Workforce Development - A Good Investment?

Creating a More Democratic Work Environment

A bright fellow named Stephen Simon has set out to "democratize" the process of employer selection for interns and young architects.

As a young professional he looked at the marketplace for Architects and made a keen observation: "As interns and young architects we usually think of ourselves as sellers, hawking our skills to the best firm that will have us. What if we instead consider ourselves as buyers, investing our skills in the best firm we can find? We are the consumers of architectural employment. Unfortunately, we consumers have very little information about the enterprises that we're investing in"

He has set about to create a community where interns and young architects in the huge AEC marketplace can share their experiences and perspectives with others. 

He has correctly determined that there is a sizable "information gap" as relates to the ability to identify firm characteristics and workplace styles.  So he created a unique website called InsideArch.org to enable young design professionals to share information that will enable them and others to make smarter employment choices.

The site produces a "Firm Report" which provides a set of metrics which recap the survey data gathered by the young professionals who have been exposed to the firm. 

In addition to an overall firm score (on a scale from 1-25) for each firm, the InsideArch Firm Reports contain scores in 9 different sub categories called 'Key Metrics' (on a scale from 1-5).

• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• EMPLOYEE CALIBER
• WORK ENVIRONMENT
• OVERALL EXPERIENCE
• MANAGEMENT SKILL
• DESIGN QUALITY
• WORK HOURS
• COMPENSATION
• ATTITUDE TOWARD INTERNS

The majority of architecture firms are small firms. They don't receive a lot of press and may not have a website. Those few firms that do the 'coolest' and most publicized work are inundated with unsolicited resumes, regardless of the quality of the experience for the intern. Lesser-known firms place 'help wanted' ads that offer only cursory descriptions of the firm and its work and often don't even mention the firm's name.

Mr Simon's site enables interns and young architects to evaluate, in a subjective manner, the quality of the firm work experience. Things that are of interest to young A&E professionals include:

• How much will we learn?
• How much opportunity will we have?
• Which firm's work will most interest us?
• Where will our contribution be most respected?

WI th additional information Simon feels that these young professionals can make more intelligent decisions about which firm to invest their time and talent in.

It also seems to have a benefit for top employers.

By letting evaluations expose which Architecture firms are providing high-quality experiences to their employees, those firms would attract a larger pool of candidates, they could be more selective in their hiring, and ultimately produce better work.

(This however puts those firms that let their interns stagnate in a cube in the corner with piles of redlines on their desks would see their applicant pools dry up, the skill levels of their applicants decrease and they would either have to offer higher salaries to compensate or offer a more challenging work experience)

Simon's site seems to provide a community where conceivably everyone wins.  Wonder what the workplace would become if there were more sites of this caliber?

What are the pros and cons about telecommuting?

I have a blog I read with some frequency entitled HR Clean-up (Because HR is a Dirty Business), that recently published a great article entitled "Telecommuting"

It is written from the perspective of the current astronomical fuel prices we're seeing. The gist of the article follows:

There was an article, not a big one, in Sunday's Boston Globe that stated "4-day weeks, telecommuting look better to employers now".  Since I actually teach Virtual HR and I've been a proponent for flexible work arrangements for a long time, I read with interest. Traffic It turns out that soaring commuting costs are finally forcing employers to help employees out.  And, given that so many of us have moved away from work to find cheaper housing, employees are buckling under the increased expenses.  On top of employee costs, employer costs are also skyrocketing.  Companies are starting to figure out that office space isn't cheap--so if an employee is ok with heating and cooling themselves, why not? The other really big change is on the legal front.  Finally, there seems to be some movement to get a bit more flexible. As organizations start to embrace telecommuting, it will be critical for HR to be at the decision making table--along with IT, Building Services, and everyone else who makes the organization tick.  HR has an amazing opportunity to push the traditional boundaries of "butt in seat" and get companies to start measuring what counts--work output. It is going to be a long hot Summer and fuel costs are going to continue to escalate.

However, there are many faces beyond this article, that factor into the telecommuting discussion:

An article "Telecommuting not so great for those left in office" that was published in January 2008 by Kristina Cooke over at Reuters looks at how those that telecommute have less stress and a higher morale compared to those that are left to come into an office everyday. She mentions that “their co-workers tend to find the workplace less enjoyable, have fewer emotional ties to co-workers and generally feel less obligated to the organization.

The beginning of the article states "Telecommuting may boost morale, and cut stress, but it can have the opposite effect on those left behind in the office, according to a new study"

The author cites how telecommuting has been a growing trend in the United States since about 2000. About 37 percent of U.S.-based and international companies now offer flexible work arrangements, with the number of those programs growing at a rate of 11 percent per year, according to the Society of Human Resource Management. but then goes on to explain how

The author cites research of Timothy Golden, a management professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute that claims that when a number of their co-workers toil away from the office by using computers, cell-phones or other electronic equipment, those who do not telecommute are more likely to be dissatisfied with their job and leave the company.

I'm a bit skeptical about this inference.

In the late 1990's I worked with IBA, an early pioneer in telecommuting, and participated in the establishment of the first "telework" centers around Washington DC.  Others have since sprung up, adding credence to the ideas of telecommuting in various "flavors".  In 2006, The Telework Coalition, conducted a Telework Benchmarking study of 13 large organizations with mature telework programs.

This study asked about the attitudes of those employees who did not telework. Both our study and two previously conducted studies by other organizations in which there were multiple participants showed that the non teleworking coworkers were both enthusiastically supportive and felt teleworking was good for the organization, or at the least, the situation was a non issue.

I believe that this area is ripe for investigation and action by management and HR practitioners.  Since each organizations' DNA is different, it may not be the right solution for every situation, but there are viable telecommuting approaches that will and do help organizations attract and retain talent in todays increasingly complex market.

Inside the Contingent Workforce industry

An article in the Washington Post, February 28, 2007 paints a new picture of the temporary (also known as the contingent) workforce.

Temping for a living? That could mean working as a project manager, human resources coordinator, bookkeeper or civil engineer. Temporary workers fill a variety of posts, not just reception desks. The fastest-growing job categories are information technology, management and legal jobs, according to Staffing Industry Analysts’ “Temporary Jobs Guidebook.”

