction overall (non-office) -- 2.6%

• Construction laborers – 2.7%
• HVAC, Refrigeration – 0.9%
• Plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters  – 1.5%
• Electricians – 1.7%
• Insulation workers – 1.9%
• Sheet metal workers – 3.7%

Women in Manufacturing:  Machinists – 5.2%  

Despite the promise of new jobs, female employment in the construction trades (as well as Engineering) are only a fraction of the male participation in the labor pool.  Because of this, most women may miss out on the windfall resulting from the ARRA stimulus funding in Green construction.

  

What to do when perspiration overtakes inspiration

Most people understand that inspiration is necessary for innovation, and organizational growth and success.  Or put another way, an "idea culture" in your organization.

I say most, because as I speak with people around the industry, especially in these trying economic times, that inspirational endeavors, are being put aside and many organizations are instead opting for the "basic blocking and tackling" in an attempt to salvage the "bottom line".

This is not a bad thing, and is necessary in the short term, but leaders need to be sensitive to the downside of too much focus on the financials, at the risk of stifling the "idea" factory in your organization.  For without a steady flow of ideas, the organization will wither.

What if my boss only cares about “the bottom line” and ROI?

You may want to remind the boss that an idea culture is necessary for the business and DOES have a measurable impact on the "bottom line" and ROI.

• Less turnover on your team (intellectual capital stays and your time isn’t swamped recruiting a new hire)
• Higher productivity
• Higher quality products that give a competitive advantage (retain your best people so that your deliverables are of higher quality)
• Some of your employees might have ideas about how to help the department’s bottom line and ROI. Those ideas, which could really help you in your job, would not surface if it weren’t for your idea culture.

What is the difference in pay between Union construction jobs and non-union

According to recent data from the Economic Policy Institute, 

A "typical" construction trades union member makes about $993/ week, ($51,636/year)

The Non-union counterpart can expect to make $624/week, ($32,448/year)

Government certified apprenticeships in the trades are the road to  higher paying, long-term careers in construction, BUT

Only 11.5 % of construction jobs are union jobs.

A Simple Definition of "Green Jobs"

Increasingly, as the "Green" movement gets traction (and more attention", I get questions about "what constituites a "green job" so here is a "basic" definition for all of you "inquiring minds"

Green” relates to a job’s purpose

• Jobs that conserve energy, expand renewable energy sources, conserve or improve the environment
• 40% of energy is used to heat and cool buildings
• 40% of green jobs expected in making buildings energy efficient

Therefore, many green jobs will be in construction – similar to traditional construction laborer and skilled trades.

• Building retrofit, HVAC
• Infrastructure development, e.g. “smart grid,” mass transit

—And there are also "green jobs" to be found in manufacturing – wind turbines, solar panels, auto batteries

Why Bad Management is a "Self-Fulfilling Prophecy"

Circuit City and its CEO, Philip Schoonover, won the inaugural Stupidus Maximus Award (hosted by Workforce Management) for the decision to fire 3,400 experienced salespeople, or 9 percent of its workforce, because they were making too much money, replacing them with cheaper, less-experienced personnel.

We now know, with the very public bankruptcy of the firm, that this was a train wreck ready to happen.

For all the talk you hear today about the war for talent and getting the best people, Circuit City decided to take another approach and dump its most experienced and highly paid workers. And, if the higher pay accurately reflected the quality of work, these were also the best salespeople and floor staff in the company.

    Although this move reportedly was expected to save Circuit City $100 million per year, it set the stage for the kind of people the company could attract since it is clear that the retailer was no longer willing to pay for good work. As Post columnist Steve Pearlstein put it, Circuit City "made it clear to consumers that it didn't give a fig about service or being a good member of the community," and that "for $100 million or so in annual cost savings, it was willing to become a symbol of everything that is rotten about American capitalism."

Strange, isn't it, that Circuit City was the company that Jim Collins cited a few years earlier, in his book Good to Great?

Can "Green Jobs" help restore the "American Dream"?

With as many as 100 million people living in families that earn less in real terms than their parents did at the same age, the American Dream is in trouble.  And "green Jobs" creation may NOT be the solution.

That was the message this week from the president of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department, Mark Ayers.

The model for a sustainable economic recovery, Ayers said, should be premised upon high levels of formal skills training and apprenticeships resulting in job opportunities, living wages and comprehensive health and retirement benefits that last for a lifetime, not just the duration of temporary stimulus funding.

The key to a "green" economy is developing higher levels of job training and apprenticeships to meet new demands for the type of "skilled trades" jobs that construction workers have been doing for years.

For the most part, they are not new jobs. They are essentially the same jobs, requiring the same skills, which America’s building trades unions have been doing for over 100 years.

There is a vast potential for career development in "green" jobs, Ayers said. Most of the jobs would be associated with retrofitting of buildings to make them more environmentally sound and energy-efficient.

But, he cautions, to isolate these "green" jobs—any of them, including weatherization, from the larger construction industry and from the career pathways provided through formal apprenticeship training—is to condemn these workers to a legacy of low-wage, dead-end futures.

So when I hear about "increased funding for underskilled workers' job training programs" I have to be skeptical because it sounds like Income redistribution, but not direct income redistribution, more of an income-redistribution round robin. Here's how it would go: Take the money from one party and pay another party to train a third party so that third party can (hopefully) become more employable, probably at a job "owned" by one of the people from whom the original money was taken.

Why not, as Ayers has argued, use the existing model that has been training skilled trades for decades, which works, and provides people with a "complete" set of skills, that enable them to survive a particular short term "initiative"

Strategies for coping with suffering from job dissatisfaction

The good people up at Workopolis in Canada a few months ago published a two-part series on Are you suffering from job dissatisfaction?

As the economy weakens and the job market shrinks, concerns about whether or not one's current job is satisfying would seen tend to take a back seat to security.  The article would seem to suggest that these concerns continue, and may in fact become greater during these trying times.

“Am I crazy to be thinking about leaving what is basically a good job at a time like this?” a young reader asks. “I don’t know if this is really what I want to do with my life. And I don’t want to wake up at 40 and find that I wasted my best years.”

Are you crazy? No, but you’d be wise to move with caution. There’s no point in leaving a good job, especially in a weak job market, without first examining the actual source of your discontent.

Job dissatisfaction bubbles up for all sorts of reasons. Perhaps the work doesn’t suit your particular skills and abilities. Or you have a toxic boss or unsympathetic co-workers. Then again, there may be a mismatch between your values and your employer’s.

