Workforce Development - A Good Investment?

Laborers Are Unskilled, Right?

A common misconception is that the "common laborer" you encounter falls into the "unskilled labor" category.  In discussions I have with others, I sometimes hear things like "well they're just laborers, anybody could do their job.  Wow!  DO these people need to get up-to-date!

Sure, there are plenty of "general labor" jobs where anyone who can fog a mirror could be pressed into service, but there are in every industry "laborers" that don't fit into the category of "tradesmen", but who have a vital role, and need to have a set of skills to do their job.

For example, in the Construction Industry, here are some of the categories of "LABORER" that the U.S. Department of Labor includes as skilled labor (and have specific "prevailing wages" defined under the Davis-Bacon Act)

• potmen
• power tool operator
• small machine operator
• concrete labor including concrete preparation
• signalmen
• laser beam operator
• waterproofer
• open caisson
• test pit
• underpinning
• pier hole and ditches
• laggers and all work associated with lagging
• strippers
• operator of hand derricks
• vibrator operators
• pipe layers
• tile layers (tile laid on road construction projects ONLY)
• operators of jackhammer
• paving breakers
• spaders or any machine that does the same general type of work
• scaffold builders
• operators of towmasters
• scootcretes
• buggymobiles and other machines of similar character
• operators of tampers and rammers and other machines that do the same general type of work, whether powered by air, electric or gasoline
• builders of trestle scaffolds over one tier high
• sand blaster
• power and chain saw operators used in clearing
• installers of well points
• wagon drill operators
• acetylene burners and
• licensed powdermen.

After looking at this list, it should be clear that these laborers need to have specific skills, right?  Ask yourself, in the "War for Talent", what are you doing to recruit people with these skills, test for these skills, or development of these skills?

Any Given Monday - INDEED !

Our colleagues over at the Lucas Group are in my book the experts in snagging top level talent.  That's why when they recently published ANY GIVEN MONDAY: The Battle for Talent, it caught my attention.  When these folks speak, you would do well to listen.

The excellent article drives home the importance of the reality and the right and wrong approaches to offers and making counteroffers.  If you're looking at improving your success rate, you won't want to miss reading this.

Population Trends and How They Play Into the Skilled Labor Shortage

One of the components that factors into the skilled workforce is, the availability of human workers.  Before you accuse me of being provincial, let me clarify.  If you do not have an increasing population base, and you do not have educated and skilled talent being developed in the population base, and demand increases, you will have a shortage.

Thus, it first takes a certain level of population growth to provide a foundation for an adequate skilled workforce.

According to US Census (domestic and international data), the developed countries in the world are all experiencing a population growth deceleration.  What this means is that there are fewer net people to develop into skilled workers.

Many parts of the world already face declining populations, sometimes due to too much of a good thing (the combination of economic development, women's education and easily accessible birth control that we see in western Europe and Japan).

Sometimes for more unpleasant reasons (totalitarian controls, war, hunger, disease, environmental pollution or simply a cost of living that discourages having children) the population is declining.

Add to this, the reality that in many parts of the world life expectancy has significantly increased.  Consider that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1900 the life expectancy of the average American was 47 years, and by 2000 it had jumped to 74.6 years.  That's a lot of older Americans that will require care.

Conversely, between 1960 and 2000 the birth rate fell by 40%.  And we're not alone, other industrialized countries have seen a birth rate decline of 60% or more during the same period.

This represents a reality that we will have to live with.  Let's get used to our "new future"...

Is Fraud or Incompetence Now a Skillset?

I am an avid reader of CFO magazine, an award-winning Economist Group publication, dedicated to providing relevant insights to senior financial executives around the world. Reaching an international audience of over one million corporate decision makers each month through specialized events, conferences and research, it is a highly credible "microscope" into the complex world of corporate finance.

Just for grins, I went back into the first three (3) weeks of headlines for September 2007 and discovered the following:

