Perfect Labor Storm 2.0

Meet your next workforce: 2010 Beloit College Mindset List

Welcome to the August 30, 2006 edition of The Total View
published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

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1.   Meet your next workforce: 2010 Beloit College Mindset List

Members of the class of 2010, entering college this week and next, were mostly born in 1988. For them: Billy Carter, Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Billy Martin, Andy Gibb, and Secretariat have always been dead.

Each August since 1998, Beloit College in Wisconsin releases the Beloit College Mindset List, a look at the cultural touchstones that have shaped the lives of today’s first-year students.  Whether we like the attitudes or not of younger workers, managers better learn to appreciate how they see the world. These students are our future workforce and without them as employees (or customers), you might as well just close up shop. 

My first match with generational gaps came in 1990.  I remember that a group of us was standing around our reception area.  At the time most of us were in our 30s. A few younger assistants were barely 21 years old.  In the background a song was playing and the youngest of the group, Robyn, says, "I love Paul McCartney."  My office manager Shirley innocently enough says "I didn't know you like 60s music" to which my assistant laughs. "That's not 60s," she says," that's Wings."

Defending herself my manager says Paul McCartney will always be a Beatle to her to which Robyn replies, "Oh I heard of them."  I then jumped in and asked if Robyn can name the Beatles.  He got one - "the dead guy, John something."  George and Ringo were forgotten history.

Time passes quickly and so do life's reference points.  After reading this year's Mindset list, I quickly "googled" the Internet to find the first published Mindset List, a mere eight years ago.  This week's column features my top 25 highlights of the Class of 2010 plus a few significant events from the Class of 2002. 

My-oh-my:  where does the time go?

1.  The Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student union. 
2.  They have known only two presidents.
3.  For most of their lives, major U.S. airlines have been bankrupt.
4.  There has always been only one Germany. 
5.  They have never heard anyone actually "ring it up" on a cash register. 
6.  They are wireless, yet always connected.
7.  A stained blue dress is as famous to their generation as a third-rate burglary was to their parents'.
8. A coffee has always taken longer to make than a milkshake.
9. Smoking has never been permitted on U.S. airlines. 
10. They grew up with and have outgrown faxing as a means of communication.
11. "Google" has always been a verb.
12. Text messaging is their email. 
13. Bar codes have always been on everything, from library cards and snail mail to retail items.
14. Madden has always been a game, not a Superbowl-winning coach.
15. Phantom of the Opera has always been on Broadway. 
16. Carbon copies are oddities found in their grandparents' attics.
17. They have always known that "In the criminal justice system the people have been represented by two separate yet equally important groups."
18. They have rarely mailed anything using a stamp. 
19. They have always been searching for "Waldo." 
20. Sara Lee has always made underwear.

And the one that sent me "googling":
21. They are not aware that "flock of seagulls hair" has nothing to do with birds flying into it. 

To view the entire 2006 Beloit College Mindset List go to:
http://www.super-solutions.com/2006BeloitCollegeMindsetList.asp

And you might want to sit down for these.  Meet the class of 2002, the worker pool now in their mid 20s:

1.. They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan era, and did not know he had ever been shot.
2. There has only been one Pope. They can only remember one other president.
3. They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart, and do not remember the Cold War.
4. They have never feared a nuclear war. "The Day After" is a pill to them—not a movie.
5. They are too young to remember the Space Shuttle Challenger blowing up.
6. Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
7. They never had a polio shot, and likely, do not know what it is.
8. The expression "you sound like a broken record" means nothing to them.
9. They have likely never played Pac Man, and have never heard of "Pong."
10. Star Wars looks very fake to them, and the special effects are pathetic.
11. "The Tonight Show" has always been with Jay Leno.
12. They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool.
13. They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran.
14. McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.
15. There has always been MTV, and it has always included non-musical shows. 

Source:  2006 Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin
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2.  Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #568 to 569

Don't miss day-to-day updates on Perfect Labor Storm. Save the Perfect Labor Storm blog to your favorites. 