Looking ahead, the temporary jobs that will be hardest to fill are civil engineers, according to Staffing Industry Analysts. Other highly sought workers include lawyers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, financial analysts -- and meter readers.”

To help firms understand this market a new annual publication “Contingent Workforce Strategies - 2008 - 09 Edition Source book - A Guide For Program Managers 

A copy of the table of Contents follows08 Staffing Industry Analysts, Inc.

Contingent Workforce Strategies SOURCEBOOK:
A Guide for Program Managers (2008-09 Edition)

INTRODUCTION

Section 1: The Rising Importance and Impact of the Contingent Workforce

• What’s included: Defining the “Contingent Workforce”
• Why Companies Use Contingent Workers
• Why More People Want to Be Contingent Workers: On the Road to a Free Agent Nation
• “Contingent Workforce Management:” A New Function Takes Shape
• Prognosticators Take on Contingent Workers
• Tackling the Changing Workforce

Section 2: Usage of and Spending on Contingent Labor

• Review of Historical Contingent Workforce Usage
• Current and Forecasted Spending on Contingent Labor – in the U.S.
• Current and Forecasted Spending on Contingent Labor – Outside the U.S.

CONTINGENT WORKERS

Section 3: Key Categories of Contingent Workers and Associated Challenges

• Temporaries
• Independent Contractors
• Consultants
• Seasonal Workers
• Choosing the Right Contingent Category

Section 4: Acquiring Critical Skills on a Contingent Basis

• Executives
• Scientists
• IT/Tech
• CFOs
• Human Resources
• Creatives
• Healthcare
• Administrative Assistants
• Day Laborers
• Bilingual Workers

Section 5: Methods for Sourcing Contingent Workers

• Temporary Staffing Agencies
• Job Boards
• Social Networking
• Crowdsourcing

Section 6: “Niche Recruiting” for Contingent Talent

• Retirees
• College Students and New Grads
• Military Spouses
• Disabled People
• Working Mothers

MANAGING YOUR CONTINGENT WORKFORCE PROGRAM

Section 7: Optimizing Your Contingent Workforce Management Program

• Contingent Workforce Optimization Roadmap
• Transformation or Adaptation: Choosing the Right Path for Your Program
• Identifying Drivers of ROI for Your Program
• Building a Business Case for Your Program
• Choosing the Right Sourcing Model for Your Program
• Disaster Planning for Your Program: From Systems Failure to Supplier Bankruptcy

Section 8: Leadership and Structure for Your Contingent Workforce Program

• HR or Procurement: Who’s in Charge?
• Contingent Workforce Talent Management Office
• Managed Service Provider (MSP)/Vendor on Premise (VOP): Using External Partners
• to Manage Your Contingent Workforce Program
• Outsourcing Program Management, or Back to Doing It Yourself
• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)
• Determining Ongoing Contingent Workforce Related Roles and Responsibilities

Section 9: Vendor Management Systems (VMS)

• Deciding Yes or No
• VMS Benefits
• Vendor Neutrality: Does It Matter?
• Improving VMS Effectiveness
• VMS Supplier competitive landscape

Section 10: Maximizing Contingent Worker Productivity and Effectiveness

• Getting High Quality Contingent Workers
• Rapid Onboarding
• Helping Contingent Workers Adapt to Your Corporate Culture
• Motivating Contingent Workers
• Knowledge transfer
• Safety
• Health insurance
• Remote Temps
• Temp to Hire

Section 11: Managing Risk: Legal and Compliance Issues Related to Using Contingent Workers

• Co-Employment
• Term Limit Policies
• 1099 Compliance
• Sarbanes Oxley Compliance
• Anti-Harassment
• Anti-Discrimination
• Temp Terminations
• Workers Compensation
• OSHA/Safety
• Liability Insurance
• ADA and Disabled Contingent Workers
• English Only Policies
• FMLA/Family and Medical Leave
• Immigration Issues
• Internet Applicant Rules
• Intellectual Property Protection
• Unionization of Temps
• Drug Testing

Section 12: Global Contingent Workforce Management Challenges and Opportunities

• Managing a Global Contingent Workforce
• Offshoring
• Broader Talent Options

Section 13: The Right Workforce Mix: How Much of Your Workforce Should be Contingent?

• The Power of Having the Right Mix
• Are Temps Cheaper?
• Mix Methodology: How To Determine the Right Mix

Section 14: Selecting Suppliers of Contingent Labor

• The State of the Contingent Supply Chain
• Choosing Your External Partner for Program Management
• Supplier Selection
• Requests for Proposal
  • Writing an RFP
  • Getting Suppliers to Respond Properly
• Supplier Reference Checking

Section 15: Negotiating with Suppliers of Contingent Labor

• Preparing for Supplier Contract Negotiations
• Understanding Supplier Profitability and the Impact on Bill Rates
• Markups or Not?
• Gainsharing with Suppliers
• Important Contract Clauses
  • Indemnification
  • Right to Hire/Permanent placement
  • Overtime discounts, renegotiation favored customer, benchmarking

Section 16: Managing Supplier Performance

• Measuring supplier Performance
• Getting More for Your Money
• Service Level Agreements
• Supplier Performance Reviews
• Making the Supplier Renewal/Termination Decision
• Vendor Consolidation
• Managing Internal Hiring Managers Expectations and Roles
• Partners vs. Vendors

Section 17: Contingent Labor (and Related) Supplier Lists

Largest Staffing Suppliers

• U.S.
• Global
• Women and Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (WMBE)

Largest U.S. Staffing Suppliers by Skill Set Provided

• IT Staffing
• Finance/Accounting Staffing
• Legal Staffing
• Healthcare Staffing
• Fastest Growing U.S. Staffing Firms
• Largest VMS/MSP Suppliers
  • VMS Suppliers
  • MSP Suppliers

Section 18: Profiles of Largest Staffing (and Related) Suppliers

CASE STUDIES AND REFERENCE DATA

Section 19: Case Studies: Putting Contingent Workforce Strategies to Use

Implementing/Optimizing a Contingent Workforce Program

• Earthlink: Matching contingent workforce strategy with your business model
  • The Internet Service provider aligns its temp worker strategy with a new business model.

