Perfect Labor Storm 2.0

Firms struggle to fill jobs; Engineers and nurses top the list

A shortage of qualified job candidates continues despite the economic downturn, according to Manpower Inc.’s annual Talent Shortage Survey.

The company says 30 percent of employers worldwide are struggling to find qualified personnel. Positions in the skilled trades, sales, technical work and engineering remain the most difficult for employers to fill globally.

Manpower surveyed nearly 39,000 employers in 33 countries and territories to gauge their ability to find the talent they need.

The 10 hardest jobs to fill, as reported by 2,000 U.S. employers in 2009, are:

1. Engineers.

2. Nurses.

3. Skilled/manual trades.

4. Teachers.

5. Sales representatives.

6. Technicians.

7. Drivers.

8. Information-technology staff.

9. Laborers.

10. Machinist/machine operators.

Read more.

Social networking: fad or innovation?

History seems to repeat itself when disruptive innovation threatens the established model. Today, you can't have a conversation without hearing about Facebook, Twitter, or texting. Is it another fad...or a disruptive innovation?  Consider how different these organizations might be today had they embraced change rather than resisted it.

 

 In 1939 during the waning hours of the Depression, The New York Times printed this comment after reviewing the television at the World's Fair: "the problem with television is that people must sit and keep their eyes glued to a screen; the average American family doesn't have time for that...for that reason, if for no other, television will never be a serious competitor of radio broadcasting."

 

In 1950, only 12 percent of households had a TV. But by 1958, the number had soared to 83 percent.  Television took local civil rights issues national and brought the Vietnam War home to our living rooms.  Television recorded and broadcast the movements of a massive generation. Television turned youth into an event.

 

In 1983 only 7 percent of households owned computers.  In 1996 only 15 percent of all households in the U.S. had access to the Internet and World Wide Web.  By 2004, forty-four percent owned one and over 60 percent of those households had children.  And by 2008, 100 percent of American schools provide Internet access. Seventy-five percent of teenagers have mobile phones and a similar number use the Internet.

 

In 1977 Ken Olsen, founder of Digital Equipment Company, then the second largest in the world, told the audience at World Future Society that "there is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home."  In 1983 only 7 percent of households owned computers.  By 2004, forty-four percent owned one and over 60 percent of those households had children.  And by 2008, 100 percent of American schools provide Internet access, a far cry from the 15 percent of all households in the U.S. that had access in 1995 to the Internet and World Wide Web.   Today seventy-five percent of teenagers have mobile phones and a similar number use the Internet.

 

 In 2009 many business leaders consider social networking sites a big waste time, just like the New York Times and Ken Olsen considered TV and PCs a few decades  earlier.  But consider this: just as newspapers are shutting down, radio stations are cutting back, satellite radio stations Sirius/XM are just about bankrupt, while LinkedIn is adding subscribers at a rate of about one member per second, Twitter surpassed 17 million subscribers and Facebook passed the 200 million mark.  A passing fad? 

 

Time will tell. But in this day and age of disruptive change, you can ill afford a wait-and-see attitude.

When did baby boomers get so old?

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events. The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general. 
 
The  Grandma replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born, before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact  lenses, Frisbees and the pill. There was no radar, credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens. Man had not invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man hadn't yet walked on the moon.
 
Your Grandfather and I got married first-and then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother. Until I was 25, I called every man older than I, 'Sir'- and after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir.' We were before gay-rights, computer- dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy. 
 
Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.
 
Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege. We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent. Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started. Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums.
 
We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt,  or guys wearing earrings. We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios. If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan  ' on it, it was junk. The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam.  Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of. 
 
We had 5 & 10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents. Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel. And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.
 
You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for under $1,000 but who could afford one? Too bad, because gas was 30 cents a gallon.
 
In my day, "grass" was mowed, "coke" was a cold drink, "pot" was something your mother cooked in, and "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby.  "Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office," chip" meant a piece of wood, "hardware" was found in a hardware store, and "software" wasn't even a word.
 
And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. How old is Grandma?

===========================================
This woman would be only 60 years old!
 