Check out the articles.  Whether you are an employer, or employee, there is a lot in it for you.

Nice Work - If You Can Get It...

Andrew Ross just published a new and somewhat disturbing work entitled "Nice Work if You Can Get It: Life and Labor in Precarious Times" (NYU, (245p) ISBN 9780814776292) that examines a global workplace infrastructure that’s as shaky as the economy would indicate.

Taking a hard line against exploitation of workers in a variety of roles worldwide, Ross looks closely at workers on the verge, and those putting them there. In the chapter “China’s Next Cultural Revolution?”, he warns that “Beijing's rulers have nothing to worry about” so long as “the creative sector behaves like other industries... They can be groomed and promoted... to absorb foreign investment and foreign ideas, to exploit low production costs....”

He tackles the Western world with the same nonplussed tone, as when discussing corporate PR tactics to deny ties to labor abuses by promoting social good, naming names like Nike, Reebok and the Gap. He also hits higher education, where much of the workplace is shaped, noting that it's “all too easy to conclude that the global university, as it takes shape, will emulate some of the conduct of multinational corporations.”

Rejecting the widely influential, free marketeer notion of a worldwide “playing field,” Ross leaves no room for easy answers (or an “alternative, and equally snappy, image” to answer Thomas Friedman's or Richard Florida's). Though far from uplifting, this is a bold, pointed look at reality as it is, a far more valuable commodity. 

If you want a fresh perspective on the workforce landscape of the future, you will want to read this new book.

If you're making soup, check the ingredients first

I love to cook, and although I relish the opportunity to create new stuff by experimentation, there are several things I have come to rely on, and serve, over and over again.

Recipes can be funny things.  They give you a list of things that are known to work.  Follow the instructions, and you come up with consistent results.

Adults are like that too.

When I hear people talk about so and so being a "hunter" or a "farmer" I smile, since most people, despite using these terms liberally, don't know specifically what "hunter" or a "farmer" behaviors really are.  So in order to provide some basic definitions into this common distinction, here goes...

Hunters:

• Are constantly monitoring the environment
• Able to throw themselves into the chase on a moment’s notice
• Flexible; ready to change strategy quickly

Farmers:

• Not easily distracted from the task at hand
• Organized, purposeful. They have a long term strategy and stick to it.

So which do you need?

Remember that a product or service does not sell itself, no matter what the engineers, inventors or some marketing departments tell you. Some salesperson has to sell it.  Someone has to provide service.

The answer is you need both, unless you are a new company with no customer base. The real question is what is the proper mix and here you start with some of the questions posed above. Some of the reasons for both roles are:

1. Each role has particular skill sets that can be at odds. For example a true hunter is most excited by finding a new opportunity, crafting a solution, negotiating the terms and closing the deal. A farmer many times is more rewarded by knowing the increased business was a result of continued outstanding customer service.
2. A true hunter could typically be a farmer but start feeling unchallenged doing so in a few months and will move on (change companies). A true farmer generally doesn’t possess that “killer” instinct required to be a hunter.
3. A client, or a potential client, also has certain expectations. When you are dealing with a new “vendor” don’t you expect to be sold a little differently than when you are already a customer?
4. You have the opportunity to drive behavior and performance better and more efficiently by separating the roles and responsibilities.

Are Workers Becoming Better Communicators?

A new survey on workforce readiness shows employee skills in written and verbal communications have improved nearly 20 percent during the past three years.

The 2008 Workforce Readiness Survey from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) provides a snapshot of how human resource professionals rate job candidates abilities in 23 basic and applied skills.

The survey also shows improvements in such applied skills as relationship building and business knowledge. However some critical applied skills, such as motivation, are declining.

Of the professionals polled, 

• 25 percent said candidates lack verbal communication skills, (a 19-percent improvement from 2005.) 
• They reported that 41 percent lack written communication skills, (a 17-percent improvement)
• The only basic skill that fell was financial literacy, it was seen as lacking by 20 percent of those polled, a 4-percent increase since 2005. 
• Among applied skills, relationship building was up 13 percent, and 
• both overall professionalism and business knowledge improved 10 percent.   
• Decreases were seen in motivation/self-direction, down 4.1 percent, and 
• critical thinking/problem solving, down 3.4 percent.  

Workforce challenges facing the design and construction industry

Dr. Charles Thornton, Chairman of The Thornton-Tomasetti Group and receipeint of ENR’s 2001 Award of Excellence, is one of the "oracles" in the area of workforce development for the Design and Construction Industry.

He received the ENR award in 2001 for his tireless efforts to promote and build the ACE Mentoring Program – an educational program to introduce high school students to the various aspects and careers available in the construction industry.  He offers a perspective on why it is particularly difficult to create the levels of a highly skilled workforce needed to design and build/rebuild America in the future.  Here are a couple dimensions of the challenge from his experienced point of view on the "image" problem facing the indistry:

Nature of the Challenge

The design and construction community suffers from either the lack of a true image (engineers do not run trains) or a negative one (entry level construction workers on a job sites).  In an age of information, Madison Avenue, and slick marketing, a non-existent or “poor” image can greatly undercut an industry’s efforts to attract the best and brightest.

Elements of a “Poor” Image

The most prominent elements that appear to create or add to a “poor” image can be categorized in the following manner:

• Safety issues on job sites remain a major challenge.
• Working conditions can be difficult at times (heavy, often out door work).
• Seasonal or migratory nature of the work.
• Decentralized, small business dominated industry.
• Perceived pay scales being lower than they actually are.
• Difficult or technical math and science skill sets required.

Consequences of a “Poor” Image

The perceived and real elements that contribute to a “poor” image have consequences that impede the industry’s efforts to attract the next generation:

• Parents and school counselors have wrong or misconceived view of the industry.
• Intellectual resistance – viewed outside of  the “college path”.
• Believed to be a physically demanding industry without IT or new technology applications or skills – which results in a low attraction level for “white collar” careerist.
• Industry doesn’t attract its needed share of women and minorities to fill expanding job slots.
• Nascent interests exhibited by children are not fully supported and nurtured so as to encourage eventual career choices.

Are the Stimulus funds creating new jobs? Here's one approach that could work

A new state mandate says that any job created with federal stimulus money must be advertised through the state Department of Labor, according to an article I just read in the Albany NY Business Review.  The article discusses Gov. David Paterson’s May 27 directive applies to companies that win contracts for stimulus-funded projects. Those firms are now required to work with the state to advertise any new jobs they create in the state’s job bank.