• Freddie Mac: Restructuring a contingent workforce program -
  • Freddie Mac restructures its CW program and lays foundation for a VMS VOP/Master Vendor

• Charles Schwab: Driving tight supplier partnerships
  •  Schwab’s CW plan calls for close relationships between vendors and managers

• Freescale Semiconductor: Selecting a master vendor
  • A semiconductor company narrows its supply base

• Levi Strauss: Using multiple master vendors
  • Levi’s use of two preferred vendors to supply its temps gives it many advantages

• Kleen Tex Industries: Implementing a Vendor on Premises Relationship
  • How Kleen Tex improved its process using a VOP

Implementing/Optimizing a VMS/MSP Program

• Hoag Hospital: Implementing a VMS
  • Hospitals face unique challenges while implementing a VMS

• Blue Cross: Moving from VOP to VMS/MSP
  • Health insurer makes an MSP program work

• Nationwide Insurance: Leveraging VMS reporting and measurement capabilities
  • Insurer learns to manage by the numbers

• Transunion: Centralizing a CW program
  • Company uses VMS to help consolidate control of its CW agenda.

• Brocade Communication: Using the full VMS tool set
  • Tech leader leverages its VMS to mitigate risk and more

• Tuality Health Care: Pioneering VMS in Health Care
  • An Oregon healthcare provider is a beta site for a VMS

Compliance

• Continental Plastics: Engaging Temps on a long-term basis while managing co-employment risks

• Sun Microsystems: Sun’s CW strategy is focused on engaging its temps safely.

Managing Unique Talent Needs

• Vermont Teddy Bear: Effective Seasonal Work Strategies
  • Plush toymaker trains its contingents and seasonal workers to help with its busiest times

• Virgin America: Leveraging contingent experts
  • An airline relies on expert temporary workers to get off the ground

Section 20: Contingent Labor Usage Rates by Occupation

Section 21: Bill and Pay Rates for Typical Contingent Worker Occupations

Section 22: Contingent Workforce Lexicon of Terms

Section 23: List of Tables and Charts

Games that Can Change the World

I read "Mission to Learn" on a regular basis, and recently read a piece that is not only insightful, but also illustrates why advancement of learning approaches is not only good for us as individuals, but also essential for the future of our planet.

The piece I'm referring to is "26 Learning Games to Change the World" written by Jeff Cobb, a really bright and talented guy.

If you have the urge to see what sorts of educational games might be out there that are geared towards making a difference in the world, this is a "MUST READ" article.

What you'll find

1. browser-based free games,
2. desktop-based free games,
3. and desktop-based "fee" games

The world is changing, and if you want to see what's happening in the area of immersive simulations, you'll find this article of real value.

Engaged Employees = Whistleblowers?

A costly scandal at a bank recently has observers wondering why workers didn't report suspicious activity. Some are saying the scandal highlights one of the most important challenges employers face today: poor employee engagement.  Now, these other employees didn't necessarily do anything wrong, but they also didn't go beyond what was expected of them may point to a larger issue of employee engagement.

This article discusses impact of engagement and how engagement varies widely across different global cultures.  A must read

read more | digg story

Nontraditional Teachers Lining Up

One of the great educational challenges we face today is the shortage of individuals want to teach and who can teach our youth what they will need to know to cut it in our rapidly changing world.

Why does this article resonate with me?

For one thing, the teachers "in the system" are in many cases struggling just to maintain their existing teaching load, and are themselves challenged by school district bureaucracies and policies.  Where are the "real world" perspectives to come from, amidst a rapidly changing jobs landscape.

For example, how many teachers and guidance counselors are introducing our youth to careers in construction, where the pay, benefits and job security are above average?  Do the current faculty see construction as much more than the "summer job" that they may have held before, where they were little more than job site general labor?  Does such an attitude dissuade them from encouraging youth to learn about jobs in this industry? 

Do our current cadre of teachers and guidance counselors have an awareness of the types of match, science, or communications skills that these youth will need to be able to enter the field at the "skilled worker" level?  Are these teaching professionals even aware that people without a degree with just a few years of experience with these skills are being actively sought after and snagging annual pay in the high five and low six figures? 

Yet because of youth making misinformed academic choices they often end up competing after graduation for "commodity" jobs that are often not fulfilling.  If they had chosen a path that enabled them to grasp basic math/algebra/geometry skills, they would likely find themselves in  a better bargaining position for jobs.

So it boils down to how to get people from the professions to step into the teaching profession to expose our youth to some of these possibilities.

Check out this story about a St. Paul schools program, designed to find candidates for hard-to-fill jobs by making teachers out of professionals coming from other fields.

read more | digg story

Classrooms are NOT where most learning happens

If you believe that the classroom / instructor method is the major way that adults obtain new information, you'd better take the blinders off.

There are  many other forms of learning that occur at the workplace apart from delivery of information in a classroom setting.

Examples of these alternative methods of instilling knowledge include

• the action learning method,
• 360 degree feedback technique,
• active listening,
• simulations,
• live-case method,
• learning through teaching,
• using theatre,
• collaborative inquiry,
• the learning log,
• conversation,
• self-direct learning, and
• project-based learning.

Take a look at the way you approach educating adults today.  Are you using any of the above "alternative delivery methods?"

Not even sure what some of them are? 

Suggestion : check out this blog in the weeks ahead, as I will be discussing each of these methods and the practical application of these techniques to educate today's adult learner. 

(Hint - if you go to the FEEDBLITZ signup box at the upper right hand of the home page of this blog, you can have daily updates delivered directly to your mailbox, or use our Feed Crier service to get it on your mobile device!)

They Still Don't Get It...

A recent article I found on the Columbia News Service proves that the construction industry still doesn't get the idea that women NEED to be an increasing part of the skilled construction workforce.

A well written article, entitled "Hard-hatted women struggle to land construction jobs"  produced by Julia Marsh, chronicles the current-day struggles that women fact in this male-dominated industry.  Read on, I think you'll be amazed at what a long way the industry still needs to go - and how the worker shortage in construction will continue until enlightened leadership steps forward.