• Apple's Jobs Was Subpoenaed, Report Says
• Ex-CFO Says He Won't Be the "Fall Guy"
• Del. Court Slaps Staples on Backdating
• Retiree Miscount Leads to Restatement
• Quest's Quest for More Backdating Errors
• German conglomerate, embroiled in scandal
• Wachovia Sued over Drink Company's Spill
• Dynegy Settles Charges with Pensioners
• UTStarcom to Redo China Revenue Report
• Mentor to Fraud? Two Former Execs Settle
• SEC Charges Hedge Fund Head over PIPEs
• SEC Aims to Clean Up Grocery Spill
• Dried Dough: Krispy Kreme's Woes
• Fairchild Dumps KPMG
• CTRL-ALT-DELETE: Dell Frozen, Restarting
• Former HealthSouth CFO Back in Court
• Grand Theft Auto, for Real
• The Morality Play
• Shareholders Cry Foul in Calpine Plan
• Former CFO of a high-end car dealer is accused of embezzlement
• Ex-Controller Settles Fraud Case
• Unregistered Auditors Busted by SEC
• SEC Takes Aim at Ex-Nortel Finance Execs
• CFOs' Optimism Plummets to Six-Year Low
• CSC Tax Review Uncovers Years of Errors
• Wireless Company's CFO Takes a Leap
• Ace Discovers $154M Inventory Error
• Finite-risk Probe Halts Assurant Buyback
• Couple Guilty in "Pillow-talk" Case
• Top Exec Steps Down from FASB Parent
• Macau Gambling Plan Loses $1B in Loans
• Saks Settles SEC Vendor-Allowance Suit
• Motive Inc. Restates, Looks for Auditor
• Did Fake Purchase Orders Oust CFO?
• Overhill Farms CFO Goes over the Fence
• Internal Probe Stalls Retailer's Filings
• CEO Put on Leave Following Audit
• Uncollectibles Force SEC Settlement
• Internal Probe Stalls Children's Place Filings

I couldn't believe it - almost 40 headlines IN 21 DAYS showcasing matters relating to corporate fraud or incompetence (or both).

Makes me wonder?  Is fraud or mismanagement of company assets becoming a "corporate value?"  The headlines over three weeks would seem to indicate that is the case?  Has greed overtaken "core values" as being more desirable for workers than working hard, protecting company assets and keeping the customer satisfied?

Is the "I got mine" mentality, where managers and executives put their own self interest ahead of the employees, customers and shareholders leading to higher levels of frustration in the business world resulting in the attitude of "what the hell, everybody else is doing it?"

If this phenomenon is occurring on an increasingly widespread basis, what effect does this have on Workforce Development?  Do frustrated competent and honest workers leave for places they perceive as better or more ethical?  Does it become harder to attract and recruit top talent, when a cloud (either publicized or not) hangs over the business/organization?  Or do the "opportunists" flock to the firms being investigated in the hopes that they can profit from the "birds of a feather" mentality?

Readers - what do you say?

Our colleague, Jim Russell who writes the Burgh Diaspora from my former "hometown" of Pittsburgh is an astute student of what REALLY is important for business leaders and government officials and planners. 

He challenges these "leaders" to really THINK about what makes a region's economy healthy.  Recently threw down the gauntlet when he asked: "If a regional initiative is your answer, I have a riddle: Since education makes a person more likely to leave your region, how do you justify your investment in human capital?"

Good question!  Also one that business people often get wrong.  As a former educator myself in the Pittsburgh area (as an adjunct prof at Pitt and Clarion U), I saw businesses invest heavily in bringing new ideas to the forefont, even as the regions manufacturing base was eroding.

Later in upper level management posts with a large Pittsburgh based multinational manufacturer, our firm recognized that you ended up with the skilled talent you invested in - no more and no less.

Then something happened - businesses started thinking and acting globally and the fate of American workers was no longer a major consideration in their decision. 

I grew up in a area in NY that thought that by controlling wages and access to education that they could control profits and the labor market.  They were wrong, and that community has for the past 20 years been cited as the worst market in the US for housing values - for a reason - they lost their employment base.

Today, any employer that is so naive as to think that by limiting education (aka saving money), that they are making their area more attractive to workers, needs to WAKE UP.  Lots of regions do invest in helping workers develop the skills they need to advance.

Jim Russell's recent article "Captive Labor Pittsburgh" talks more about this wacked out phenomenon, and I suggest it as "essential reading"

Dealing with Chinese Suppliers, here are tips on essential skills

Over the past 20 years it has become increasingly necessary for US firms and their workers to understand how to communicate with suppliers and business partners across the world.

Over at Product Global, there is an excellent article entitled "Communicating with Chinese Manufacturers: Who am I talking to?"

This great article provides good insights into specifics of dealing with Chinese suppliers.  It's no secret that communication with overseas manufacturers can be challenging.  Given the number of businesses and individuals routinely trying to contact Chinese manufacturers via Alibaba.com and other internet sources, many are quick to find at the very outset that communication is going to be a much slower and more difficult process than they initially thought.