Just Released! Listen to "Trends That Will Change The Way You Do Business" - FREE Download:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/netcart.asp?MerchantID=37174&ProductID=2864258

Fact #568:  Wal-Mart is the world's largest corporation, according to 2005 Fortune 500 list. It operates over 5,000 stores worldwide, nearly 4,000 in the U.S. and employs over 1.6 million people— 1.3 million in the United States alone. In the U.S., another 3 million people have jobs directly dependent on purchases from Wal-Mart. (Source: Wal-Mart)

Fact #569:  Wal-Mart is as big as Home Depot, Kroger, Target, Costco, Sears and Kmart combined. Each year Wal-Mart sells more by Saint Patrick's Day than Target sells all year. More than half of all Americans live within five miles of a Wal-Mart store. Ninety percent live withing fiftenn miles of a Wal-Mart. With nearly 4,000 stores, that is more than one store for every single county in the U.S. Each year 93 percent of American households shop at least once at Wal-Mart. Worldwide, 7.2 billion people will go to a Wal-Mart store.
(Source: The Wal-Mart Effect)

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - Only $7.95.
http://www.perfectlaborstorm.com/

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3. NEW! Generational Style Assessment

Test your ability to communication with Gen X, Gen Y, Boomers, and Traditionalists. Our NEW Generational Style Assessment evalautes the communication or relational style you typically project when interacting with individuals or groups of people from different generations. It then provides you insight into those styles that work for you, and what to do about the styles that don't. This self-scoring workbook includes the questionnaire, response sheet, how to interpret your results, and how to understand the different styles.

More about the Generational Style Assessment today
http://www.super-solutions.com/diversity-gender.asp
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4. Managing the Generation Mix
Your workforce is aging. You are committed to hiring new young talent. Everyone agrees you need some new energy injected into your organization. You've had it with Gen-Xers but like what you see in the younger Generation Ys who are just entering the workforce.

But before you go there, what will you talk about? What events have shaped their lives?

*  Ricky Nelson, Richard Burton, Samantha Smith, Laura Ashley, Orson Welles, Karen Ann Quinlan, Benigno Aquino, and the U.S. Football League have always been dead.
*   Iraq has always been a problem.
*  "Ctrl Alt Del" is as basic as "ABC."
*   Bert and Ernie are old enough to be their parents.
*   An automatic is a weapon, not a transmission.

To order Managing the Generation Mix and other pocket guides:
http://www.super-solutions.com/pocket-guides.asp#PB_GenX
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5. Quotes from Hire Authorities

The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun.
John D. Rockefeller, industrialist
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6. Twenty Supervisor Slip-Ups That Lead to Hiring-Related Lawsuits

UPDATED August 7 - Includes new case law reviews involving background checks, reference checks and discrimination. Find out why
others got sued ... and how you can avoid these dangerous pitfalls.

This report will give supervisors the tools they need to say and do the right things when interviewing prospective job candidates; the confidence they need to conduct probing, in-depth interviews without provoking lawsuits. This 40-page report (delivered electronically in .pdf format) now provides you:

A Model Non-Discrimination Policy
A Model Background Check Policy
A Model Reference Checks Policy
A Model At-Will Employee Policy
A Model Equal Opportunity Employment Policy

"20 Supervisor Slip-Ups" is written in a helpful,"coaching" voice, especially for supervisors.

Please send me the special report entitled 20 Supervisor Slip-Ups That Lead to Hiring Related Lawsuits (Save more than 50% when you buy nine B21 Coach reports):
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/javanof.asp?MerchantID=37174&ProductID=3161893
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Ira S. Wolfe Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.

Young workers twice as likely to have sticky fingers at work

New survey reveals that young workers (age 18 to 24 years old) in the United States are twice as likely as older colleagues to steal office supplies for home use without thinking it is wrong according to a April 2006 Spherion Workplace Snapshot survey. And all those missing paper clips and pens add up to more than $50 billion a year.

"A lot of people that steal don't consider it stealing. They just consider it taking things or that it's a fringe benefit," said John Case, head of Employeetheft.com, a security consulting firm based in Del Mar, California.