Carole Jordan’s first day at work was a frigid January morning in 2003. She rose early and arrived at the job site by 6:30 a.m. After eight hours of standing on concrete, carrying sheetrock up and down stairs, Jordan left the skeleton of the skyscraper she was helping to build, arrived home by 5 p.m. and collapsed in bed by 6.

"After the first two weeks I thought I was dying. Muscles I didn’t even know I had were aching," said Jordan, a native New Yorker who is in her late 40s.

A little more than three years later, the elements haven’t proved to be the hardest part of Jordan’s career as a construction worker.

"It’s a man’s world," she said. "You work hard, come to the job every day and you’re often not given a shot" at a promotion.

Jordan is among a small but budding number of women entering what is officially called nontraditional employment--a range of jobs that includes fishing and firefighting, the toughest of which to break into is the construction industry. About 900,000 women across the United States work in some form of construction, be it brick masonry or drywall installation, a rise of 18 percent over the last eight years, according to the National Association for Women in Construction.

Though the Equal Employment Opportunity Act was passed in the early 1970s, women account for only 9 percent of construction workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which recently published a survey showing that 88 percent of those women had experienced sexual harassment on the job.

Jordan sat at a table with two other women, Olga Aguilar, 29, and Donna Kielbasa, 28, at the New York headquarters of a job-training nonprofit group called Nontraditional Employment for Women, known as NEW. The three came through NEW’s construction school, a six-week program in which they learned to read blueprints and handle skill saws. Seventy percent of graduates are placed in jobs averaging $53,000 a year in the construction, transportation and utilities industries.

The NEW model of supporting women in blue-collar trades is also used by sister organizations like Tradeswomen Inc. in California and the North Carolina group Charm and Hammer.

All three women had some history in construction. Aguilar’s father renovated homes. Jordan’s childhood mentor was a woodworker. Kielbasa built tree houses.

"I always liked to work with my hands and wear my jeans," Aguilar said, slapping her paint-speckled pants. "The better angle is that I make $16 an hour."

The lure for many women, said NEW's director, Anne Rascon, is a desire for economic independence. Rascon, who worked in a gold mine in California to pay for college, added, "Our experience has been that the women spend their 20s cycling through dead-end, low-wage jobs, and then a light goes on and they see us as an alternative."

Women entering the trades are ethnically diverse, typically about 31 years old and single heads of households, according to statistics from advocacy groups.

Participants of Hard Hatted Women, Cleveland’s version of NEW, which also began in the late 1970s, have an average income of $15,000 before entering the training program. The pay they receive in their first jobs is $11.50 an hour, which with overtime and union benefits comes to an annual salary of just under $30,000.

"It’s a different kind of lifestyle," Rascon said. "You have to like getting up early, working in the hot and cold weather."

Though the women have to be prepared for physical work, technology is such today that workers no longer have to rely solely on brute strength.

The women also often have to go it alone. Though the current job the NEW graduates are working on, a building for City University of New York, has a relatively high 7-to-45 ratio of women to men, in many cases there may be only one woman on a site.

"The women have it real rough," said Kevin Simmons, shop steward for the CUNY site. "I tip my hat to the ones that last."

Although the construction industry has experienced a labor shortage in recent years, one of the greatest challenges to bringing in women is simple recruitment.

"A lot of women don’t think about it," said Nancy Gentile, former chairwoman of the Committee of Women in the Trades, a division of the AFL-CIO. "They’re raised on Barbie dolls, not tools."

Though trade unions are mandated to train a certain percentage of women in construction, for Aguilar and Jordan the unions still have an old boys club feeling.

"Have you been in a union hall?" Aguilar asked. "It’s all white Irish men sitting in the directors' chairs."

Jordan switched out of a floor-covering apprenticeship, when, she said, she was twice overlooked by her construction teacher and then by a union director to fill job openings.

Kielbasa and Jordan said the harassment they had encountered included lurid sexual drawings at the site and come-ons by coworkers. Sometimes the discrimination is less overt or emerges as a lack of awareness about women’s needs in a male-dominated environment.

The three women said that at their most recent job, the one portable toilet for seven women was being used regularly by men. Also, without any running water to wash their hands, the women found it unsanitary to switch from fitting insulation to using the facilities during menstruation.

"Sometimes I feel like a stepchild [and] I don’t want to be too much of a problem," Aguilar said. "But are we a problem now that we need a place to wash our hands when we have a ‘woman’s issue?’"

But as Beth Young, director of Tradeswomen Inc., points out, it’s less of an anomaly to see a woman with a tool belt slung on her hip than it was 20 years ago when she worked as a crane operator.

"When I started I was told straight up, women don’t belong here," Young said. "[People thought] I either wanted to be a man or I wanted to get a man. I just wanted to get a paycheck like anyone else."

Concrete proof that Employee Benefits are going to the dogs

The American Animal Hospital Association in a recent article (AP) has revealed that while employers are scaling on back costly health benefits, pet insurance is gaining popularity as an employee benefit.

Veterinary Pet Insurance, the nation’s largest pet insurer, saw its corporate accounts balloon from 15 to 1,600 in the past six years. About 15 percent of Veterinary Pet Insur­ance’s policies, or about 50,000, come from its corporate accounts.

The growth of this perk comes as pets occupy an increasingly promi­nent place in the American home. According to the American Pet Prod­ucts Manufacturers Association, pet owners spent an estimated $9.8-bil­lion on veterinary care in 2007, up from $7.1-billion in 2001.

Pet owners are spending more on sophisticated care to give animals some comfort or a few extra years when illness strikes. The cost of a sur­gical veterinarian visit was $453 for dogs and $363 for cats in 2006, but treating a pet for an illness like cancer can cost several thousands of dollars.

Pet insurance is rare, with about 2 percent of U.S. pets insured. Anoth­er major pet insurer, PetHealth Inc., expects that figure to grow to about 10 percent over the next decade as options for animal medical care grow. PetHealth in Oakville, Ontario, saw revenue from policies jump to $4.3-million in the third quarter, up 12 percent from the previous year.

Noninvasive procedures like MRIs, CAT-scans and endoscopies have become rela­tively common for animals. Though rare, owners can get organ transplants and pacemakers for cats and dogs.

For employers, offering pet insur­ance doesn’t cost a dime, since employees pay the full cost of the benefit, unlike health insurance for humans. Workers typically get a dis­count of 5 or 10 percent if pet policies are obtained through their company.

