This Week's Herman Trend Alert Engaged Employees Increase Bottom Line Performance

The Herman Trend Alert June 9, 2010 Teaching Professionalism Recently, many in the United States were shocked to learn of major shifts in young people's attitudes about having children out-of-wedlock. The report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that "approximately 71 percent of females and 64 percent of males between the ages of 15 and 19 said they "agree" or "strongly agree" that "it is okay for an unmarried female to have a child". When we look at their celebrity role models young people, it is not difficult to understand how they developed these attitudes. Young people also pick up other information, values, and attitudes from these role models---information they used to acquire from authority figures they respected. That is why a national survey of hiring human resources professionals and business leaders shows that many college grads fail to show the needed level of personal professionalism. According to a new poll conducted for the Center for Professional Excellence (CPE) at York College of Pennsylvania, nearly 60 percent of the hiring decisions for new college graduates are based on assessments of the applicants’ professionalism. HR pros and business leaders polled identified five primary characteristics of professionalism: 1) personal interaction skills, including courtesy and respect, 2) skills to communicate, and listen, 3) a great work ethic; 4) being motivated and staying on task until the job is completed, and 5) professional appearance, and self-confidence and awareness. When respondents were asked if professionalism had increased, decreased, or stayed the same among entry-level college graduates during the past five years, 86 percent believed levels of professionalism had stayed the same or decreased. Moreover, one in every three respondents believed that fewer than half of all new graduates’ exhibit professionalism in the workplace. Those who cited a decrease in professionalism pointed to young workers’ sense of entitlement for the jobs, changes in culture and values, and lack of work ethic among new workers. Based on the results of this survey, York College founded their Center for Professional Excellence where their students learn professionalism. York College is not alone; many colleges and universities have similar programs with different names. In addition, the Internship Institute's internship certification provides the much of the same material. (www.InternshipSuccess.com Use code "COMP0610" for a 30 percent discount) Expect more academic institutions worldwide to realize the need for this education, as they become aware of the deficiencies in their graduates' preparation. © 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." WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF... What would happen if 25% of your top performers left in the next year? According to a recent study from The Corporate Executive Board, that may well happen to you! Turnover costs A LOT, especially when you lose top performers, and it comes right off the bottom line. Let The Herman Group and its team of very experienced consultants help you address your turnover issues right away. We have an impressive track record and stand ready to help you. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 for a no-obligation conference call. 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. 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. 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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