The job bank is a free online service where companies can advertise openings and people can apply for positions. The job bank can be found at www.labor.ny.gov.

Each job description must include language identifying the position as one created using stimulus money. Stimulus-funded jobs being recruited through a local union must also be posted to the job bank - while noting that.

For more details on hw this program is setup, visit www.labor.ny.gov/workforcenypartners/pj.shtm.

Gov. Paterson touted the mandate as a way to connect unemployed workers with new job opportunities. As of last month, 730,400 state residents were unemployed but actively seeking work—up almost 70 percent from a year ago.

New York is expected to receive $26.7 billion in federal stimulus money. A few Capital Region infrastructure projects are contracted and underway, including road work on Delaware Avenue in the city of Albany.

The NY state’s stimulus Web site is www.recovery.ny.gov.

An unfortunate reality - why women don't have access to equal Construction training opportunities...

The old stereotypes of construction work and construction workers have changed some, but not enough to ensure that a greater percentage of the construction workforce is available to women.

Women still have challenges today in terms of the education and training available to them including:

• Limited information provided about nontraditional occupations
• Women and girls too often directed toward "traditional" job classes by teachers and counselors
• Lack of support in schools for sex equity efforts by administrators, instructors and other personnel
• Lack of emphasis on prerequisite classes such as math and science
• Limited awareness of and access to on-the-job training and apprenticeships in construction
• Lack of support services—child care, transportation, etc. for women students
• Isolation and sexual harassment in classrooms

Perhaps this helps explain why there is only about 2.6% workforce participation in the construction trades by women, despite the higher earnings potential for this type of work. 

The Ten Ways Twitter Will Permanently Change The Way Talent Looks at You

Yesterday, an interesting article popped up in front of me, entitled, "The Ten Ways Twitter Will Permanently Change American Business".

The article points out that as Twitter grows in size and acceptance, it will increasingly become a place where companies build brands, do research, send information to customers, conduct e-commerce, and create communities for their users.

Now stop at that point, and consider WHO you are most likely to find on Twitter.  That's right, the highly coveted 18-44 crowd, many of whom are "deaf" to traditional and email based solicitations.  The article cites well how having the opportunity to tell customers about attractive sales and new products can be done at remarkably low cost while providing for greater geographic accuracy.  The same principle can also apply to the workforce you are trying top attract.

One of the consistent challenges each generation of marketers face is being able to pick the right medium and message to appeal to a particular audience of "buyers".  Now substitute "workers" for "buyers" and reflect on how this tool may be able to be adapted to your efforts to promote your organizations' attractiveness to this young, smart, hip and connected cohort.

What happens when critical training is not developed/delivered by internal experts?

I was recently told that a large number of NASA managers do not have STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) educations and cannot train any workforce in these areas but rely on other parties (typically contractors) to do this. 

Evidently, this is mostly true in the programs that have the largest budget, such as CxP (Constellation Program).

Here's the question:  What happens when training that should be in the "core competency" of an organization is consistenly subbed out to others?  Shouldn't training content development and delivery be core to an organizations mission?  When the organization's managers do not have the backgrouond to do this themselves, how do they know if it is being done in enough depth, or for that matter correctly?

Here's the Deal re: Training funds in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

The ARRA offers some significant funding opportunities for new workforce training.

$1.2 billion - dislocated worker services

$750 million - competitive grants in high-growth sectors, including green and broadband expansion

$500 million - Workforce Investment Act (WIA) adult program

• All the above include:
  • Targeting to low-income populations
  • Supportive services
  • Needs-based cash payments  

$1 billion Weatherization Assistance Program training

• $5 billion to improve energy efficiency of an estimated 1 million homes of households with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty line. Estimated to employ 1 million. 
• See http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/weatherization/ and Weatherization Technical Assistance Center http://www.waptac.org/  

$20 million DOT on-the-job training and supportive services

• $20 million is designated for transportation and technology training for minorities, women and economically disadvantaged populations. Grants are administered by the DOT Office of Civil Rights for training, support services and summer institutes. Proposals for programs, schools and contractors are submitted by state departments of transportation. See http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/civilrights/tande.htm

The WIA funds may be used to contract with community colleges.  Funds in the State Fiscal Assistance Fund for education may be directed to programs funded under the Perkins Career and Technical Assistance program.

What's happening with creation of "Green Jobs"?

Ben Hecht, CEO of Living Cities recently commented on the progress of the "Green Cities" initiative, in an article entitled "Who's Missing in the Big 'Green' Conversation?" that appeared in the Huffington Post. 

Mr. Hecht is an experienced nonprofit executive, author and social entrepreneur. He was appointed President & CEO of Living Cities in July, 2007 to lead the organization’s new and ambitious agenda to transform the lives of low-income people as well as the urban neighborhoods in which they live.

Among the highlights of his observation he offers that the emerging green economy provides us with unprecedented opportunities -- from lowering energy and transportation costs to creating jobs with meaningful career ladders. In order for this to happen, however, we must intentionally build a "gateway" that connects low-income people and the places they live to these opportunities.

America's cities are uniquely positioned to be those gateways. They are home both to large numbers of low-income people, and to the primary source of global warming -- greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, urban areas account for approximately 75 percent of all energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the world, with more than half of that coming from buildings.

The emerging green economy provides us with unprecedented opportunities -- from lowering energy and transportation costs to creating jobs with meaningful career ladders. In order for this to happen, however, we must intentionally build a "gateway" that connects low-income people and the places they live to these opportunities.

The article goes on to discuss significant initiatives that have been taken by Philadelphia, where the city and Living Cities are working together to convert the "smoke and mirrors" stigma of "green" into a real green economy that includes formerly marginalized people - people who can be the backbone of the new green economy, and have funded a $250,000 Green Workforce Development Grant to get it started.

If ytou want to see where some of these new "green" jobs will materialize, you'll want to read this article in its entirety.  This is just one city taking an intentional leading role to ensure that green doesn't disregard a critical element: the people who can really build it.

How long will we continue to tolerate the Elephant in the Living Room?

A while back, I read an article by Thomas Sowell entitled "Phony Ethics" that appeared in Capitalism Magazine that got me thinking.

With all the outcry about the "outsourcing" of American jobs, especially in computer work, there has been relatively little said about the importing of brains from foreign countries to do mentally challenging work here because the brains of our own students have simply not been adequately developed in our schools.