Cut down on employee theft and absenteeism with CandidClues

For U.S. to keep pace, Boomers must work longer

Fact #625: To offset projected labor shortfalls over the next decade, the 55+ age group will need to increase its labor force participation from 40 percent to 51 percent for males and 26 percent to 40 percent for females. At the same time, the 20 - 29 year olds group will need to increase its labor force participation from 87.5 percent to 105.4 percent for males and 75.2 percent to 90.6 percent for females.  (Source: Watson Wyatt, World Economic Forum 2004)

Fact #626:  The estimated U.S. retiree/active worker ratio is expected to increase by 71.4 percent in the United States by 2030. Switzerland is expected to experience a 100.2 percent increase for the same period. Italy's retirees will outnumber its active workers by 2030.  (Source: Watson Wyatt, World Economic Forum 2004)

More about Helicopter Parents and Boomerang Kids

Welcome to the August 16, 2006 edition of The Total View
published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

1.   More about Helicopter Parents and Boomerang Kids

Last week's column about "Helicopter Parents and Boomerang Kids" generated more activity than I've received in a long time. Two responses in particular stood out.  The first was a response from an editor of a major newspaper; her email is reprinted with permission below.  Her comments are especially meaningful: not only are her comments from the workforce trenches, but her industry is one affected most severely by advancements in technology, demographic changes and the pace of business.   The editor asked that her name and newspaper be kept confidential because her comments express her personal viewpoints, not those of her publisher. 

The second response was a pleasant surprise.  As a result of the "Helicopter Parents and Boomerang Kids" posting on our Human Resources Blog (http://hrblog.typepad.com/hrblog/), our blog has been selected as one of the best career sites on the web by CHIMBY: the career advice search engine (http://www.chimby.com). You can read (and receive) The Total View and other postings on HR Blog or Perfect Labor Storm Blog each week by subscribing online at the blog site.  You can respond to columns in The Total View by posting a response on the blog as well as replying to this email.

*******And now the editor's response to "Helicopter Parents and Boomerang Kids":

It’s all true. It’s a good thing that the newspaper industry is downsizing its print workforce and pumping up its IT presence [this is HUGE in our corporation right now, we’re writing for instant news on the Internet and updating and filling out major stories in the print product].

For me, I think the “perfect storm” has preserved my career. Younger workers don’t want to put in the hours and don’t seem as dedicated to newspapering as the people of my generation. Of course, they could say “retire!” to me tomorrow, but I made it to 20 years with the company last year, so I would be OK.  I think, as long as I can fulfill people’s expectations my job is safe. But if I go, I don’t think they would fill my position because they’re trying to do the move to Online news without more resources. Attrition is making room for new Internet news editors, a sacrifice for the print product. While women in the newsroom once delayed motherhood in hopes of maximizing their career before taking time off for childrearing, they’re now having their babies and expecting to have hours that accommodate their parenting. And their husbands are taking more responsibility with the kids. The men parents are taking maternity leave ... not excessive, but they’re using it. 

The helicopter parent aged kids are a real puzzle. An internship at our paper is a REAL plum summer job for student journalists. Good things happen to the careers of kids who get to work here. But they’re a lot softer than even last year’s crop. We had a young man blow off an assignment, just did not go. I didn’t hear the details, but it was the buzz of the newsroom. First they just didn’t assign him to anything else for several days after a good talking to. And apparently he saw the light because he got a scoop right after that on his own and finished his internship on an up note. But the missed assignment likely will remain in his review.

Our news managers are really challenged when handling a multi-generational newsroom like the one we have.  Except for the interns, everyone has a number of years experience, even the newest hires. We had a news staff retreat last week and they asked us oldsters to stand up and talk about what newpapering was like when we started. Then the people in their 50s, the 40s and 30s. And then the youngest ones who are in their late 20s.  The point of the exercise was how the technology has changed.  But there was a considerable block of us that remember hot type, using manual typewriters to write stories on paper that came in rolls and was torn off, cut up and pasted together to accommodate revisions, the blue and dreaded red pens, the spike where killed stories ended up, pneumatic tubes that took the finished stories down to the composing room, the hubbub and cigar/cigarette smoke in the newsroom (computers killed that). 

Every generation had war stories about big news and tough working conditions. But as we older workers were standing there I wondered if those coming up worked as hard as we did to get here and what it will be like when we’re gone.  Not my problem, really, but it will be interesting to see.

To read the full story about "Helicopter Parents and Boomerang Kids", go to
http://www.super-solutions.com/HelicopterParentsandBoomerangKids.asp
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2.  Perfect Labor Storm Alerts # 565 to 566

Don't miss day-to-day updates on Perfect Labor Storm. Save the Perfect Labor Storm blog to your favorites. 