Only a tiny fraction of employees typically sign up for the benefit — usually less than 5 percent, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance. But with big names like Comcast Corp., Home Depot, the Walt Disney Co. and Sprint offering the benefit, policies add up.

Del Monte Foods Co. in San Fran­cisco started offering pet insurance about a year ago. Only 15 or 20 employees signed up, but the benefit makes a statement about the compa­ny’s culture, said Paul Berg, vice pres­ident of compensation and benefits.

Bobbie Stanton, a 55-year-old employee at Del Monte, signed up her two Shetland sheepdogs.

Stanton pays $313 a year for each of her two dogs. She recently paid $20 to have a burr removed from one dog’s ear; the cost without insur­ance would have been $200.

Pet insurance isn’t for everyone. Unless your pet’s breed is prone to chronic illness, Consumer Reports says insurance might cost more than it saves. Depending on the age and type of animal, insurance costs $10 to $40 a month. Pet owners often pay bills up front, then are reimbursed.
Whatever the means may be — pet insurance, a savings account or any other financial plan — the key is to simply plan ahead for medical care, said Dr. Thomas Carpenter, presi­dent of the American Animal Hospi­tal Association.

Mining "silver" becoming increasingly popular

Looking for work in Japan? Shigeo Hirano  says you may have an edge if you are older than 60.  Hirano, president of staffing agency Mystar 60 Corp., says so-called "silver" workers are in growing demand as Japan's population ages.

"Japan's best engineers and technicians are leaving factories and offices for retirement," said Hirano, who heads the employment company which specializes in finding jobs for those aged 60 and over.  "Companies are realizing that hiring the elderly is the only way to retain high levels of skills and expertise," added Hirano, himself a sprightly 63.

A decline in young workers globally is exacerbating the concern as  the population ages at an unprecedented pace. The proportion of people over the age of 65 to total population is already the world's highest at 20 percent of Japan's population of 127 million people. The figure is forecast to hit 40 percent by 2055.

This and other information characterizing the worsening labor crunch were chronicled in a Reuters article published in the Boston Globe entitled "Greying workers wanted for hire in aging Japan"

Recruitment of "silver workers" is projected to play an increasing role in the quest for competent, experienced staff.  It is just one of many strategies to ensure the workforce needed for the 21st century.

Factors Shaping Our Future Workforce - Part 1 - Impact of an Aging Population

Aging of the population is currently the single most important trend affecting the workforce in the USA.

Personal lifestyle changes and medical advances are keeping people viable and active longer.

Additionally, financial pressure and personal desire are keeping them working beyond traditional retirement age.  This is evidenced by the projection that by 2025, workers aged 55 and older will be more than 20% of the work force in the USA

The concept of "old" and "senior" are also changing.  By 2050, individuals aged 75 – 78 will be considered to be "middle age."  Mortality tables are being changed to reflect this: maximum life expectancy is increasing from 99 (tables created in 1980) to 120.5 years (new tables published in 2003)

Finally, we are and will continue to experience a lack of younger replacement workers due to a "baby bust" which started with Generation X

One of the most anticipated workplace trends of the 21st Century is the huge retirement wave that will hit most industrialized countries, including the United States, in the next few years. But surveys consistently report that most companies are unprepared to respond to the seismic shifts that are expected to appear in the workforce.

What implications does this have?

Searching for the Silver Bullet: Leading Edge Solutions for Leveraging an Aging Workforce, the latest study from the MetLife Mature Market Institute, which was developed in collaboration with David DeLong & Associates, explores what proactive organizations are doing to creatively meet the challenges posed by an aging workforce.

The study includes in-depth case studies about four companies that have successfully implemented programs to address the changing workforce demographics: Boston Scientific, First Horizon Corporation, The Aerospace Corporation and Weyerhaeuser.

Drawing on the experiences of employers that have put innovative initiatives in place to address the changing demographics, the study provides insights for HR managers on such topics as: implementing effective flexible work arrangements, helping older workers successfully transfer knowledge and devising creative solutions for rehiring retirees.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that between 2004 and 2014 the growth in the percentage of older workers will far outpace that of younger workers.

In that period, the percentage of individuals in the workforce ages 55-64 is expected to grow 42%, compared to a 5% increase in workers age 45-54 and an 8% decline in workers age 35-44. At the same time, the percentage of workers 65+ is expected to grow 74%.

“As the wave of baby boomers approach retirement, companies are searching for a silver bullet – a one size fits all approach for addressing the needs of an aging workforce,” said Sandra Timmermann, Ed.D., director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute. “However, what we learned from this new study is that there is no panacea for addressing the needs of a mature workforce.

What’s needed, instead, is a portfolio of strategies and solutions that balance the need to retain older workers while also transferring knowledge to younger workers, so that business performance can be sustained.”

“By learning from others and putting practices in place now, employers will be better able to navigate the dramatic changes coming in the workforce,” added Timmermann. “Organizations that haven’t prepared properly will have fewer options to minimize the impact of retiring baby boomers in order to sustain business performance.”

Valuable lessons learned from the study include:

• The need to think of phased retirement or flexible work options as a program, not a policy;
• How to create effective knowledge sharing relationships between older mentors and younger workers;
• How company-sponsored benefits and retirement planning workshops that focus on the economic consequences of leaving the workforce will encourage some employees to remain in the workforce past age 65;
• The need to make knowledge transfer an explicit part of any job when rehiring a retiree; and
• Why companies must stop searching for the “silver bullet” and recognize that there is no quick fix to these workforce challenges. The solution is a portfolio of integrated programs that will accommodate the changing labor market.

The study also provides specific tips to help employers:

1. Create and leverage a network of former employees;
2. Rehire retirees indirectly on a project basis when pension restrictions prevent direct re-employment;
3. Hire retirees with special expertise to innovate on critical projects; and
4. Tap the expanding pool of older people seeking employment.

“When it comes to solving the problems of an aging workforce, the glass is both half empty and half full,” said Dr. David DeLong, president of David DeLong & Associates, Inc. “Organizations can focus on the barriers or the opportunities. Most executives today recognize that their workforce is going to change dramatically in the next decade. They can maximize the contributions of employees and the assets they bring to the workplace.”