For years, the largest block of the Ph.D.s awarded by American universities in mathematics and engineering have gone to foreign students. We have the finest graduate schools in the world -- so fine that our own American students have trouble getting admitted in fields that require highly trained minds.

Think that's troubling?

Consider this information from research conducted by Achieve, Inc., a bipartisan, non-profit organization that helps states raise academic standards, improve assessments and strengthen accountability to prepare all young people for postsecondary education, work and citizenship.

• Of the 21 countries participating in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, American high school seniors outperformed only students from Cyprus and South Africa and ranked behind such nations as Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, Russia and the Czech Republic;
• Non-U.S. residents with temporary visas accounted for a third of the Ph.D.s awarded in science and engineering in 2003, despite any post-9/11 difficulties they might have experienced.
• A recent study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that America's literacy rate is average among the nations of the industrialized world and that our high school graduation rate – 73 percent – is one of the lowest among the industrialized nations;
• Once the leader in education, the United States now ranks 14th in the number of years a 5-year-old may expect to attend school during the course of his or her life;
• The U.S. university dropout rate – 38 percent – is among the highest in the industrialized world

Yet, when was the last time you saw this information in the daily news?  Yet it exists, and is the proverbial "elephant in the living room".  "Psssst. Don't tell anyone. It's our secret! There's an elephant in the living room, but we're pretending it's not really there and it's not really an elephant."

Who are we kidding?  Are we not in a position where academic superiority (or at least excellence in the near term) should be at the forefront of our decisions and priorities?    Yet, at the risk of having to get personally involved, don't we more often than not, wait for somebody else to make the needed changes?  I ask you, dear readers, where are the signs of the public outrage about this situation?

How to Overcome Stress and Thrive in Today's Workplace

I was recently reading "Get a Grip!: Overcoming Stress and Thriving in the Workplace" a great paperback by author Bob Losyk.  He observes "Work in the twenty-first century is like raising a baby who demands everything at this very moment..."

You must admit this is true, based upon your own personal experience.

Losyk has some great ideas in his book that represent simple ways to help reduce the stress that is commonplace in todays fast paced "always on" lifestyle:

• Find some downtime at work
• Stay away from office politics
• Avoid the grapevine
• Deal with change better
• Watch what you say to yourself
• Do a plus-minus analysis
• Do not bring it home
• Find some time to relax at home
• Hang out with positive people
• Turn off the TV
• Count your blessings every day
• Do not sweat the petty stuff
• Rituals versus Change
• Get a thorough exam
• Get enough sleep
• Learn to manage your anger
• Share problems with others
• Smile a lot!

Bob points out that we DO have a choice in living with stress. 

Are you prepared to do some simple things to take the stress out of your life?

Why the foundations of STEM are so essential to tomorrow's workforce

A joint committee of the National Academies of Science and Engineering and the Institute of Medicine recently issued a report entitled, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm – Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future.” Its central finding was that the fundamental building blocks underlying our scientific and technological strength are rapidly eroding at a time when other countries are gaining strength.

Due to dramatic improvements in communication and transportation, present and future knowledge workers in the U.S. face unprecedented competition from highly educated, lower-wage workers around the planet. One particular area of American weakness is K-12 education, with deficits in both teacher preparedness and student achievement. In 2000, only 7% of teachers in grades 5-9 teaching physical sciences held degrees or certification in physical science.

In 2003, American teenagers ranked 24th out of 40 countries in their ability to apply mathematics to real world problems. These and many other academic and industry studies point to the danger of an under prepared generation of students who will be unable to compete in an ever more connected world community of technologically literate workers.

Ultimately, the nation’s future economic prosperity requires 1) a technologically literate society, 2) a continuous stream of STEM students being equipped and empowered to take their place in discovery and innovation and 3) an enlightened leadership, local to federal, which understands and fosters the education and training infrastructure necessary to maintain the nation’s technological preeminence for generations to come.

Can we afford to "let somebody else do it" when it comes to fixing the STEM crisis in our country?  The real question may really be - how long do wew want to continue to control our future destiny?

What Can Be Done Now to Create Green Jobs?

The United States Conference of Mayors has recognized and promoted a new set of basic steps policy-makers can undertake immediately to ensure efficient and rapid development of the green jobs sector.

In an article titled "Starting a Green Workforce Now" the Mayors have segregated three types of green jobs: “Green Root Occupations,” “Green Derivative Occupations,” and “truly novel green occupations.”

• A “Green Root Occupation” is a job that already existed outside of the green sector and requires no new skills, knowledge or ability, but is applied to environmentally sustainable companies, such as an accountant for a green consulting firm.
• A “Green Derivative Occupation” has a counterpart outside of the green jobs sector, but there are additional requirements for the occupation once it becomes “green.” For example, an electrician who installs solar panels must have all of the expertise of an electrician, in addition to the skills necessary to install solar panels.
• “Novel green occupations” have no parallel outside of the green sector and have been virtually created by necessity from the green economy.

As we get further into the evolution of the sustainable environment, we will need to utilize different definitions than we have used in the past.  This initiaitive, started by the Council of Mayors, is a good initial step.

Is the $787b Stimulus Money Really Going to Create Jobs?

I just finished reading “STIMULUS WATCH: Early road aid leaves out neediest”, by Matt Apuzzo and Brett Blackledge, two associated press writers.  

The article illustrates how many counties suffering the most from job losses stand to receive the least help from President Barack Obama's plan to spend billions of stimulus dollars on roads and bridges, according to an Associated Press analysis.

Although the intent of the money is to put people back to work, AP's review of more than 5,500 planned transportation projects nationwide reveals that states are planning to spend the stimulus in communities where jobless rates are already lower.

One result among many: Elk County, Pa., isn't receiving any road money despite its 13.8 percent unemployment rate. Yet the military and college community of Riley County, Kan., with its 3.4 percent unemployment, will benefit from about $56 million to build a highway, improve an intersection and restore a historic farmhouse.

Altogether, the government is set to spend 50 percent more per person in areas with the lowest unemployment than it will in communities with the highest.

The AP reviewed $18.9 billion in projects, the most complete picture available of where states plan to spend the first wave of highway money. The projects account for about half of the $38 billion set aside for states and local governments to spend on roads, bridges and infrastructure in the stimulus plan.

The very promise that Obama made, to spend money quickly and create jobs, is locking out many struggling communities needing those jobs.

The money goes to projects ready to start. But many struggling communities don't have projects waiting on a shelf. They couldn't afford the millions of dollars for preparation and plans that often is required.

