Archive for October, 2005
Wednesday, October 19th, 2005
Labor shortage? Look to next decade, experts say
-Randy Southerland, Atlanta Business Journal
While predictions of a labor shortage have produced considerable hand-wringing in the press, experts say that business and industry, who now have their pick of workers for the first time in years, are doing nothing to prepare for a return to 1990s-style shortages.
“They can see the stats, but they don”t realize the impact. And even if they are starting to consider it, they say, ”We can’t worry about that now,” ” said Art Schoeck, president of Data Dome Inc., a work force evaluation and coaching firm. Many businesses, particularly publicly held companies, are focused on short-term profits and have largely avoided developing a recruiting policy that can attract workers in a tight labor market.
Almost three years later, we still don’t see significant changes in company policies.
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Tuesday, October 11th, 2005
Frustrated because you can’t actually get to human being in customer service? Here is a lovely little resource for you. The Find a Human IVR Phone System Shortcuts provides a listing of major companies, website addresses, phone numbers, and steps to find a human once you are in their telephone system.
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Friday, October 7th, 2005
HR.com, the largest research and Web destination for HR Executives, recently published a research paper, “Job Profiles and Job Profiling: A Survey of Current Practices,” which finds a significant gap between espoused importance given to hiring the right person and current job profiling practices.
“Job profile refers to the definition of ”what the organization is looking for” in selecting for a given position. It simply makes sense that if you want to select the right person for the job, you need to know what you are looking for,” the report states.
HR.com surveyed 631 members from a wide range of companies who are senior managers and executives responsible for the staffing function in their organizations.
Not surprisingly, job requirements, requisite skills, and knowledge requirements lead the list of what organizations include in their job profiles. What is surprising is that “competencies” are included in only 62.2% of profiles and personal characteristics, at 37.9%, are included significantly less often than any other element.
Another interesting finding is that overwhelmingly, managers are given either no training (35%) or minimal training (43%) with respect to job profiling, compared to a reasonable amount (17%) and a comprehensive amount (5%).
Other questions addressed linking job profiles with other systems. Only 18% link job profiles to an employee development system, compared to 42% who do not, and 40% who answered “somewhat.” Just over 40% link job profiles to a job grading/job evaluation system, while 37% link job profiles to a performance management/performance appraisal system.
We match your job profiling needs to the most appropriate tool. Since we do not exclusively represent any one manufacturer or single product line of tools, we have the freedom to evaluate each instrument on its own merits. It is in the best interest of everyone to ensure fit between needs, costs, and appropriate application.
We are also advocates for the ethical and responsible application of these tools and are familiar with the ways they are typically misused. We offer a free consultation on your current needs and how best to meet them. Then, we guide you through the optimal process for each of the tools. Our expertise makes the difference.
Examples of Job Profiling Tools (in no particular order):
- Behavioral Style Job Analysis – Creates a DISC behavioral style personality profile of the job itself; used for job descriptions, communication, and building validated position benchmarks.
- Behavioral Job vs. Applicant Style – Compares the behavioral styles of the job and of the applicant, used after the optimal style of the job has a valid benchmark.
- Assess Expert System – Premier tool for behavioral style, thinking style, work style, motivations and optional intellectual abilities. Selection, development versions.
- SSM Strategic Success Modeling – A method of using the Assess Expert System to create a definition of the job itself, and then to compare the person to the position profile.
- Trimetrix System – Analyzes a position with 37 factors, defines a development plan and compares incumbents or applicants to a position.
- JAX – Profiles the optimum behavior for a particular position.
- Task Quotient – Measures the percentage of time spent on routine tasks, trouble-shooting, and projects. Multi-respondent, comparisons, and development versions available.
Call us at 404-814-0739 for your consultation.
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Friday, October 7th, 2005
Americans are working from anywhere and everywhere, including while “on vacation.” Webinars and conferencing, email, internet access to intranet, and so on have made workers more mobile, less tied to a desk. But do they know when to stop working? Do they feel that they can?
What is the optimal balance between work and home life for a thriving, engaged worker?
Out of 135.4 million American workers:
- 45.1 million worked from home
- 24.3 million people worked at client’s or customer’s place of business
- 20.6 million in their car
- 16.3 million while on vacation
- 15.1 million at a park or outdoor location
- 7.8 million while on a train or airplane
Among the 45.1 million Americans working from home, the average number of locations they work from is 3.4.
ITAC, the Telework Advisory Group for WorldatWork, reports that millions of Americans are working in a variety of different locations outside of their Employer’s office. This result is based on research conducted for ITAC by The Dieringer Research Group as part of the 2005 American Interactive Consumer Survey. The national survey was conducted from August 15 – September 1, 2005. The survey asked respondents to check up to 13 different locations where they may have conducted work in the past month.
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Thursday, October 6th, 2005
The rapidly aging global workforce – caused mainly by the number of retirement-eligible employees continuing to work – is both a challenge and major opportunity for corporations, according to a report released by The Conference Board. America’s Aging Workforce Posing New Opportunities and Challenges for Companies
“The maturing workforce is often seen as an issue to be dealt with instead of a great opportunity to be leveraged,” says Lorrie Foster, Director of Research Working Groups at The Conference Board and co-author of the report with management consultant Lynne Morton and noted author Jeri Sedlar, Senior Advisor to The Conference Board on mature workforce issues. “The skills and knowledge mature workers possess can be utilized to great advantage by a company that knows itself well and can identify its weak areas that can be bolstered by the right mature workers.”
Industries currently feeling the greatest pain in terms of skills shortages are oil, gas, energy, healthcare and government. Leading companies in these sectors are turning to mature workers to ensure future growth and productivity. These companies recognize that a maturing workforce can positively impact customer satisfaction and profitability, but not without effective initiatives designed to make it easier for different generations of workers to work better together.
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