Joyce Gioia-Herman - Future Workforce Trends

The Future of Brand-Building

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0600

When picking media, we choose the most cost-effective and efficient medium available. From China, where young people spend an average of 16 hours per week surfing the net and only 11 hours watching television, comes the serialized Internet-based medium titled "Lucy's Diary".

In this innovative, successful series, consumers decide what the character Lucy will do every day. This high level of interactivity serves to engage consumers and build brands. Sponsored by Estée Lauder's cosmetic and skin care line Clinique, the story centers on the brand.

According to Marketing Guru Martin Lindstrom, this use of the Internet represents "the next generation of product placement in which the show is built around the brand, the product being the central character". In the future, all brands will be reinforced using online, television, or other media, possibly including mobile platforms, too.

But wait, there's more! There is another brilliant, leading edge brand-building, product placement concept that deserves discussion: www.houseparty.com. A "House Party™" is actually thousands of parties across the United States. Hosted by consumers, these events highlight a product or service the sponsor wants its best fans to experience firsthand and share with their friends. Here's an example:

December 05, 2009, General Mills will sponsor the Betty Crocker® Cookie Mix House Party™. In homes across the country, groups of consumers will celebrate their passion for baking. Interested consumers are encouraged to "invite friends and family over to share recipes, baking tips, and inspiration while creating cookies that are uniquely theirs".
Starting with Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes, the company promotes discovering "the endless [baking] possibilities". Party hosts receive "a robust party pack" full of Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes, recipes, and baking must-haves. Would-be hosts are vetted with a 12-minute survey. Hosts are expected to blog and tweet during the party and post pictures on line.

Both Lindstrom and I forecast that more of these brand-centered, interactive net-shows will appear in the near future, creating a more efficient new product placement standard. Extending to mobile, virtual universes, and other leading edge platforms, these new direct marketing media will allow brand builders to more highly target their markets.

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GOOD SELECTION = BETTER RETENTION

If you are not using pre- and post-employment assessments, you are flying without radar---not very smart in today's highly competitive environment. Let us help you better understand your candidates AND your employees. In less than 30 minutes, you will know their capabilities; their work behaviors, even their personality and attitudes (like integrity & ethics), and those can't be trained. It's very cost effective, too! For more information, contact Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail assessments@hermangroup.com. Validated for many countries and cultures. We offer in-depth help with job descriptions, too! http://www.hermangroup.com/assessments.html

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ARE YOU READY FOR THE RECOVERY?

Most employers are unprepared. The recovery next year 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 email joyce@hermangroup.com

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LOOKING FOR A DYNAMIC KEYNOTE SPEAKER WITH A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE?

You need look no farther. Joyce Gioia (joy-yah) is a sought-after speaker in Asia and Africa as well as Europe, and of course the United States. Joyce shares her knowledge and expertise about talent engagement and retention with business executives around the globe. Her understandings and insights will inform and fascinate you. For more information, call Carol McKinney at 336-282-9370 or visit the web site at http://www.hermangroup.com/joyce.html for more information on Joyce's topics.

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Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

Herman Trend Alert: Differences in Work Attitudes — What They Really Mean

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0600

The findings of a recently released large-scale study of workplace and development attitudes reveals that contrary to what many believe, minority employees are just as engaged (or disengaged) at work as their white colleagues. Specialist in attitude research, Sirota Survey Intelligence reviewed over 800,000 employee responses in 40 companies over the last five years.

Specifically, white employees in management were 80 percent "favorable on [employee] engagement", while minorities were at 81 percent. Non-management workers had similar results with whites scoring 76 percent "favorable on engagement" and minorities scoring at 79 percent. Bottom line, minorities were actually slightly more engaged than whites.

However, at the same time, African-Americans perceived less fairness in their workplace and development opportunities than all other ethnic groups surveyed. Among management employees, African-Americans polled at 61percent "favorable on fairness" versus whites at 75 percent, Hispanics at 74 percent, and Asians at 68 percent.

Not surprisingly, among non-management employees African-Americans polled even lower. African-Americans were only 59 percent "favorable on fairness" versus whites at 66percent, Hispanics at 67percent, and Asians at 64 percent.

Again, regarding "development opportunities", among managers, African-Americans perceived the least, although they recognized the same "advancement opportunities". On development opportunities, the discrepancy between African-Americans and other groups was five to six points, while on "advancement opportunities", all of the groups were almost at the same level of favorability.

Other highlights include the fact that Hispanic employees (both management and non-management at 83 and 89 percent respectively) were the most engaged group, while non-management Hispanic employees are also most favorable regarding their advancement opportunity. "This is great news for Corporate America as Hispanics represent the fastest growing minority at work," said Douglas Klein, President of Sirota. It is important to include Hispanics in training opportunities. Otherwise, "the pride and optimism felt today could wane", continued Klein.

So what do these findings mean for employers in the future? These data reflect that African-Americans and other minorities perceive a lack of fairness in their workplace. As more minorities rise into positions of power, we expect that the fairness numbers will level out or perhaps even tip in the opposite direction. People want to do business with and promote others who are like themselves.

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WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED WITH THE EMPLOYER OF CHOICE® AWARD?

Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. In the future, being an Employer of Choice® will not be optional. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 to arrange a no-obligation conference call. Now announcing an opportunity in Africa (Ghana). Email joyce@EmployerOfChoice.com for more information.

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YOUR EMPLOYEES NEED THEIR LEADERS MORE THAN EVER

Help your leaders to excel. Thousands of leaders have used our weekly Lessons in Leadership to help their supervisors and managers remember how to hold onto top talent. The 52-week subscription is only $47, a bargain when you think about the savings to your organization in reduced turnover. Quantity discounts available by emailing joyce@hermangroup.com. Order today at www.hermangroup.com/store/subscription_all.html#3

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WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S COMING?

Joyce Gioia (joy-yah) is an inspirational futurist who freely shares her knowledge and expertise about talent engagement and retention with business executives around the globe. Her understandings and insights will inform and fascinate you. For more information, visit the web site at http://www.hermangroup.com/joyce.html for more information on Joyce's topics or email Joyce@hermangroup.com

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Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

Herman Trend Alert: Using Social Media to Prevent Disease

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0600

Capitalizing on the growing popularity of social networking among young people, organizations dedicated to the prevention and control of disease have begun using these sites to fulfill their purposes. A brand new Facebook application was launched last week to help educate, motivate, and mobilize young people to prevent the spread of Humanpapilloma Virus (HPV). For a while now, Facebook has had a breast cancer prevention application.

Through Facebook, "Fact Check: HPV" (hpvfactcheck.org) encourages visitors to take an interactive, educational quiz about HPV, find additional resources, and commit to take action. But the big news is that for the first time, concerned friends can anonymously share this application with others in a trusted relationship, because they are already Facebook friends. According to Derek Hansen of the University of Maryland (UM)'s College of Information Studies, the new system creates "plausible deniability" and capitalizes on friendships to prevent disease. UM's iSchool collaborated with the Partnership for Prevention to launch this application.

The level of HPV infection among the United States sexually active population is shocking---over 80 percent carries at least one strain of this dreaded virus. In fact, a recent study conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that one in four adolescent girls between the ages of 14 and 19, or 3.2 million teen girls, is infected with at least one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases---(HPV, Chlamydia, Herpes, etc.).

Given that the use of social networking sites has quadrupled over the last four years and over 75 percent of young adults, age 18 to 24, have an online profile page, it is logical that organizations like the Partnership for Prevention would get behind this initiative.

At the same time, the CDC has been online technology and social networking for a while. In addition to providing quizzes, eCards and eGames to engage the visitor to its website, the CDC has even its own island in the virtual world of Second Life.

Expect to see social networking used to promote all kinds of agendas to this cohort of young people who are very comfortable connecting technologically.

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GOOD SELECTION = BETTER RETENTION

If you are not using pre-employment assessments, you are flying without radar---not very smart in today's highly competitive environment. Let us help you better understand your candidates and your employees. In less than 30 minutes, you will know if they can do the job (abilities); their work behaviors, even their personality and attitudes (like integrity & ethics), and those can't be trained. It's very cost effective, too! For more information, contact Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail assessments@hermangroup.com. Validated for many countries and cultures. We offer in-depth help with job descriptions, too! http://www.hermangroup.com/assessments.html

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MOM ALWAYS TAUGHT IT WAS GOOD TO SHARE

You have probably subscribed to The Herman Trend Alert for a while now and you know how valuable it is to you. Why not suggest that your friends sign up at http://www.hermantrendalert.com? Join the thousands who subscribe in 82 countries around the globe. Are there particular topics you'd like to see covered? Let us know and we will research "The Future of. . .". And let us know how else we may serve you? Email: joyce@hermangroup.com

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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

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

Unprecedented Churning is Coming

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0600

Now in its fifth year, the 2009 Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report reveals some fascinating insights into what is going on in the hearts and minds of today's employees. A collaboration of the international staffing firm Robert Half, Inc. and a global provider of human capital solutions, Career Builder, this year's report provides an overview of the current hiring environment and a preview of the post-recession job market.

A full 47 percent of managers surveyed cited "a shortage of qualified applicants" as their top hiring challenge*. Hiring managers said their time-to-fill a vacancy was an average 4.5 to 14.4 weeks. They also reported that 44 percent of the resumes received are "not qualified". The characteristics most valued by these hiring managers were "multitasking", "initiative", and "creative problem solving". Forty percent also reported that when the economy improves, they expect to use money as their primary method for retaining top performers.

Medical Research Will Inform Personal Choices for Some

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0600

Many people around the world are overweight, however no where is that more apparent than in the United States where over two-thirds of the population (66.7 percent)* are overweight or obese. Recent studies help us understand why.

A new study conducted by the National Cancer Institute confirmed what others implied---frequently eating red and processed meats increases your risk of dying by at least 33 percent. Researchers defined "red meats" to include beef and pork, while "processed meats" included sausages, hot dogs, and all cold cuts.

This large-scale study followed 500,000 people for 10 years. Reflecting on this study, Professor Barry Popkin at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and author of "The World Is Fat" wrote in the "Archives of Internal Medicine":, ". . .the need is for a major reduction in total meat intake".