The MetLife Aging Workforce study was conducted during the first half of 2007. While this research focuses on four specific case studies, more than 75 interviews were conducted with managers in 28 organizations identified as leading edge in dealing with the changing workforce. To enhance the findings, more than a dozen experts on aging workforce issues were also interviewed.

Shouldn't that Christmas Feeling Last the Entire Year?

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY LOYAL READERS!

PEACE TO YOU AT THIS SPECIAL TIME OF YEAR, and throughout the year

Wouldn't it be nice if the feelings of appreciation that are expressed between friends and colleagues continued throughout the year?

That is the genesis of the question that our friends over at AZCentral.com raises in their recent article entitled "Show worker appreciation every day"

This timely article discusses the benefits of "showing the love" to the people that are important to us - every day.

Because isn't it a good feeling to know you're appreciated?

Does Workplace Loyalty Cut Both Ways?

I suspect that one of the main reasons why so many people put up with long hours, constant demands to increase output, and even Hamburger Management is simply loyalty: loyalty to colleagues and friends, loyalty to a workplace, even corporate loyalty.

Not familiar with Hamburger Management? A relatively new term, coined by the folks over at Slow Leadership, refers to the process of doing everything as quickly and cheaply as possible. When everything has to be done yesterday, there can be no time for debate or questioning. Blind obedience is required because that is the only response that fits the constant demands for going faster and doing more with fewer and fewer resources. Blaming others? Hamburger Management is like every other type of cheap, shoddy goods. It doesn’t work very well. So those who use it must constantly find excuses to avoid the truth being seen: that they are incompetent because of the methods they are using.

I recently was introduced to an excellent piece entitled: Workplace Loyalty Cuts Both Ways, authored by Carmine Coyote. a brand of Adrian Savage a noted marketing guru, Englishman and a retired business executive who lives in Tucson, Arizona. You can read his serious thoughts most days at Slow Leadership, the site for anyone who wants to bring back the taste, zest and satisfaction to leadership; and his crazier ones at The Coyote Within..   It's really a good article.

The trouble is that organizations don’t appear to have the same sense of loyalty in return. That puts a huge strain on employees. Do you pitch in and help out your colleagues, who are struggling with the latest batch of unreasoning demands from on high? Or do you start polishing your resume and get ready to walk out the door as quickly as possible? Do you stay with your belief that the job you’re doing is both worthwhile and valuable—even if it’s poorly paid, as so many jobs in teaching, nursing, and other public services tend to be?

Or do you decide to follow the money into a different career—or even consider leaving to work overseas—and let go of your loyalty to an ideal?

You owe it to yourself to read Workplace Loyalty Cuts Both Ways
check it out for the full coverage.

Will Learning Simulations Be Our Future?

An IDC survey stated that "by 2008 the use of simulations will quadruple....

Simulations provide a parallel universe in which employees hone their skills... Innovative companies have realized this, and others will follow."

Since the early 50’s the use of gaming/simulation has become increasingly important to training and decision-making processes in academic, business, military, and social settings.  Yet it has been only in the last few years that technology has been able to advance the state-of-the-art with more automated simulations technology.

A simulation is a construct that offers a more comprehensive learning experience by providing:

• Uncertainty
• Unpredictability
• A continuum of options to select
• Instant feedback for learners’ actions
• Instant view of learners’ actions
• Influences of the external environment
• An opportunity to review decisions, and alter them
• High levels of interactivity
• An opportunity to practice skills
• An practical view of the conceptual learning
• High level of engagement, allowing learners to replay it many times

This approach to Adult Learning offers many advantages over traditional approaches to teaching:

• Questioning over answering
• Examine assumptions and implications that underlie various decisions
• Exposing the nature of problems and possible solution paths

Learning Simulation also provides a more fertile learning environment, especially in areas of:

• Discovery learning
• Skills in communication
• Role-playing problem solving
• Leadership
• Decision making

Simulations provide a practical way to see the possible effect that decisions and policies have on artificial cultures and environments. 

The benefits to learners include:

• Greater motivation and interest
• Higher concept retention rate
• Better understanding of relationships
• Focus is on learning rather than the final outcome

Unlike other forms of "conventional learning" these simulations

• Affect participants at an emotional level
• Experience is “real” and often deeply moving for learners
• Characters or entities are personified

Many firms I have interviewed indicate that learning simulations are the most productive training approaches that have, and that it is often difficult to get learners away from the game at the end of the day.  Talk about learner engagement !

We All Want To Work for A Company That Supports Us, Don't We?

I wanted to share this with you my readers.  I received this message from a close friend of ours, who also like myself is a vet.

My cousin sent this to me and I thought you all would like to know about it.  Happy holiday shopping!
Shannon

I know I needed this reminder since Sears isn't always my first choice. Amazing when you think of how long the war has lasted and they haven't withdrawn from their commitment. Could we each buy at least one thing at Sears this year? How does Sears treat its employees who are called up for military duty? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up.

Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years. I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution.

I suggest we all shop at Sears, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement it well deserves. Pass it on.

Decided to check this before I sent it forward. So I sent the following e-mail to the Sears Customer Service Department: I received this e-mail and I would like to know if it is true. If it is, th e Internet may have just become one very good source of advertisement for your company. I know I would go out of my way to buy products from Sears instead of another store for a like item, even if it's cheaper at that store.

This is their answer to my e-mail:
Dear Customer: Thank you for contacting Sears.The information is factual. We appreciate your positive feedback. Sears regards service to our country as one of greatest sacrifices our young men and women can make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden they bear at this time.
Bill Thorn
Sears Customer Care
webcenter@sears.com
1-800-349-4358

Please pass this on to all your friends. Sears needs to be recognized for this outstanding contribution and we need to show them as Americans, we do appreciate what they are doing for our military!!!

It's Verified ! By Snopes.com at: http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/sears.asp (shows the entire article)
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/s/sears.htm

Where to Find Women Building Bridges

Responding to the London 2012 Olympics and the push to get women into Construction, members of the WorcNet Women’s network, based in Skipton, hosted a “Women Into Construction” seminar at the Craven College Construction Launch event on Monday 5 June.