Just Released! Listen to "Trends That Will Change The Way You Do Business" - FREE Download:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/netcart.asp?MerchantID=37174&ProductID=2864258

Fact #565:  Some 30 percent of U.S.adults are now considered obese.  One-third of teenagers are now believed to be incapable of passing a treadmill test.  (Source: U.S. Army)

Fact #566:  The National Business Group on Health estimates that each smoker costs employers $3,856 a year in added health-care costs and lost productivity.

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - Only $7.95.
http://www.perfectlaborstorm.com/

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3.  Employee Engagement Surveys

Employee Engagement is the level of commitment an employee has towards the organization. The primary behaviors of engaged employees are: speaking positively about the organization to coworkers, potential employees and customers, having a strong desire to be a member of the organization, and exerting extra effort to contribute to the organization’s success.

Our employee engagement survey system allows you to survey the opinions of your staff in three easy steps, all while targeting the management topics most important to your organization.

For more information about surveying your employees, reply to this email to request a consultation and online demo.

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4. Quotes from Hire Authorities

I always tell the kids, "You know what's great about going the extra mile?  There's very little traffic.
Jim Larranaga, George Mason University basketball coach

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5.  Managing the Generations

No doubt about it. The newest diversity issue in the workplace is age diversity. Many organizations have finally figured out how to recruit young talent only to watch them drive down a collision course with seasoned employees over issues like work ethic, respect for authority, dress code and every work arrangement imaginable.

To learn what you can do about dealing with Generational Conflicts:

More about the Generational Style Assessment:
http://www.super-solutions.com/diversity-gender.asp

More about Manager's Pocket Guides to Managing the Generations:
http://www.super-solutions.com/management_development_books.asp#GenBooks

Managing the Generation Mix

Managing Generation Y

Managing Generation X
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Ira S. Wolfe Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.

Sister: No Nun-Sense at Catholic Church

The number of U.S. Catholic sister (nuns) has decreased from 180,000 in 1965 to 68,600 in 2005.

The worse is yet to come - the majority is older than 70 and the younger generation shows little interest.

The priest population is in trouble too.  It is almost unchanged from what it was in 1950 - roughly 44,000. But the Catholic population has climbed from 28.6 million to 66.4 million over the same period.

( Source: Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, Georgetown University)

Helicopter Parents and Boomerang Kids

Welcome to the August 9, 2006 edition of The Total View
published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

1.    Helicopter Parents and Boomerang Kids

For some parents, you've completed the marathon only to find out they've moved the finish line. For employers, the light at the end of the tunnel turns out to be a locomotive.

Much has been written about Generation X, those born between 1964 and 1980. The Xers challenged managers with their independent attitudes, demanding meteoric career paths while securing a health dose of work-life balance. To make matters more difficult, this generation of replacement workers numbered less than half of the preceding Baby Boomers. In other words, just at a time when Boomers were jumping ship for new opportunities or preparing for early retirement, their replacements walked, talked and worked nothing like them.

Over a decade has passed since the Gen-Xers first entered the workforce and most managers have accepted Xers - even if they still don't like the attitude. Now come the Millenials. or Generation Y. Here's the good news: The Gen-Y numbers nearly 80 million strong, comparable if not even larger than the Boomers. Here's the bad: The pendulum has swung: while Gen-Xers grew up with latch-keys, Gen-Yers were the children of soccer moms.

What does this mean for employers? Remember a time when high school graduates got a job and went off to college. These young adults couldn't wait to be on their own, renting apartments or buying houses, getting married and starting families. They left home rarely to return again. Fast forward to 2006 and the world of "helicopter parents" and "boomerang kids." And while we're at it, let's throw in another group: the sandwich generation.

Today, many kids don't leave home. Just a decade or three ago, employees living at home were doomed to no-growth careers. Men living at home were considered momma boys. Time's are a-changin'. According to the National Survey of Households and Families, 10 percent of all children over the age of 25 now live with their parents. Even more surprising is that one third of all American men between the ages of 22 and 34 still live with their parents, an increase of 100 percent in the last two decades, according to the Census Bureau.

For parents the whistle has blown but your shift isn't over. Even when children leave, your privacy and solitude is not safe. Statistics indicate that the boomerang kid phenomenon is indeed on the increase and has doubled over the last 50 years, from 20 to 40 percent. Recent reports indicate the trend promises to intensify. Jobtrak.com, an online job service for students, recently surveyed college students and found that 60 percent of them said they planned to live with their parents after graduation. Twenty-four percent said they planned to live with them for more than a year. Even adult children return home after a failed relationship, sometimes with the grandchildren too.