The article suggests that the historic $787 billion stimulus plan would create jobs in areas most devastated by layoffs and plant closings may not be going to where it's needed the most.

The AP examined the earliest projects announced nationwide, the ones most likely to break ground and create jobs first. More projects are continually being announced, and some areas that received little or no help so far may benefit later. The analysis also found that counties with the highest unemployment are most likely to have been passed over completely in the early spending.

Federal auditors acknowledge they can't yet track the transportation money that is leaving Washington and there is no single list of the thousands of projects planned in each state. For its analysis, the AP used lists of projects approved through March by the Transportation Department and collected lists of stimulus projects that have been announced in 49 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Federal officials have approved 2,800 projects. The remaining projects on the AP list represent the states' official plans for the money. Only Virginia, which has not announced its plan, is not included.

It's a good article, and may help you put a perspective on how the stimulus money is intended to impact the workforce

Can we learn from what our parents/grandparents taught us?

Do you remember... how your parents or maybe your grandparents talked about the "Great Depression"?   It may have been difficult for you to grasp - how could we ever relate to the difficulties experienced during those times?  But they never seemed to forget.  And could tell what it was like in vivid detail.

How many "Depression survivors" for instance, still save scraps of paper and bits of string... rinse off tin foil... and wouldn't dare toss leftovers?  And how they've for decades, remembering the difficulties of the times, and doing the "little things" that helped them get through this trying era. Many survivors of the Great Depression say that the struggles in their youth eventually became a time of triumph for them. The country, ever resilient, learned to adapt to this society of wanting and embraced a cooperative spirit that would carry it through another world war, the Cold War and a dozen recessions to come.

When you grow up knowing only good times, it's easy to forget that "thrift" and "value" were bedrock American values. And harder still to imagine an America that returns to those ideals.

Workers today are increasingly paranoid about the effects that the economy will have for them.  For the younger workers, it often sounds like a career advancement slowdown", for the experienced workers, the concern is forced early retirement and having to start over in a different field.

Remember this part of the theme song from the sitcom "Cheers"?

Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got;
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?

Seems like a lot of us would like to get away.

I heard that after 35 years, the bartender at the Boston bar that inspired the show Cheers got laid off last month.  Eddie Doyle got the boot because business was sagging at the bar and the owner had to make several layoffs.

Isn't anyone safe?

That's kind of how people felt during the Great Depression, where unemployment hit 25% of the able bodied workforce (at that time mostly male).  Today, there are several places where 25% unemployment is a reality.

When you hear such numbers you start to almost get numb to what’s really behind them — lots of jobless people.

Among the things I do, I run a support group for the unemployed and underemployed called "In Between Jobs", and from our weekly meetings I see the toll of our current economy first hand.  I also see what CAN be done.

Back in the Depression, people were mostly all struggling, and understood that what they had they would gladly share with others.  There's significant wisdom in this kind of thinking, that in recent years has been mostly forgotten. 

Partly this is important as we can understand the real struggles these people who are now unemployed/underemployed face, (because it could be us sometime) and partly because maybe we can all lend a hand to these unfortunate souls by offering advice, a contact, a kind word. Or, it might make us think about the individuals we know who are out of work and may need some help. Why not offer to take them to lunch, or for a cup of coffee. Offer them connections from your LinkedIn account, or to make some introduction on their behalf to colleagues, alumni, or even to the local grocery store.

Some day, it could be one of us.  And it could be our turn.  We never know where such an act of kindness may be repaid.

Are you getting the "bang for the buck" from your Learning activities?

Did you ever get the feeling that, despite spending a lot training and development, that youo were't getting as much payback as you felt you should?

You are not alone.  This is a chronic concern faced my many executives that are looking for ways to measure payback. 

Not having good data can get you in trouble.

The 4 Level Kirkpatrick organizational learning model is useful for this purpose. 

As organizations progress from level 1 to level 4 the ROI of the learning investment becomes more evident.  Not every organization will choose to make the investment in the higher levels.  It is prudent  for managers to choose the level that is most appropriate to your need and budget.  Higher levels of the model are more costly to create and also more difficult to evaluate, however the higher levels will yield more rewards, in terms of how learning is benefiting the organization.

Level 1: Gauging the Learner's Reaction
Typically involves “Smile sheets” or end-of-training evaluation forms.  These are easy to collect, but not always very useful.  Reaction-level data on online courses has been found to correlate with ability to apply learning to the job.  Online course surveys ideally should be Web-based, keeping the medium the same as the course.

Such surveys typically include the following types of questions:

• Enjoyable?
• Easy to use?
• How was the instructor?
• How was the technology?
• Was it fast or slow enough?

Level 2: Did Learning Occur?
The next level (Level 2) wants to assess Learning that occurred and typically involves testing learners immediately following the training.  Not difficult to do, but online testing has its own challenges, such as determining if the remote learner took the test on his/her own?

Testing the learner helps evaluate the learner's grasp of:

• Higher-order thinking skills (problem solving, analysis, synthesis)
• Basic skills (articulate ideas in writing)
• Company perspectives and values (teamwork, commitment to quality, etc.)
• Personal development

Conducting this type of assessment might include Essay tests, Problem solving exercises, Interviews, or written or verbal tests to assess cognitive skills.

Level 3: Behavior
This level is more difficult to evaluate than Levels 1 & 2.  It looks at whether learners can apply what they learned (does the training change their behavior?).  This requires post-training follow-up to determine.  Due to the complexity, it is less common for organizations to conduct this level of assessment than levels 1 & 2 in practice.

To assess impact on behavior, an organization might:

• Do direct observation by supervisors or coaches,
• Distribute questionnaires completed by peers, supervisors, and subordinates related to work performance.
• Assess "On the job" behaviors, automatically logged performances, or look at self-report data.

Level 4: Results
This highest level of the Kirkpatrick model is often compared to return on investment (ROI).  n e-learning settings, it is believed that the increased cost of  course development ultimately is offset by the lesser cost of training implementation.  As new ways of training evolve, it may require a new way of measuring impact.

Among the "tangible results" an organization might evaluate you might Include:

• Labor savings (e.g., reduced duplication of effort or faster access to needed information),
• Production increases (faster turnover of inventory, forms processed, accounts opened, etc.),
• Direct cost savings (e.g., reduced cost per project, lowered overhead costs, reduction of bad debts, etc.), and
• Quality improvements (e.g., fewer accidents, less defects, etc.).