If you need to communicate with overseas suppliers like I frequently do, you'll find lots of help here.

Managing a Staff of Older Employees ...

It's inevitable - you'll end up managing older employees sooner or later. Ignoring a significant age difference between you and your older employees may work for a little while, but eventually you’ll need to address this growing, though tricky, workplace issue. Still, you can bridge the age gap without jeopardizing productivity or morale.

read more | digg story

Want to Work in Canada - See If You Qualify

Previously, I have discussed on this blog an approach the Canadians have used to determine immigration eligibility based upon a point system. 

Workpermit.com has now created a special Canadian immigration point calculator, which will help you determine if you would qualify under the Canada immigration point system. You will need a total of 67 points to qualify under Canada’s immigration points system. If you are a skilled worker, this may be a very good option for you for immigrating to Canada.

This is a idea that has some merit.  Check it out.

Want to Understand Peoples Motivations ? Then Understand their Desires !

Incentive Intelligence is one of our favorite blogs.  One reason why is a recent article they published called "Maximize Overlapping Desires..." that does an excellent job of describing how fundamental the changes are in the way todays generations look at employment versus the generations that preceded it.

Wonder why the workforce doesn't "love" the things that the previous generations used to respond to?  Read the article - it's very well done, as are all of the articles at this interesting blog!

Its All About the Talent

FMI Corp's,  Ron Magnus, who heads their Talent Development division dropped me an email recently, alerting me to a new Construction Industry report on Talent Development that FMI has just published.

By 2008, it's an accepted fact that a wealth of skills and experience will disappear from the job market as the first members of the Baby Boom generation reach average retirement age. Talent development will become a critical strategic objective and differentiator for any competitive organization.

Magnus reaffirms that in order to remain successful in the knowledge-based, global economy building and construction firms must continually invest in their human capital. 

1. This is a great report, well worth your time, in a easy to read format. Click here Download USTReport2007.pdf for a copy. 

 

Gauging the labor force effects of retiring baby-boomers ...

As aging baby-boomers begin retiring, the effects on the overall economy and on certain occupations and industries will be substantial, creating a need for younger workers to fill the vacated jobs, many of which require relatively high levels of skill.
Are you prepared for this skill vacuum? FInd out.

read more | digg story

Why Do Women Only Represent 9% of the Engineering Workforce?

A report published by the American Society for Engineering Education paints a picture that should concern for all Americans.  While women represent 56% of  total U.S. undergraduate enrollment across all fields of study, Undergraduate engineering enrollment, is only 17% of the total at 366,361 in 2005, according to the ASEE study

Today, women represent only 9% of the Engineering workforce. 

There's a lot of good programs underway to turn this situation.  Women-in-engineering (WIE) programs, and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) student chapters, other support mechanisms provide:

•   Outreach/ K-12 education
•   Learning and/or living communities
•   Forums for discussing concerns/questions
•   Connection with role models in academia, industry, government
•   Mentoring (peer and professional-student)
•   Advising
•   Professional development and career guidance

It's premature to call this game before all of the innings have played out.  Never before have the prospects for women in engineering been better, nor have there been a stronger advocacy and support system available.  Let's get the word out.

The Engineering Workforce Commission also cites decreasing female enrollments since 2001; enrollment numbers remain virtually unchanged since 1984, and although Doctoral degrees have recently increased, these gains are being undercut by decreasing B.S. enrollments in Engineering.

Ladies, Thinking About an Engineering Career? Here's Some Research

Anay over at Introduction to Womens Studies has done her homework !  I think you'll find the data she's uncovered interesting and helpful

read more | digg story

Worker Confidence Plunges

As Americans continue to hear reports of weakened economy, continued downturns in the housing and mortgage markets, as well as dropping stock values, workers are increasingly less optimistic about their financial outlook.

read more | digg story

"The Future is in Plastics"

When one looks at the challenges of trying to fill the ranks of engineers that are needed now and in the years ahead, one needs to look at one area that I feel are crucial, and apparently not well understood by women.

Before I start to sound like the line in "The Graduate" where young Dustin Hoffman is instructed "the future is in plastics", there is a huge and unfortunately yet not fully appreciated future for women in Engineering

Problem is that this field is not apparently viewed as attractive to ladies choosing a field of endeavor.  The misunderstanding of what Engineering is all about seems to overlook the following realities of this interesting stable, high-paying and rewarding field:

• Science, math, and computers are tools engineers use, not the goal of engineering
• Engineers are problem solvers, and the problems they solve contribute to the betterment of society
• Engineers are creative and inventive
• Engineers do not work in isolation; the complexity of today’s engineering problems necessitates teamwork and diverse points of view
• Engineers don’t just sit in front of a computer screen all day; a variety of work environments (and travel) are available

Why do women enter the field of engineering today?