These boomerang kids challenge home life for a significant segment of the workforce. While catching these young adults on the rebound, many boomers in their 40s and 50s are also finding themselves people caught between the often conflicting demands of raising children and caring for aging parents or other relatives.  Welcome to the Sandwich Generation.

Almost 3 in 10 of those aged 45 to 64 with unmarried children under 25 in the home, or some 712,000 individuals, were also caring for a senior, according to a study based on the 2002 General Social Survey. More than 8 in 10 of these sandwiched individuals worked, causing some to reduce or shift their hours or to lose income.

Indeed, caring for an elderly person could lead to a change in work hours, refusal of a job offer, or a reduction in income. Some 15% of sandwiched workers had to reduce their hours, 20% had to change their schedules and 10% lost income. Also, 4 in 10 sandwiched workers incurred extra expenses such as renting medical equipment or purchasing cell phones.

And if managing Sandwiched workers and Gen-Xers wasn't enough here comes the Helicopter parents. Parents of millennials have been obsessive about ensuring the safety of their children. When the first wave was born in the early 1980s, "Baby on Board" signs began popping up on minivans. They were buckled into child-safety seats, fitted with bike helmets, carpooled to numerous after-school activities. These kids, our newest wave of employees, are confident, achievement-oriented and used to hovering "helicopter" parents keeping tabs on their every move.

Helicopters parents are now crossing the line from being involved with their children's employment to actually running the show for them. Remember the big-mouth parent at Little League? That was nothing. Parents of Millenials are continuing the intense oversight this generation has been known for all along: challenging poor grades, negotiating with coaches and helping kids register for college. Overinvolved parents meddle in college registration and interfering with students' dealings with professors, administrators and roommates. Students who get frustrated or confused during registration have been known to interrupt their advisers to whip out a cellphone, speed-dial their parents and hand the phone to the adviser, saying, "Here, talk to my mom."

Now helicopter parents are going to work. Managers are getting phone calls from parents asking them to hire their 20-something kids. Candidates are stalling on job offers to consult with their parents. Parents are calling hiring managers to negotiate pay packages.

There you have it: an aging workforce, mobile and independent Gen-Xers, stretched and stressed Sandwiched boomers, and doted kids of soccer moms. Planning for tomorrow's workforce will require open-mindedness and adaptability. Managing human resources will require vision and innovation. Recruitment and retention is no longer suited for the meek and mild. The Perfect Labor Storm is not passing quickly and its path is increasingly complex and unpredictable.

2.  Perfect Labor Storm Alerts # 562 to 564

Just Released! Listen to "Trends That Will Change The Way You Do Business" - FREE Download:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/netcart.asp?MerchantID=37174&ProductID=2864258

Fact #562:   Nearly 31 percent of U.S. workers have witnessed co-workers engage in ethical misconduct, yet only 52 percent of them reported it to management. (Source: October 2005 Hudson ethics-in-the-workplace study)

Fact #563:  The Census Bureau estimates that the overall pool who would be in the military's prime target age has shrunk as Americans age.  There were 1 million fewer 18- to 24-year olds in 2004 than in 2000.

Fact #564:  Out of 32 million Americans age 17 to 24, most do not qualify to serve in the military.  2.3 million qualify for medical or misdemeanor waivers, 2.6 million disqualify due to medical problems, and 4.6 million are disqualified for criminal history, obesity and dependents.  (Source: U.S. Army)

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - Only $7.95.
http://www.perfectlaborstorm.com/

==============================================
3.  Generational Style Assessment

Test your ability to communicate with Gen X, Gen Y, Boomers, and Traditionalists. Our NEW Generational Style Assessment evalautes the communication or relational style you typically use when interacting with individuals or groups of people from different generations. It then provides you insight into those styles that work for you, and what to do about the styles that don't. This self-scoring workbook includes the questionnaire, response sheet, how to interpret your results, and how to understand the different styles.