When all is said and done, it comes down to this:

You can’t change what you can’t manage

You can’t manage what you can’t measure

You can’t measure what you don’t know

Understanding the generational bias in the workplace

Think about it.  Isn't it easier to relate to someone once you have an appreciation of how they perceive themselves, and any impressions they might have about you?

Most employers would never admit to age, sex or race bias. But what about generational bias? You may be willing to hire any age, but do your recruiting efforts change as your targets' hair turns gray? And is that wrong, or is it savvy in today's multigenerational workforce?

More than 75 percent of employers responding to MonsterTRAK's 2007 Entry Level Job Outlook said they do not use different tactics to attract Generation Y candidates. But James McCoy, senior vice president of consulting services for Veritude, a talent acquisition, management and consulting firm in Boston, said that this mind-set may be a mistake.

McCoy sees a critical need for organizations to develop workforce plans around multigenerational recruiting, development and retention.

"The most successful recruiting strategies understand the preferences of each generation -- where and how each generation looks for jobs and what is important to them in terms of rewards, career progression and work styles," McCoy said.

Steve Drake, who owns Drake & Company a highly respected full-service accredited association management firm in St. Louis, is something of a guru (I feel, at least) when it comes to Generational studies.  I follow his work closely, and feel it is well grounded and reflects reality.

One of the things that Steve has presented, that I think is useful is how each of the Generations in  today's workforce have a "sense" about their own generation, as well as the others with whom they interact:

For example he cites:

Boomer Views

Of other Boomers::

• Annoying sense of entitlement
• Experienced and well grounded
• Goal oriented with good work ethics

Of Gen X-ers::

• Put Family first
• Job hoppers
• Self absorbed

Of Gen Y-ers::

• Feel entitled
• Need a lot of stroking
• Comfortable with (and may be dependent on) technology

Gen X Views

Of Boomers:

• Complacent
• Didn’t plan for retirement and probably won’t retire
• Hard working, dedicated

Of other Gen X-ers::

• Job hoppers, transient; slackers
• Focused on career …as means to enjoy life
• Able to bridge gap between Boomers & Y-ers

Of Gen Y-ers::

• Selfish, impatient, immature, spoiled
• Want to be involved in decision making
• Tech savvy

Gen Y Views

Of Boomers::

• Not tech savvy
• Stuck in ways
• Hard working

Of Gen X-ers::

• Carefree, laid back
• Cynical, “me” generation
• Skeptics

Of other Gen Y-ers::

• Technologically sophisticated
• Looking fort outreach/volunteer opportunities
• Open minded, willing to adopt new practices/ideas

The reason I find this interesting, is that in order for inter-generational communication to be effective, it is helpful to understand how each generation perceives not only themselves, but those around them.

Are employers still hiring over 50 workers?

In light of the current economic downturn, I was wondering, are employers still looking for the experienced worker?

In an article that appeared in the WSJ's Career Journal, "More Employers Are Looking To Hire Grey-Haired Workers", columnist Kristen Gerencher did a great piece on how more employers are catching on to the benefits of hiring older workers, According to a source in the article, Deborah Russell, director of workforce issues for AARP in Washington, "They recognize the fact that mature workers bring good experience and skills to the workplace."

"Many see lower turnover rates [among] mature workers," she said. "More importantly, some recognize this is a labor pool they will have to pull from because they don't have the ability to attract younger workers to these kinds of jobs."

Here's the question.  That article was written a year ago.  What about today?  Are the skills, wisdom and experiences of these workers still in demand?  Lot's has changed in the marketplace?

What do you think?  Leave me a comment.  I'd like to get your observation on whether you find this to still be the case (or not), and WHY !

What Causes Job Burnout?

Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter, authors of "THE TRUTH ABOUT BURNOUT" (Jossey-Bass),  point to these six critical areas as creating stress and eventually job burnout:

• Work Overload
• Lack of Control
• Insufficient Reward
• Breakdown of Community
• Absence of Fairness
• Conflicting Values

Backed by solid research data, Maslach & Leiter assert that burnout is not a matter of weakness or poor attitude in individual employees. Rather it is a problem of the social environment in the workplace caused by "major mismatches" between the nature of the person doing a job and the nature of the job itself. The greater the mismatch, the greater the potential for burnout.  

Additionally, several other researchers have looked at our contemporary workplace and discovered other contributors to stress & burnout:

• Technology can be a significant source of workplace stress.  It's constantly changing, we're being barraged by email, we may have performance anxiety, we live in a state of "Information overload" and stuggle with a sense of loss of personal identity
• Consider how the current trend of downsizings, layoffs and/or retrenchments have forced employees to take on the work of those who have left 
• Stress and burnout are also not limited to corporate America
• Public service workers are spending more time on administrative drudgery   
• Multitasking is also causing increased job stress.
• Bringing work home is reported as a leading cause of stress and our increasingly busy home lives make it difficult to find relief outside of the workplace, and
• Economic stagnation - salaries vs. purchasing power

In short, there are a lot of things that cause stress and burnout.

Stimulus Allocates Billions for Job-Training Opportunities

By John Rossheim, a Monster Senior Contributing Writer just published a great article that illustrates the significant training opportunities that are becoming available as the Obama economic stimulus program continues to evolve.

With tens of millions of people unemployed or underemployed, and with blue-chip industries from automotive to banking in distress, the US workforce sorely needs help. So the new funding for job training provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is a well-timed boon to American workers.

“The [federal] workforce system will play a vital role in America’s economic recovery by assisting workers who are facing unprecedented challenges to retool their skills and reestablish themselves in viable career paths,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis in a statement.

While ARRA money for training won’t by itself put millions back to work, it is a substantial boost to local and state programs that receive federal backing.

“New funding for workforce training and development is about $4 billion -- a huge amount,” says Julian Alssid, executive director of the Workforce Strategy Center, a workforce development think tank in New York City. “The stimulus money is being pushed out very rapidly.”

The major ARRA provisions that will beef up training include:

• $1.25 billion for dislocated adult workers, such as those laid off or who have received advanced notice of a factory closing.
• $1.2 billion for dislocated youth workers.
• $500 million in state grants for employment services, mainly for low-income adults.
• $500 million to fund training for sustainable energy jobs.

Funding for workforce training is seen as more than a stopgap. “The public is investing in the worker,” says Chris Stiehl, a consultant who has researched the Workforce Investment Act since it was enacted in 1998. “We’re now going to be able to reach out and train more people and make them more competitive in the workforce.”