The seminar included presentations from two women ambassadors from the Construction Industry Training Board. Vicky Belton works as a Civil Engineer and Helen Dickinson as a Quantity Surveyor, they each presented on their journey and experiences as women in the construction industry. Attique Barlas told the audience of a scheme to introduce minority groups and women into construction, offering a four week placement and a guaranteed interview which could lead to a job and further training. Mary Kelly gave a very inspiring talk on the work of the Walter Segal Trust which supports people who are interested in self build opportunities, and Keith and Jane Barber from SHE Build UK told of their business which employs and trains women construction workers for their property management and development company in Bradford.

Members of the North Northumberland and Cumbrian Women’s Networks who travelled down to the Launch event are taking back information to their own networks and local colleges in a bid to establish a similar project in their own areas.

Following the formal launch event, some of the WorcNet members who are currently undertaking a 10 week starter course in construction, hosted an evening dinner at the Rendezvous Hotel for the speakers and the guests from other networks, where they talked about their experiences on the course and their hopes for the future.

WorcNet Co-ordinator Debi Hawkins said “We are really pleased that 11 of our members have taken part in this first Women In Construction course and we are working with the College to progress women into more specialized courses later on in the year. We hope to be running another Women In Construction course from September. We will be having a Women In Construction taster day in September which will include presentations, workshops and hands on activities.”

For more information on WorcNet, the courses or the taster day please contact Debi, Kath or Karen on 01756 692788 or worcnet@craven-college.ac.uk

Performance Appraisal and Feedback - What are Today's Management Expectations?

Performance Appraisal and Feedback is an important part of the talent management process.  However, the "equation" is different today than it has been in the past.

I'd like to share with you some ideas on current thinking about:

• Supervisors’ Accountability For Employee Performance
• The Supervisor As Coach
• What Does The Company Need From The Employment Relationship?
• What Do Employees Really Want From The Employment Relationship?

The Supervisors’ Accountability For Employee Performance

Traditionally, management has meant performing the functions of:
Planning

• Define Goals for Future Performance
• Determine Tasks Needed to Meet Goals
• Determine Available Resources

Organizing

• Assign Identified Tasks
• Allocate Needed Resources

Leading

• Inspire Employees to Achieve Goals

Controlling

• Monitor Employee Activities to Assure Progress

Over time, this role has transformed to include an awareness of :

• Decentralized Decision Making
• Flexible, Skilled & Involved Workforce
• Increased Sensitivity in Work Relationships

The Supervisors’ Job Description has thus evolved as a Supervisor of the Work of Other Employees to include :

• Setting Objectives
• Hiring Employees
• Training Employees
• Assigning Tasks to Employees (Delegation)
• Measuring Performance of Employees
• Rewarding/Disciplining Employees

Accordingly, the Supervisor is accountable to the business to

• Meet Their Own Performance Objectives
• Maintain Accurate and Timely Records of Employee Performance Throughout the Appraisal Period
• Complete the Forms Used in Appraising Employees and Return Them to HR on time
• Maintain Their Knowledge and Understanding of the Performance Appraisal Process,, and
• Review Appraisals Together With Employees

In other words, from the Company's perspective, they are looking for the Performance Appraisal and Feedback process to help

• Maximize Employee Productivity
• Employees Focus on Organization’s Objectives
• Employees Take On Responsibility for Their Performance
• Management Understand How to Manage Performance Effectively
• Facilitate Coaching, Counseling and/or Discipline for Poor Performers
• Provide protection From Legal Liability
• Establish an Objective Basis for Development, Compensation and Rewards

The Supervisor As Coach

Management is so 20th Century!  This "old" view of things looks at Management as a often one-way process whereas coaching is two-way, with the coach and the employee constantly giving and receiving feedback.

Coaching then, instead of “Managing” or “Supervising” is a key concept for achieving top organizational performance.  Supervisors become coaches when they use feedback on a continuous basis to reinforce positive behavior or counsel employees to correct actions that do not further the organization’s goals.

What does Coaching involve?

• Being there for them
• Giving them what they really want
• Rewarding them with "ownership" of their part of the business

According to a study conducted by Mercer management Consulting for the Council of Communications Management, 75% of respondents in a study of employee communications indicated that internal communication has a positive influence on employee performance.

The supervisor is the critical link between top management and employees.  Keeping employee communications “up front” and honest helps to build employee morale, contribute to company loyalty, and increase productivity.   

What kinds of things are important for your employees to be aware of?

What Does The Company Need From The Employment Relationship?

Employee engagement is more important today than ever.  Business leaders need to encourage activities that make employees feel more participative in the business.   You also need to reward people who learn more about their jobs, new trends, solve problems, and are willing to make changes.  Employees who feel empowered are far less likely to become chronically absent or quit.

What Do Employees Really Want From The Employment Relationship?

According to a 2001 Randstad North American Employee Review study looking at how employees define success in the workplace, the following dimensions were most frequently cited:

• Being trusted to get the job done
• Opportunity to do the type of work i want
• Power to make decisions that affect their own work
• Finding a company where i want to work a long time
• Getting raises
• Having flexibility
• Many different job options & opportunities
• Getting promotions
• Getting praise & recognition
• Managing (leading) other people
• Gaining seniority

But it gets even more interesting.

• Mature workers (aged 61-75) workers view themselves as "contributors," while viewing their employers as a "benevolent master." Their greatest psychological need is "respect" and their overriding workplace characteristic is "dedication." Having power to make decisions that affect the whole organization is important to them.
• Baby Boomers (now aged 42-60) are "adaptable" and in need of "appreciation." They view employers as "partners" while striving to be "recognized employees.”
• Gen X'ers (new age 27-42) are "realists" in need of "security." The volatile nature of the new economy drives them to perceive employers as "terminators," while they view themselves as "employees with a future."
• And Gen Y (26 and younger) see themselves as "entrepreneurs" and their employers as "providers." They are in need of "attention" while remaining "cautiously optimistic" about the future.