• Confidence in math/science abilities
• Engineer role models (90% know an engineer)
• Parental encouragement
• Value potential societal contributions of the field
  • Fields with more obvious altruistic nature boast much higher female enrollment percentages:  e.g. biomedical engineering =  42%, environmental engineering = 43%. However, top 6 disciplines with highest % women comprise only 17% of all B.S. degrees awarded
• The future of our engineering workforce rests on the ability of the field to market itself as a socially-conscious, application-driven, and team-based profession!

Unfortunately, there are still many barriers to women looking into this field:

• Poor math preparation: decisions start in 7th or 8th grade
• Lack of K-12 engineering courses
• Negative messages, gender-biased attitudes
• Lack of role models
• Engineering’s public image problem
  • Few role models available in the public eye.
  • Unlike doctors & lawyers, engineers are rarely portrayed in prime time television
• Engineers/scientists are often portrayed as white males
• Women relegated to subordinate roles (e.g. lab assistants)
• Contrast “Dilbert”, “Star Trek” vs. “Law & Order”, “Grey’s Anatomy”
• Peer pressure
• Isolation

So it's critical that we work on reducing these constraints and lay the groundwork for the future women engineers of the next generation, as well as educating those in todays workforce who are looking for more fulfillment and may not recognize the potential that exists in Engineering.

What's in a Name?

When trying to understand the dynamics of todays workforce we give names to classes of individuals (Silent, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen  Y etc).  While these broad categories are useful for chronologically defining a time period for a generation, it presents some problems - these arbitrary definitions are sometimes inadequate and thus researchers look for a way to take additional "cross sections" of generational groups.

Take Generation Jones, the generation born between the Baby Boomers and Generation X. The generally accepted birth years for Jonesers are 1954-1965. Jonesers are primarily the offspring of the Silent Generation; mostly they were children in the 1960's, and teens in the 1970's.

What typifies the behaviors of this "generation?"  I wonder if it even matters.  So do others.  Take Penelope Trunk’s little quiz: What generation are you part of really?

Okay … so the test is giving yourself points based on media habits or inclinations to see which generation you are most like regarding tech. I’ll let you know which generation I’m apparently a part of in just a moment … but first … Here’s the test:

• Do you have your own web page? (1 point)
• Have you made a web page for someone else? (2 points)
• Do you IM your friends? (1 point)
• Do you text your friends? (2 points)
• Do you watch videos on YouTube? (1 point)
• Do you remix video files from the Internet? (2 points)
• Have you paid for and downloaded music from the Internet? (1 point)
• Do you know where to download free (illegal) music from the Internet? (2 points)
• Do you blog for professional reasons? (1 point)
• Do you blog as a way to keep an online diary? (2 points)
• Have you visited MySpace at least five times? (1 point)
• Do you communicate with friends on Facebook? (2 points)
• Do you use email to communicate with your parents? (1 point)
• Did you text to communicate with your parents? (2 points)
• Do you take photos with your phone? (1 point)
• Do you share your photos from your phone with your friends? (2 points

Your total points falling into these broad categories:

• 0-1 point - Baby Boomer
• 2-6 points - Generation Jones
• 6- 12 points - Generation X
• 12 or over - Generation Y

After taking this quiz I discovered that I'm a Gen Y.  Cool huh?

It does however give a new twist to how we think about "generations" doesn't it?  Does anyone really want to be tagged as a stereotype based upon age, when it may be more accurate to refer to them by the behaviors and attitudes?

Addressing low employee retention requires tackling the underlying issues

I've been preaching for many years that it's pretty easy to identify the symptoms of most common business problems, whether it be customer satisfaction, employee retention, cashflow issues. 

In over 30 years of helping firms solve these problems I have also  learneed that there's a lot of "heavy lifting" needed in order to get beyond the  surface. 

For once you start uncovering the underlying causes, it starts to get messy.  Many people don't want messy issues - they want simple solutions.

You may as well get over it. 

As they say, the devil is in the details, and at some point you need to deal with them.  A recent press release from our friends over at PRWeb supports this belief.  Organizations with Low Employee Retention Need to "Unpack" Underlying Issues, Says Corporate Counseling Associates

I suggest you give it a look and let me know what you think, after reading it.  Enjoy.