Dislocated Workers

The key to connecting with the new training money is local One-Stop Career Centers, the federal government’s network of more than 3,000 employment-help offices. “If job seekers want to take full advantage of ARRA, they need to be prepared when they arrive at a One-Stop,” Alssid says. “They should get a handle on what good jobs are available in the region, look at what economic development agencies are doing, and think about their own job skills and how they are transferable.”

Alssid gives an example of how workers can use stimulus funding to make the transition from a career in a depressed industry. “Suppose a woman in suburban Cleveland loses her job as a manufacturing technician,” he says. “She might go to the Lake County One-Stop Career Center and be referred to a technical training program in allied health at Lakeland Community College, say, to become a radiologic technologist. She could earn the college’s computed tomography certificate with both coursework and clinical experience.”

Alssid says a One-Stop can give you a voucher to pay for college education. “Think of them as a resource to provide dollars for your retraining,” he says. With the extra stimulus dollars available, “this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Help for Workers Young and Older

ARRA money for job training singles out two demographic groups: young people just entering the workforce and older workers having difficulty finding or keeping a job.

The youth-oriented funding concentrates on preparing future workers and helping them enter the workforce.

“Our department is getting $17 million in stimulus money for the Youth Ready summer program,” says Mary Ellen Messner, director of Youth Ready Chicago, an internship and job-training program of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services. “About 24,000 young people have already applied. We’ll be able to fund 7,300 additional people with the ARRA money. They’ll learn about career opportunities by participating in activities like job shadowing.” Interested people ages 14 to 24 can call the program or apply online.

ARRA is also making available additional funding for low-income workers age 55 and up. The Senior Community Service Employment Program offers training and placement in part-time service jobs at public agencies and nonprofits. Older workers should also check with their local One-Stop Career Centers about training opportunities.

To learn more about federally funded training opportunities in your area or to contact a specific program, consult your state’s Workforce Investment Act plans or department of labor.

Reality Check - Workers older than 50

In the workshops I have done for several years I have always advised firm owners about the various strategies that they need to consider in order to provide the levels of skillset, judgement and experience that are needed to maintain an agile and competitive workforce.

Among the many strategies I discuss, is the "over 50" population.

Often misunderstood, this worker generation, often characterized as the "baby boomer" generation, often represent a good way to staff your organization.  But, as with most things, management needs to be aware of where thay are an asset, and where they may not be an ideal fit.

Here are some perceptions of the "over 50 crowd"

POSITIVES:

• Offer loyalty and dedication to the company
• Come to work on time; low absenteeism
• Are commited to doing quality work
• Someone you can count on in a crisis
• Solid performance record
• Solid experience in job / industry
• possess basic skills in reading, writing, arithmetic
• Godd at getting along with co-workers

CONCERNS:

• May be averse to change
• Could lack experience with new technologies
• May have out-of-date job skills
• Could have difficulty reporting to younger bosses
• Can be more expensive, due to their tenure and cumulative effect of raises over time.

In these times, management is called upon to examine what ole these "over 50" workers can play in your organization, and the values that are felt most important to your business in order to survive.

For example, if your main consideration is cutting employee related costs, you have to look at what these experienced workers represent as a % of total payroll cost.

Bear in mind however, that less experienced managers often overlook other aspects of what impacts the P&L than simply payroll expense.  An example of that would be cutting an experienced worker who has been instrumental in retaining key employees or customers.  Losing such a person can have a devestating effect on the business.

So when looking at the "over 50" labor pool, why not do a cost/benefit analysis of what your business needs to prosper, taking into account where the "experienced" worker can provide the greatesst benefit to your organization.

Swine (H1N1) Flu - What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

From the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website:

What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

• Stay informed. This website will be updated regularly as information becomes available.
• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
• Take everyday actions to stay healthy.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
  • Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
• Develop a family emergency plan as a precaution. This should include storing a supply of food, medicines, facemasks, alcohol-based hand rubs and other essential supplies.
• Call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information.

The Federal Government also has a website containing timely information to assist you:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/

How to Just Say "No" Without Sounding Aggressive or Feeling Guilty

A dear associate of mine, Cheryl Nicholson, a respected speaker, author and consultant, has spent many years researching human dynamics.  She recently shared with me an insight that definitely plays into the sense of frustration that many workers today say that they feel:

She points out that one of the major reasons our lives are out of balance is that we're doing for everyone else in our life that there's no time left over for ourselves. 

Exercise program?  Out of the question... if you're the Little League parent that shows up for EVERY game and practice, AND the Sunday School teacher that never misses a class, AND that babysitter on weeknights or weekends for your friends or family. 

Somewhere along life's path you must learn to just say "No" to others so that you can say "YES" to yourself.

Here are some real life examples and responses/techniques that can be implemented into your life to give you more freedom to design your life with less guilt.

There's an old saying that I've found with age to be true.  You either have all the money in the world and no time to do anything with it OR all the time in the world and no money to do anything with it.  If your life is out of balance than it's the time that you desperately need to have added to your life. 

Cheryl's website provides some good tools to help us regain some of the critical balance that seems to be missing in today's harried workplace.  I highly recommend it.

Want to know the most frustrating things are for hiring managers?

 A number of things continue to frustrate companies looking to recruit new talent:

• scompetition with other companies
• technology specific to the industry
  
• technology changes
• growth in the knowledge base in the field
• low skills of new hires
• low skills of current workforce
• organizational structure/process change
• required continuing education
• cultural diversity of the workforce
• non-English speaking employees

Interesting, isn't it, that the items listed in red,are related to education, or lack thereof?  
  
  
  

How Basic are "fundamental" Skills ?

At the Georgia Technical College System Leadership Conference, a study was presented on what employers considered the need for "fundamental" skills training.

The findings, presented at the 2006 conference, described increased training that is required to equip the workforce for the challenges between now and 2012.  More than 50% of Georgia mployers surveyed perceived the following subjects to be the most critical training needs of the current workforce

Basic Job Skills                                   

• learning new skills
• problem-solving
• reading
• phone skills
• writing
• basic arithmetic
• speaking/communication

Soft Skills

• teamwork ability
• communication
• interpersonal skills
• self-initiative
• professionalism
• perseverance
• punctuality
• attitude toward supervisors
• listening
• physical appearance

  Are these really "fundamental" skills that are lacking in today's workforce?
  

Does JIT Training Make Sense here?