While grandma's memories have apparently distorted some history, her story accentuates the era that older Baby Boomers and their predecessors (the Veterans) recall when they reminisce about their youth.  It contrasts sharply with the childhood that Gen X and Gen Y remember.

The day I took my mother to work and....

My 85 year-old mother is visiting with us this week. I invited her to come to "work" with me yesterday.  Not only was she thrilled that I asked her, the day was full of surprises.

My "job" on Tuesday took me to the SBDC at Salisbury University (MD) where I was leading two seminars: 'I'm on Linkedin, What do I do next?' and 'I'm on Twitter, What do I do next?' That was the first surprise - how many 85 year olds are interested in learning about social media?

We had a near full classroom for both sessions.  I expected a mix of attendees in their 30s, 40s and 50s looking for ways to grow their business. That was my surprise #2: the student demographics weren't at all what I expected. 

At 85 years old, I fully expected my mother would surely be the oldest participant. Boy, was I ever surprised!  Non-traditional and older students took on a whole new meaning yesterday.  One gentleman was my mother's peer at the ripe young age of 85 too!  Another was in his 70s and two were in their 60s.  This gray-haired set was not only interested in using Linkedin, Twitter (and Facebook) but they drove the discussion. Ironically they sharply criticized a few negative comments by two younger participants who seemed more set on debunking social media than engaging it. 

The world is changing and the change is happening fast. Technology isn't just for the chronologically young anymore. The young at heart are illuminating the twilight years.  Retirement for these folks isn't about slowing down but about keeping active and alert.  Four members of the 60+ club were starting new businesses, including the 70 and 80 year olds.  What fun!  For them life isn't about reminiscing but keeping current. I can't wait until the baby boomer wave hits full stride.

You can learn more about who is using technology and social media in our just released Geeks, Geezers, and Social Media survey report. It's free for download at Geeks and Geezers Survey.

While academics and bureaucrats fiddle, dropout rate soars

The high school dropout rate in the U.S. is soaring.  The Obama administration has budgeted  $50 million to dropout prevention program, but solving this problem will require a lot more money and a dramatic change in mindset and attitude.

The alarming scope of the dropout crisis was highlighted again this week in a study released by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston and the Alternative Schools Network of Chicago, a nonprofit known for its work in educating dropouts. Their study, finds that 16 percent of people between the ages of 16 and 24 have dropped out.

The problem is especially pronounced among men, who make up more than 60 percent of those who leave school nationally. The dropout problem hits minorities really hard. According to the study, for example, nearly 1 in 5 African-Americans and nearly 3 in 10 Hispanics ages 16 to 24 were dropouts in 2007.

The 16 percent number, while shocking, does not come close to the travesty and tragedy revealed when one considers the several independent studies that exposes the dropout rate at 30 percent and even higher. Among the most notable, Education Department at Johns Hopkins released a landmark report in 2007 that brought to our attention that over 2,000 high school “dropout factories.”  They coined the phrase “dropout factory,” to describe a high school where no more than 60 percent of the students who start as freshmen make it to their senior year. That description fits more than one in 10 high schools across America.  

Another study led by education advocate and former Secretary of State Colin Powell found that only 52 percent of public high school students in U.S. fifty largest cities graduate after four years, while the national average is 70 percent. The report finds that, overall, 17 of the public school systems in 50 major cities have graduation rates of 50 percent or lower, and the average graduation rate of all 50 systems is 58 percent.

Detroit, by many calculations the poorest US city, graduates less than 25 percent (24.9 percent) of its public high school students. Indianapolis Public Schools graduate 30.5 percent of their students, and the figures for the Cleveland Municipal City School District and the Baltimore City Public School System are 34.1 percent and 34.6 percent respectively.

You might now be thinking that the most recent 16 percent statistic points to a dramatic improvement in our educational system.  But not so fast.

Why the discrepancy from study to study? What is the true dropout rate?

The answer is not as clear as one might want.  Controversy seems to be raging on the definition of a dropout.  How ironic that the academics and bureaucrats fiddle with the characteristics of a dropout that Rome burns.  The researchers and institutions behind these studies can’t agree on what it means to graduate from high school. In addition, there are a number of ways the student dropout rate can be calculated.

