This Week's Herman Trend Alert The Consequences of Virtual Meetings

The Herman Trend Alert January 13, 2010 Job Satisfaction-Unemployment-Job Growth Recently, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its monthly unemployment rate for November. Not surprisingly, the stated number was 10 percent---not including the discouraged-unemployed or the under-employed---both of which are substantial. The Conference Board research group recently reported job satisfaction has fallen to a record low of 45 percent, the lowest level ever recorded in 22 years of surveys! Extrapolating from that number, more than half (55 percent) of US workers state that they are "dissatisfied" with their jobs. It is also logical that the most dissatisfied group is workers under the age of 25---64 percent of whom said they are unhappy in their jobs. Given that many employees are juggling the work of departed workers, these statistics do not shock us. Corporate America has sacrificed the health and well-being of its employee populations on the altar of profitability. Some would say they are "lucky to have jobs at all", while workers have a different view. According to well-respected reward and recognition guru Bob Nelson (nelsonmotivation.com), over 80 percent of today's workers report feeling over-worked and under-appreciated. When the economy improves, we will again shift back to a sellers' market for labor. The result is later this year or early next year, we will see an unprecedented level of churning in the labor marketplace, as employees who are "corporate cocooning" escape the discomfort of the jobs they have been waiting to leave---in some cases---for years. What is stopping job growth? We know that the bulk of job growth (estimated at 80 to 85 percent) takes place in small and medium-size firms; the entrepreneurs and business owners are also acting out of fear. According to Ted Daywalt, President of VetJobs, the US' largest veterans' job board, they have several concerns. Among those fears are lack of access to capital―the banks simply aren't loaning, an increasingly onerous regulatory environment (especially regarding discrimination in hiring), and the health insurance mandate for small businesses. Until these and their other concerns are addressed, we will see a continuing reticence to hire. This reticence is bound to slow the recovery. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: RETENTION SPECIALIST PROGRAM A growing number of people have expressed an interest in attending our Employee Retention Specialist Certificate Program. We'd like to schedule on that's convenient for those who want to attend, but need your feedback to do so. Please place RETENTION SPECIALIST in the subject line and Joyce will personally call you back to schedule the workshop. Or you can call Joyce directly at 336-210-3548 (PDT this and next week). BUSINESS IS PICKING UP Most employers are unprepared. The recovery will bring a new set of challenges for employers that have been in prolonged contracted mode. They will need more skilled workers or will need now to begin to upskill their current staffs. But organizations can not engage in Strategic Workforce Planning, when they don't know how. That's where The Herman Group can help. We can help you with your "People Review"----large or small---so that you will know who you will need and when you will need them. . . and we can also guide you to the best sources for the people you will need. For more information, call Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail joyce@hermangroup.com. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR EMPLOYEES REALLY THINK AND FEEL Discover what’s really going on in the hearts and minds of your employees. Our InnerViews interviewing service uses SPHRs and PHRs, certified human resource professionals to probe for the information you really need to know. Exit and Stay Interviews, as well as Why-Didn't-You-Take-Our-Offer Interviews. Call Rosalie Catalano at 937-416-7066, or read more at: http://www.hermangroup.com/retentionconnection/exit_interviews.html. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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