I recently met Jason Burke, PE at a Civil Engineering conference in LA.  He immediately stuck me as an Engineer who thinks outside the box.  He believes, rightly, that equipping the market with the "next generation" of talent requires educating engineers and engineering management about the ways in which the landscape is evolving.

Besides his articles, which appear in various indistry publications, Jason also writes about the engineering marketplace in his blog Project management Underground.

A recent article he write "Internal Strategy" caught my attention where he observed: "A conflict arises when staff members are selected for a project team and there is little training time available to get them started. The individuals may move from project to project or manager to manager with only the immediate goals in mind"

I like to think that leaders of AEC firms are astute enough to understand this simple point, but I fear that this is in fact, not often the case.  Take project management for example.  There are still all of the traditional aspects of project management in which a practitioner must be well versed:

• Scope, cost and schedule control     
• Stakeholder management and community consultation     
• Value management     
• Approvals and Licensing     
• Safety issues     
• Design Management     
• Quality assurance & Risk Management     
• Procurement planning and management     
• Contract preparation and administration     
• Purchase Order award, transport logistics and expending     
• Construction Management     
• Independent Project Reviews     
• Commissioning and Start-up Management     
• Program Management

But what about a job involving Lean Construction, or Green Building?

Does JIT (Just in time) training really make sense in ths example?  Do you really want a PM leading your firm's "maiden voyage" into these new areas, lacking a certain "depth of experience"?  Your thoughts?  
  

Can you present yourself confidently to others?

Right or wrong, people form a perception about our competence based on how confidently we present ourselves.

Let me give you an example.

Let’s say you went to the doctor for a pain that you’ve been having in your side. The surgeon who is examining you says the following, “Uhm… Well, uh you know? You might, uhm, have to have your uh appendix taken out.”

How competent are you going to feel about this doctor’s ability to treat you? Or even worse— the doctor says all the right things, but as he looks over your chart, you notice his hand shaking. It doesn’t matter how many degrees this person has or how many initials the doctor has after his or her name. You will probably question the doctor’s competence.

Where does self-confidence come from?

Self-confidence is not something people are born with. It results from a combination of factors:

1.     Learned skill: Self-confidence is a combination of skills, not just a single quality. People are not born with it or without it. It can be learned.

2.     Practice: Self-confidence comes from practice. It may appear to be spontaneous, but it isn’t.

3.     Internal locus of control: Self-confidence results from what psychologists call an internal locus (central point) of control. This means that people who are self-directing, who accept responsibility for their own results, have greater self-confidence.

In “Become More Self-Confident” by Garrett Coan, some suggestions are offered on how workers can build their self-confidence:

1. Follow your strengths. Self-confidence comes from being the best "you" possible. It doesn't come from trying to be someone else. It is the result of following paths like these:

• Do what comes naturally. 
  
• Develop your talents. 
  
• Follow your convictions. 
  
• Express your own style.
  

2. Plan ahead. Many people are surprised to hear that self-confidence comes from something as ordinary as planning. But think about it; let's say you are going on a job interview, almost always an anxiety-producing experience. When you are prepared, you feel more confident.

3. Take action. Confidence comes from taking action. Break your challenge down into small steps and take that first step, no matter how small it seems.

4. Study. The more you know about your subject, the more confident you will feel. In fact, the lack of self-confidence almost always stems from a lack of information. We've all had that sick feeling that we don't fully understand what we are talking about.

5. Act the part. The following tips will help you begin to present yourself in a positive way.

• Find a role model. Look for someone who is already successful in your field. Observe him or her and identify for yourself what behaviors convey self-confidence.
  

- Look and act powerful. Watch people who create a powerful impression. It could be a TV anchor, a character in a movie, or a coworker. Imagine yourself behaving in a similar way. For an example, watch the movie Top Hat. Fred Astaire exudes confidence.

• Be aware of nonverbal behavior that detracts from presenting yourself with confidence. Ask for feedback from a trusted friend or watch yourself on videotape.
  

6. Rehearse for success. One of the most important ways to boost your self-confidence is by rehearsing important conversations and presentations. You can never be too prepared. These ideas will help you practice so that you really understand your subject:

• Manage your anxiety. Feeling anxious is normal when you are in a challenging situation. The key is learning to manage anxiety so it doesn't paralyze you or diminish your effectiveness.
  
• Get organized. When your materials are prepared and well-organized, you will feel better about your ability to access them. Having information scattered in too many places makes you feel out of control and undermines your self-confidence.
  

7. Persist. Self-confidence is the result of a lot of hard work. The process takes time. It has been said that success is 99% persistence and 1% talent.

8. Enjoy your success. When you reach your goal, don't forget to give yourself credit for working hard. Be proud of what you've accomplished. Here are some ways you can do this:

• Look in the mirror and say to yourself, "Good work. I'm proud of you."
  
• Think of a way to reward yourself.
  
• Tell others about your success.
  
• Write yourself a letter or explore your accomplishment in your journal.- 
• Draw a picture expressing your achievement.    

  
In this unstable economy, it may feel quite difficult to feel confident, but that is exactly, why you need to at least appear to be more confident.

If you are the proverbial "surgeon" above, that your boss is looking to to effect some needed changes in your organization, and it appears that "your hands are shaking", do you think they'll give this important responsibility to you?
  

Mindset Matters

Henry Ford is attributed as saying, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”

We each create our own reality based on the words we tell ourselves to describe and define the events and decisions of our lives.  Consider this scale of mindset: 

  0 = I hate my circumstances and am angry. No good will come of this.

  5 = I recognize that challenges are a constant part of life and am learning to let go of the things I cannot  control.

10 = I thrive on challenges and love pushing myself past self-imposed “comfort zones.” This will work out for the best.

Where are you on this scale and how is that affecting your ability to manage the day to day events of your life?  Challenging times cause us to be more reflective and tap the deeper reservoirs of our capacity to achieve. I challenge each of us to shift our mindset toward a 10 on the mindset scale to help us tap the deeper reservoirs of our capacity.  Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Melon professor, authored the book “The Last Lecture” after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Even terminally ill he maintained a “10” mindset and continued to inspire students and the public through his thought provoking and humorous presentations and interviews.  Watch his presentation of the Last Lecture on UTube or read the book.  Prepare to smile and be inspired to move your mindset up a notch or more and tap your reservoirs of resourcefulness.  

“It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”  Epictetus

 So how will you choose to respond to the challenges before you?  The choice is yours.

Jeannine Wirth P.E. is our newest author on this blog, and is 
Owner/President of RiversQuest Consulting