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

The Herman Trend Alert June 10, 2009 Older Employees' Better Coping Skills Mean Better Engagement Our younger workers are most affected by the current economic crisis even as our older employees are able to handle the trials of this difficult economic time. These findings were recently reported in a study by Boston College's Sloan Center on Aging & Work. Few would dispute that this economic crisis is the worst the United States has experienced since the Great Depression. According to this new report, "The Difference a Downturn Can Make", part of the Center’s Age & Generations Study, this situation has negatively altered perceptions about job security, supervisor support, job quality, inclusion, and overall employee engagement in the workplace. As businesses strive to "get lean" and increase productivity, US workers (like their counterparts worldwide) are reporting they are overloaded. Related to these findings, employees of all ages reported a decrease in employee engagement, "a measure of how invested and enthusiastic employees are in their work". While employees overall reported declining engagement, older workers polled appeared to be handling the economic storm better than their younger associates. Workers in "Generation Y", ages 26 and younger, reported the greatest decrease in engagement, followed by those slightly older workers in "Generation X", ages 27 to 42. Concurrently, the reported levels of engagement for Baby Boomers and "Traditionalists", ages 43 and older, hardly changed at all. Drawing on hard-earned experiences from the past and a time-tested perspective on the ups and downs of the economy, older workers show are more resilient in the face of threatening economic conditions. Other findings from the study also suggest that for employees who felt that their job security had decreased, perceptions of engagement, supervisor support, inclusion, and job quality declined after the onset of the economic downturn. Moreover, while younger workers felt the effectiveness of their work team as a whole dropped as their job security declined, older workers felt the effectiveness of their team held steady. Our forecast is that like, one of the researchers suggested, wise employers will enhance employee engagement by implementing simple, cost-efficient efforts. These efforts will include providing strong training and development opportunities, encouraging work team inclusion, and promoting a culture of workplace flexibility, and supervisor supportiveness. © 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. 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