More about the Generational Style Assessment:
http://www.super-solutions.com/diversity-gender.asp

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4. Quotes from Hire Authorities

Who neglects learning in his youth loses the past and is dead for the future.
Euripides

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5.  Managing the Generation Mix

No doubt about it. The newest diversity issue in the workplace is age diversity. Many organizations have finally figured out how to recruit young talent only to watch them drive down a collision course with seasoned employees over issues like work ethic, respect for authority, dress code and every work arrangement imaginable. To learn what you can do about dealing with Generational Conflicts:

More about Manager's Pocket Guides to Managing the Generations:
http://www.super-solutions.com/management_development_books.asp#GenBooks

Managing the Generation Mix

Managing Generation Y

Managing Generation X

Ira S. Wolfe Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.

Social Security has become a poor deal for workers

Fact #612: Under current census projections, the number of working-age Americans (ages 18 to 64) to each resident 65 years and up will fall from 4.8 in the year 2000 to 2.7 in 2050. Maintaining even a modestly positive actuarial ratio of 4 to 1 would require dramatically increasing U.S. population growth to 607 million by 2050, compared to the 392 million now projected. With the fertility of most native-born Americans well under replacement level, achieving such rapid growth in so short a time would require massive increases in already high levels of direct immigration boosted by the higher birth rate of the foreign born. (Source: Social Security: A Tale of Two Problems, Washington Policy Center)

Fact #613: Americans are living longer and having fewer children, and this alters the ratio between the number of workers and retirees. In 1937, 42 workers paid 2% in payroll tax to support every retiree. In 1950, 16 workers paid 3% in tax for each retiree. Today around 3.3 workers pay 12.4% in payroll tax for each retiree. By 2025 there will be two workers per retiree and by 2050 1.3 workers per retiree. (Source: Social Security: A Tale of Two Problems, Washington Policy Center)

Fact #614: Social Security has become a poor deal for workers. When the program started in 1935, the rate of return on a 40-year worker's investment was about 8%. Today someone that age can expect a dismal 1%. Our children's rate of return will be negative if the program remains the same. (Source: Social Security: A Tale of Two Problems, Washington Policy Center)

Fact #615:When the Social Security program was initiated in 1937, the average life expectancy in the U.S. was less than 65 years. Eligibility for benefi ts was set at age 65 in the expectation that fewer than half of the workers would collect Social Security (because they wouldn’t live long enough). Furthermore, when the program started, there were a lot of workers paying into the program and few receiving benefits. (Source: Social Security: A Tale of Two Problems, Washington Policy Center)

Fact #616; In 1945, the ratio of workers-to-retirees was over 40 to 1; in 1950, over 16 to 1; and in 1960, the ratio was 5 to 1. Today, the worker-to retiree ratio is a little over 3 to 1. As the worker-to-retiree ratio fell, the Social Security Administration found it necessary to raise the tax rate from 2% in 1937-1949 (1% employee + 1% employer) to 6% by 1960 to 12.4% in 1990. The 12.4% rate remains today. Furthermore, the SSA found it necessary to raise the level of wages on which the tax is paid from $3,000 in 1937 ($38,400 in 2004 inflation-adjusted dollars) to $87,900 in 2004. (Source: Social Security by the Numbers, www.muhlenkamp.com

For more about worker shortages and workforce trends, visit Perfect Labor Storm.

Detecting Candidates That Are Too Good To Be True

Welcome to the August 2, 2006 edition of The Total View
published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

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1.    Detecting Candidates That Are Too Good To Be True

One of the most frequent questions I am asked is:  "Can't candidates fake out your tests?"

The answer is yes. Anyone can do anything if they really want to. 

The better question is: "Can we detect if a candidate attempted to create a good impression by faking the response?"

To that the answer is yes, too.  Coincidentally this measure is called Good Impression by one publisher of assessments. (Other publishers and psychologists have called it Social Desirability, Positive Response, and fakability.)  The explanation in the "JobClues Technical and Administrative Manual" of what this Good Impression scale measures is one of the best I've read.   I wanted to share it with you. 

It is readily apparent, even to psychologists,  that responses to personality tests are easily faked. That is, the "correct" answer to many, if not most, personality test items is transparent and there is a natural tendency for applicants in selection situations to represent themselves in an especially favorable manner. Excessive motivation in this direction would obviously distort the applicant's scores across the scales. It would seem obvious to most people that it is not in one's best interests to admit on a test to being nervous, to avoid social situations, or usually to be late to appointments, especially when the test is being used as part of a job screening process.

Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that "obvious" items are invariably found to be the more valid ones, as compared to more "subtle" items that attempt to ask the same kinds of questions in a more roundabout fashion. Thus, those of us who develop personality tests tend to ask direct questions and then to include a scale that attempts to identify individuals who are extreme in their attempts to make a good impression by routinely giving answers that deny the presence of any problems whatever, even those that most people find it easy to acknowledge.

The Good Impression Scale in JobCLUES, like other such scales, is composed of items that inquire about behavior that is "too good to be true." For example, one item is "I have never told a lie, even to spare the feelings of a friend." If a respondent answers too many of these items in the direction of making a good impression, then one must question whether this individual's profile on Job-CLUES accurately reflects the person's personal and interpersonal characteristics. At the very least, a test profile with a very high Good Impression scale score needs to be reviewed with great caution.

At the same time, it is important to understand that high Good Impression scores are themselves are indicative of a particular set of personality characteristics, including being highly socially sensitive, finding it difficult to accept any blame, and being very eager to win social acceptance. Although these characteristics may be useful for some jobs, such as a social director or a restaurant maitre d', they likely would preclude success in quality control and many supervisory jobs.

As always, using the Good Impression scale, like the other scales, requires an understanding of the task requirements of the job, and that can be obtained only by a careful job analysis.
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2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #560 to #561

Fact #560:  A total of 40 percent of public school teachers say they don't expect to be in the classroom five years from now. The rate is expected to be even greater among high school teachers, half of whom plan to be out of teaching by 2010. (Source: National Center for Education Information)

Fact #561:  In 1996, 24 percent of teachers were age 50 or older. By 2005, 42 percent of teachers are. (Source: National Center for Education Information)

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - Only $7.95 at http://www.perfectlaborstorm.com

Don't miss day-to-day updates on Perfect Labor Storm. Save the Perfect Labor Storm blog to your favorites:
http://hrblog.typepad.com/perfect_labor_storm/

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3.  Get Clues Before You Hire

The JobClues™ Assessment measures an individual’s core behavioral traits and cognitive reasoning speed.  The reporting then describes those measurements in the context of various job categories and what affect they may have on performance.  The specific measurements are:

• Conscientious (Organization):  Describes the degree to which the individual is persistent, motivated, and organized, ranging from being highly disciplined and dependable to being lackadaisical and carefree.
• Tough-Minded (Likable):  Describes the degree to which the person is pleasant and agreeable, ranging from being warm, tolerant, and tactful, to being tough-minded, skeptical and direct.
• (Un)Conventional (Rules):  Describes the degree to which the individual is predictable, rules oriented and structured, to being open to new ideas, adventuresome and inconsistent.
• Extroverted:  Describes the style and focus of an individual’s emotional energy, ranging from being outgoing, dominant, ambitious, and sociable, to being introverted, shy, and quiet.
• Stable:  Involves the degree to which an individual is emotionally stable and resistant to stress, ranging from being well-adjusted, calm, self-confident, and poised, to being sensitive and anxious.
• Teamwork:  In addition, Clues includes a Teamwork scale that measures the applicant’s attitudes towards teamwork versus individualized work environments.
• Good Impression: A validity scale that measures the degree to which the person has responded frankly to the test items or is responding in such a way as to make a good impression.
• Cognitive Reasoning:  A general reasoning scale that measures problem solving and learning speed.

JobClues™ is available in English, Spanish, and soon Chinese languages.  Additionally, specialty suites are available for Healthcare, Hospitality, Property Management, Staffing, and Construction.
There are also “coaching” reports available for use with current employees: our DevelopmentClues™ suite of reports includes PerformanceClues™, ExecutiveClues™, Leadership Identifier, and Leadership Development. 

Over 50 benchmarked job templates are now available. View sample reports at:
http://www.super-solutions.com/SPSsamplereports.asp
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4. Quotes from Hire Authorities

Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation; inaction saps the vigor of the mind.
Leonardo da Vinci

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5.  Motivating Hispanic Employees
A Practical Guide to Understanding and Managing Hispanic Employees

Hispanics make up a huge percentage of the workforce in the hotel, food, manufacturing, service and many other industries. As a manager or co-worker do you understand the motives and needs behind the behaviors? Do you want to learn how to create a more inclusive environment, and how to increase your effectiveness with cross-cultural communication to get results?

Learn more at:
http://www.super-solutions.com/books.asp#diversitybooks

Ira S. Wolfe Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.