For instance, high school completion rates count both those students who receive regular diplomas and those who complete high school by means of an equivalency test, such as the GED. High school graduation rates includes only those students who receive a traditional high school diploma.

But who cares?  Whether it’s 30 percent of 16 to 24 year old who didn’t finish 12th grade or the 16 percent who didn’t even pick up an equivalency degree, the U.S. is falling behind and now ranks 10th among countries worldwide in high school completion.  We need to stop fiddling around and do something.

More reading: The Dumbest Generation?

Working Moms working harder and more stressed this Mother's Day

According to Adecco Group (the largest staffing agency in the world) North America’s latest American Workplace Insights Survey in honor of Mother’s Day, more than three quarters of women are working because they have to, not because they want to. Additionally, almost half (48%) of working moms are more stressed due to the current economic climate and the majority (65%) are cutting their family budget.

Other stats you may find interesting include:

• Half (48%) of working moms wish they could spend more time with their kids

• Nearly one in five (16%) reporting that their work hours have increased in this economy.

• Nearly one in five (19%) of working moms are overcompensating by purchasing material goods for their children.

• 13% of working moms went back to working full-time in this economy.

• Nearly 1/3 (30%) or working moms feel overwhelmed with responsibilities at home

What employers also need to take into consideration is that in 1950 only 33.9% of working age women were employed compared to 60% today.  For more information about working women and other workforce trends, visit www.perfectlaborstorm.com.

Employee dissatisfaction: An accident waiting to happen?

"Employee satisfaction is an elusive goal for many organizations," writes Susan Heathfield on About.com. "I believe that is because employee satisfaction shouldn’t be a goal at all. Employee satisfaction is an outcome, an outcome of business practices that empower and enable employees to contribute to the success of the business."

I couldn't agree more with Susan.  Her perspective that satisfaction is outcome, not a goal, is an astute observation and powerful statement. And if employees don't treat co-workers and customers with respect, dignity, and good customer service why would you keep them? 

Unfortunately as I read the rest of the article, my agreement turned to horror. Susan concluded her article with the following:

"Employee satisfaction is largely a choice employees make. I’ll try to stay out of their way while they create it."

I've never disagreed with a conclusion more than this one. Employees can't create employee satisfaction when the environment doesn't encourage or at least stimulate it. Employee engagement is not solely an employee choice - it's at least a two way street.

Let me share an employee's experience that epitmizes why one employee with a stellar work history cannot possibly be satisfied in her workplace.  Yes, it's her choice to be satisfied or not with the resources and support she receives but she'd have to lower the bar so low that any display of respect or dignity for co-workers and patients would have to be disregarded.

This soon-to-be former employee of a health practice recently confided in me her experiences in what I'd call the poster child for businesses that represent the lowest-of-low satisfying places to work.

In her six months of employment, she has been the victim of dysfunctional and unproductive administrative processes, bickering doctors, defiant co-workers, an inept office manager, and sick and unhappy patients. In her short tenure, every employee hired after her start date has either quit or been fired.

Just this week she was reprimanded by a co-worker for overstepping her authority. She received a call from a patient who received the wrong dosage of sample medicine. She confirmed with the nurse that indeed it was the wrong medicine and called the patient back. Her co-worker told her "it was none of her business" to intervene. "The samples were free and it isn't our [the practice] responsibility. Tell him to throw them out and fill the prescription with his insurance."  Not only does her attitude represent dis-service but makes her complicit in exposing the patient to a great risk.

This is the same employee who sits 3 feet away and bad-mouths patients loud enough that everyone in the reception room can hear.  To put things into even better perspective about how this business operates, she was recently promoted to supervisor.

This total disregard for accepting responsibility and accountability goes right to the top of this organization.  The docs blame insurance companies for their 'plight.'  The office manager blames the docs and the lack of employee work ethic.  The staff blames patients and each other.  When employee dissatisfaction evolves into employee disengagement, outcomes are compromised. The business is an accident waiting to happen.

To be fair to Susan, she did not completely ignore the role of the employer in creating employee satisfaction:

It’s not my job to make up for an employee’s lifetime of blah experiences, bad parenting, poor outcomes, half-baked contributions, failure to take responsibility, and unhappy life choices. All I can do is create a respectful work environment in which employees know what is expected and are enabled to do their jobs – successfully and effectively.

