The new challenge of job retention and turnovers!

On an article about the Down Economy and how recruiters hired cheap skills out of unemployment needs, Joe Ligth published in the Wall Street Journal of November 15 that a good number of top level hires are now looking for greener pastures!

He proposed that"Companies that continued to hire during the slump found they were able to nab talented but recently laid-off workers at bargain salaries, or into jobs for which they were overqualified. Now, as the job market slowly loosens up—and those overqualified hires become more frustrated—some of them are considering greener pastures".

Most companies are now struggling to update their compensations and salaries in fear of loosing the skills and expertize acquired from the resent hiring. I still believe that the market will readjust and balance its self with time. eventually those who move to higher pay jobs will be substituted by new college graduates that will offer new energy to the companies and will learn form the wisdom of those seniors retained in the upper level jobshttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704865704575610473959680264.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_4

Generation X and their future!

As we spoke about intergenerational differences in workforces and economies throughout times, Azriel James Reiph wrote for the Newsweek magazine of November 12 that " Despite looming concerns over entitlement cuts, the percentage of workers between the ages of 25 and 35 who say they’ve saved for retirement has fallen by 22 percent in the last decade, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute".

Due to the negative image of our current economy and the financial world, generation X is being more conservative in investing for their retirement. But the fear of loosing now or risking in in stocks may put them in a situation that will prevent them from retiring at the same levels of the present generation.
As proposed by Cathy Pareto "“We aren’t like our parents or grandparents,” but the safety and low yield bonds favored by the gen X may cause them a delay of 10 years in their retirement age!http://www.newsweek.com/2010/11/12/generation-x-has-jitters-about-investing.html

Over the hill while out of work?

In an article about present unemployment in the US, Emily Glazer published an article in the Wall Street Journal saying that more than 2.2 millions of the 14.9 of unemployed Americans are 55 and older!

That is a scary thought! These people are struggling to meet their family needs and competing with much younger generations and at a global level! The article tries to present some alternatives for those in crisis but the remedy some times sound worst than the reality because they propose to use any resources for retirement and even pay taxes and penalties in the hope that the future will turn around.

Amazing grace!http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303436904575570663472679240.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_4

The future of our jobs!

In an article about US jobs in the recession, Rana Foroohar and R. N. Schneiderman wrote in the November 8 Newsweek magazine that this recession is different because the US unemployment is concentrated in only three sectors, construction, manufacturing and finance!

But they think there are good sectors that had kept a good life or are actually rebounding just now. The interesting point they made is that for a change, globalization is moving our economy up. They say, "The connective tissue between many of these categories is overseas markets, particularly emerging ones. The boom in agriculture and commodities of any sort is mostly a tale of the high-speed growth of emerging markets, which are now demanding more of everything from meat to energy". As part of their logic, they think that India , China and Brazil in their need for resources and goods will continue to put US exports in double digits for quite some time and that will encourage our economy!http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/25/new-jobs-aren-t-where-the-workers-are.html

In my opinion, any good news is great rigth now!

Rewards and Recognition as a business wining strategy

Abstract

If we could agree that human capital is a form of asset management, then we must recognize the critical need for a plan to secure, manage and motivate a workforce to optimize our business performance!

My research pretends to highlight best practices that work for successful companies in the US and to compare with those that had failed in keeping the focus on their workforce.These companies have shown that their proven trend of success always pointed to their workforce, their human resources able to provide the best customer service or product in the market.

In a ferocious market of competition, best practices for retention and compensations include employee motivators promoting employee pride and loyalty and reducing costly turnover rates while also increasing skills as one of the most precious and valuable inventories in business.The research recognize human capital as the accumulated stock of skills, experience, and knowledge that resides in an organization's workforce and drive productive labor. It focus on employee recognition programs as a way to reward work and behaviors that support and further the mission, goals, values and initiatives of the company.

Overestimation of our mangerial skills??

In an article published yesterday by The Wall Street Journal, Joe Light make a point on a survey conducted by Development Dimensions International Inc. were most front line managers tend to overstate their skills. The interesting points they made were related to the way managers tend to be surrounded by employees who flatter them as a way of ingratiating themselves to their boss, said Stanford business professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, author of the book "Power."
But then he also criticize manager in saying, "People also don't understand the feedback they get. They either mishear or choose not to hear criticism,".

I think, in order to be great managers, we must have people's skills that include great communication, good listeners, and an open mind that rewards creativity!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703817604575584764128883620.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_careerjournal

Were are we going to work in the future?

As per Mathew publication in the May 10Th Newsweek Magazine, "the Wireless and mobile technology may have untethered legions from their cubicles, but companies are still spending billions to erect new green buildings". In a passionate argument about technology changes and commuting challenges, the article tries to explain that even with the increased trend to work out of home, "the shift to greater green building has already begun" from big Companies infrastructures investments.

This fact, they say; comes in hand with the ever increasing cost of energy and the need to live closer to our jobs rather than the long commutes. And for that reasoning, they conclude that cities will grow bigger in population density while the suburbs will shrink!

I still think all being said, our Census of 2010 will bring a lot of new data to work with and as in the past; immigration will have a big influence on how America will be shaped for many years to come!
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/05/10/where-you-will-work-next.html