But for all employees, the most important corporate value cited was TRUST…even more than money or title.  A well thought out Performance Review and Feedback system can be a unique experience that can help

• Make employees feel like members of the “Club”
• Facilitate their ideas, suggestions for problem-solving
• Challenge them with new tasks, assignments, projects
• Involve them in setting performance criteria
• Encourage self-evaluation of their performance
• Work together to set performance objectives

Why then, does the Performance Appraisal process often evoke discomfort versus a sense of discovery?  Perhaps that's because often the program is representative of

• Inadequately defined standards of performance
• Sketchy or ambiguous performance documentation
• Inadequate time allotment for the discussion
• Supervisor bias in judging performance
• Reliance on gut feelings; lack of objectivity
• Lack of timeliness of performance reviews
• Lack of employee involvement

So are they still relevant?  YOU BET !   

Your workforce wants to do the right thing, BUT

• They may not know the rules
• They may not have clear goals
• They may lack confidence
• They may have limited ability
• They may be poorly trained
• They may not have the right equipment
• They may have limited communication
• They may be distracted by personal problems

Today more than ever, a well conceived and properly executed program can be used

• To let employees know where they stand and to give them feedback
• As A basis for compensation and rewards
• As A basis for individual training and performance improvement
• As A basis for career planning
• As A basis for business planning
• To document HR decisions, placement,promotions and discipline

Is this your experience?  How about sharing your "success" stories as well as "horror" stories with our readers.

Launch of www.Skills2Compete.org with resources for advancing a 21st-century skill guarantee

 

Reminder!  Register by Thursday, Nov. 8th A 21st-Century Vision for Opportunity and Innovation Launch of the Skills2Compete Campaign A National Webinar Monday, November 12, 2007 at 12:00 p.m. EST To register, email carlam@workforcealliance.or Learn About the Research Harry J. Holzer Professor of Public Policy, Georgetown University Visiting Fellow, Urban Institute will talk about the campaign report, America's Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs by Holzer and Robert Lerman.. Hear from Representatives of Endorsing Organizations National Association of Manufacturers Phyllis Eisen, Vice President, The Manufacturing Institute & Executive Director, Center for Workforce Success International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers R. Thomas Buffenbarger, International President Kentucky Community and Technical College System Dr. Keith Bird, Chancellor Training, Inc. National Elsa Bengel, Vice President, Boston YMCA Education & Training The Workforce Alliance Andy Van Kleunen, Executive Director See the Resources Launch of www.Skills2Compete.org with resources for advancing a 21st-century skill guarantee. Register now for the national launch of the Skills2Compete campaign by emailing carlam@workforcealliance.org. Those who register will receive dial-in information one prior to the event.  Learn more about the campaign and endorse at our temporary campaign website at www.workforcealliance.org/endorseS2C.           The Skills2Compete Vision: Every U.S. worker should have access to the equivalent of at least two years of education or training past high school—leading to a vocational credential, industry certification, or one's first two years of college—to be pursued at whatever point and pace makes sense for individual workers and industries. Every person must also have the opportunity to obtain the basic skills needed to pursue such education.

Visit our temporary campaign website at www.WorkforceAlliance.org/S2C

Men at Work - Gimme a Break !?!

Call it my warped sense of irony...

I was driving down the road today and saw the DOT standard "MEN AT WORK" sign, and noted that there were 3 ladies on the work crew.  I wonder how often the average passerby even considers that these are not just MEN at work?

It should not be a surprise that increasingly, smart women are looking to the construction industry as careers.  The pay and benefits in the construction industry are the best in business and industry. Pay is based on knowledge, skills and experience. Additional coursework and degrees from higher educational institutions paves the way to promotions within the industry. And there are more jobs than employees available to fill the many positions in construction. Whether your ambition is to work in an office or in the field, furthering your education is a vital step in getting ahead and staying ahead.

Many women enter the field of construction because their husbands, fathers, brothers or uncles work in construction and they encourage their wives, daughters, sisters and nieces to come into the field with them. Other women start out working in a construction office processing paperwork and then advance into the field and up the career ladder. Still others like the idea of working outdoors, using their hands to build houses, commercial buildings, bridges and highways, supervising projects and providing a good income for their families.

Women can be found working in construction offices or on-site as architects, CAD technicians, interior designers, estimators, project managers and project superintendents. Some women work on surveying crews; others work as building inspectors and plans examiners for municipalities. The possibilities are unlimited.

There are several ways to learn the construction business.

1. On-the-job training and apprenticeship programs have been the traditional route to construction jobs.
2. College programs and courses in construction management, business, drafting, estimating, surveying, civil engineering, and mathematics prepare women for both office and field positions. Some women continue their educations at the university level. Networking with management and leadership groups helps in moving up the ladder.  Many colleges offer certificates and associate degrees in Architectural Drafting, Computer Aided Drafting, Building Safety and Construction Technology, Civil Engineering Technology, Surveying Technology, Construction Management and Welding. (before you laugh at welding - bear in mind that a journeyman welder with O/T can make $120-130k/yr)
3. Want to check out construction from the comfort of your living room?  There are hundreds of "continuing education grade" courses on construction available online.  For example, RedVector has a large library of "fundamentals-level" online courses that will help anyone interested become familiar with the concepts and language of construction.
4. Another resource is the Arizona State University, Del E. Webb School of Construction that offers a bachelor of science degree in Construction. Starting wages average $50,000 per year.

Looking for change and a career with a long-term future?  Check out these resources...

Interested in eLearning 2.0? Here it is...

Our colleague B.J. Schone over at eLearning Weekly can always be counted on to provide good insight and perspective.

Never to disappoint, B.J.'s recent article on eLearning 2.0 tools provides a much-needed introduction into the exciting area of  the different tools and technologies that can be used to reach this next level of learning.

He introduces Dr Tony Karrer, considered one of the top technologists in e-Learning and Performance Support, who operates 2 great blogs that you'll want to check out as well:  eLearning Technology and the Learning Circuits blog

Lots is happening in the eLearning world, and as a learner, author, or provider you need to stay abreast of the latest trends and technologies.  I think you'll find these sources helpful to you.

Could Mom and Dad help keep young workers in the workplace?

Economists predict that a glut of job openings will wreak havoc on the economy, not to mention happy hour.
There have been plenty of blue-ribbon panels, forums and focus groups to address this issue, but none has answered the basic question: How do we persuade the best and brightest to stick around and help solve this looming worker shortage?

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