Yes, it is the employee's choice to be satisfied but only if the employer assumes the responsibility to create an environment that makes employee and customer satisfaction a core value, not something you do when convenient.

What do you think? Heathfield clearly states her point of view:

"Do you care about the satisfaction of employees who aren’t performing at their utmost for their customers, their coworkers, and the business? I don’t. In fact, I want them gone."

What role does the employer have in creating an environment that ensures satisfaction among customers and employees.  What responsibility does the employee have?  Let us know.

Read more: Disengaged Workers Aren’t Born That Way

The Appraisals Pocketbook Released

The Appraisals Pocketbook adopts a strongly practical approach in explaining how to set up and run an appraisal system. Using a helpful 5-stage model, the book shows how to identify the job objective and key result areas, how to set clear achievable goals, and how to structure and conduct the performance discussion. The 2nd edition of this popular title has been brought up-to-date by the author and there are new illustrations throughout.

Reviewing the Appraisals Pocketbook, Management Today concluded: 'This little book provides a lot of help. It challenges managers to ask themselves whether they understand what an appraisal is for, and what questions they should be asking'.

Buy The Appraisals Pocketbook today (only $12.50) or take a sneek peak at the 89 other Management Pocketbook topics.

Workforce trends 2010: Changing Career Paradigms

OLD PARADIGMS                                NEW PARADIGMS    

Job/Person Fit......................................Person/Organization Fit                            

Longitudinal Career Paths.......................Alternate Career Paths

Organizational Loyalty...........................Job/Task Loyalty

Career Success....................................Work/Family Balance

Academic Degree..................................Continuous Relearning

Position/Title........................................Competencies/Development

Full-Time Employment............................Contract Employment

Retirement..........................................Career Sabbaticals

Single Jobs/Careers...............................Multiple Jobs/Careers

Change in jobs based on fear..................Change in jobs based on growth

Promotion tenure based.........................Promotion performance based

 

Watch more Workforce Trends That Will Change The Way You Do Business:  

  

Where Have All The Workers Gone? Skills Gaps  (6:33)

Where Have All The Workers Gone? Skilled Worker Crisis  (5:19)  

Friends or foes? Multi-generations at home and work

There's been a lot of buzz lately in the press and board rooms about the challenges of managing four generations in the workplace.  The economic crisis has only exacerbated the situation with older workers staying in their jobs long after anticipated planned retirement.

But the workplace isn't the only place that multi-generational challenges are taking place.

While generational differences have always existed, this is a new dawn.

As a result of layoffs, excessive debt, and an aging population, many people are moving back with family.  Young adults (Gen X and Gen Y)are moving home to get their finances in order, from the 40-year-old recovering from a foreclosure to the 30-year-old saving up the down payment to help him buy his first home.

An excellent article on MarketWatch.com highlighted this socio-economic event:

It's not only "boomerang" kids returning to the nest and creating bigger households. On the other end of the age spectrum, some older Americans lost a good deal of their nest eggs due to the fall of the stock market --funds intended to pay for their everyday expenses or assisted living. Some of them are moving in with family too.

What can result is a household with members who span three generations. Just take the multi-generational White House for example.  Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, moved into the White House after helping with the children, Malia and Sasha, during the presidential campaign.

Multi-generation households aren't all bad.  With grandparents in the house, children can get a strong sense of their family's culture. By helping out with younger children, parents benefit from the extra hands and grandparents often have a stronger sense of purpose. (The same benefit happens in the workplace with older workers get to mentor and coach young workers - and vice verse.)

According to a recent survey by AARP Bulletin:

• 11% of people between the ages of 35 and 44 said they live with parents or in-laws.
• 11% of those 50 or older said they live with
• their grandchildren or their parents.
• 15% of those surveyed said it was likely that they may need to move in with family or friends, or have family or friends move in with them.
• 34% said that a loss in income would drive them to that move.
• 19% said it would be due to a change in job status
• 8% said it would be due to foreclosure.

Read more about Sandwich Generation boomers and boomerang children.

Read more at MarketWatch.com