Also released in the last few months was a new recommendation from the American Heart Association (AHA): American women should not consume more than 100 calories (about six teaspoons) of added sugar a day, while men should limit their intake to no more than 150 calories (about nine teaspoons). The AHA defines "added sugar" as sugars put into foods during processing, cooking, or consumption.

US Brain Drain

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0600

More than 50 percent of the science graduate students in the United States are foreign-born. Due to a lack of emphasis on the STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology, and Math) subjects and the fear that the curricula will be too challenging, native-born students have passed up these post-college options. Filling the void have been the foreign-born for whom a US graduate degree was and is a meaningful ticket to a prosperous future.

A trend we forecast numerous times is now official: Within the next five years, hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Indian immigrants, who in the past would have stayed and worked for US companies, will go home permanently. This history-making trend was recently revealed in a recently released study, by Professor Vivek Wadhwa of Duke University. The Brain Drain is already affecting US companies and will have an increasingly devastating consequence.

Team Building for Good

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0600

In past issues, we have discussed the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its value in internal and external marketing. We have also reported teambuilding activities increase productivity and retention. Now, there is a company that helps organizations accomplish both goals---simultaneously.

Teambonding is a corporate team building company on the leading edge. They have over 75 unique, customizable programs breaking new ground in many areas. Innovators of scavenger hunts, culinary team building, and military care programs, Teambonding is the vision of founder and owner David Goldstein.

Working together on activities that reach out to those less-fortunate inspires employees and cultivates a sense of camaraderie that enhances morale long after the missions are completed.

Here are some of the programs available from this cutting edge company:

Healthcare Reform

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0600

As the United States thinks about healthcare reform, it seemed appropriate to look at ways to reduce medical costs without sacrificing quality of care. Some of the leading edge healthcare solutions are clearly non-traditional. They include "disruptive healthcare innovations, such as medical tourism, retail clinics, medical homes, alternative and integrated medicine, and cyber visits. To help employers capitalize on these potential cost-reducing innovations, the consulting firm Deloitte LLP created the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.

For a while now, we have heard about the tremendous cost advantages of "medical tourism", traveling abroad to receive superior medical, dental and cosmetic care at what are characterized as "state-of-the-art medical facilities" throughout the world at a fraction of the cost of US, UK, or Canadian healthcare systems. In 2006 alone, more than 750,000 US citizens left the country to find less expensive medical treatments. That number is projected to grow to six million by next year, potentially saving US employers billions of dollars.

"Glamping" on the Rise

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0600

Years ago, while investigating safari travel in Africa, we discovered this trend in its infancy, though it did not have a special name then. Glamping or "glamorous camping" is simply a more comfortable and luxurious form of sleeping outdoors than regular camping.

For people who love the idea of experiencing nature and sleeping outside, but are somewhat put off by "the bugs and the bears", glamping is an ideal compromise. With a comfortable air mattress and protection from the insects, guests enjoy the best of both worlds. Upscale adventurous couples are the best market for this type of travel; there is something romantic and bonding about restfully sleeping outside together.

Recently when TripAdvisor, the online travel community, surveyed more than 2,000 travelers 15 percent said they had participated in some form of glamping that included "more amenities than generally associated with traditional rustic camping".

Energy from Algae

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0600

When we wrote about biofuels in the past (http://www.hermangroup.com/alert/archive_6-13-2007.html), we included the importance of using non-food-grade feed stocks. Versatile algae can be fed sewage and carbon dioxide and grown in many places, including deserts, ponds, and oceans. Within the next year or two we expect the number of companies involved in producing biofuels from algae, already over 50, to double.

For years, ExxonMobil was publically skeptical about biofuels; last month, the company invested about $600 million into a collaborative research and development program with Synthetic Genomics. According to a research associate with Lux Research, private investment in algae fuel ventures has at least doubled every year since 2006. This trend is likely to continue.

Among other approaches, Synthetic Genomics is considering the use of adjusted metabolic pathways in algae to boost the plant's oil production. (Metabolic pathways are processes involving genes and proteins that facilitate the transformation of algae to biofuels.)

The Neuroscience of Marketing

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:00:00 -0600

A pioneering study on Neuromarketing will change forever the way marketers and advertisers promote their goods and services. The field of "Neuromarketing" provides a scientific basis on which to make sound advertising decisions, using research about what we know works. Conducted by Brand Futurist and Advertising Guru Martin Lindstrom, this study took three years and seven million dollars of his clients' money to complete. Some of us, who for years have believed the party lines that "sex sells" and "engendering fear turns people off", are in for a big surprise.

Examining over 2,000 subjects in the United States, England, Germany, Japan, and the Republic of China, and using some state-of-the-art machines, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology, Lindstrom exposed his subjects to advertising messages then watched what happened within their brains. What he discovered was fascinating.

In fact, sex does not sell anything. Actually, it distracts consumers from the intended messages. So using scantily clad men and women to sell products and services is not the best use of advertising dollars.

Prestigious Occupations and the Future

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:00:00 -0600

Recent research from Harris Interactive highlights those occupations most and least-respected in our society. For the second year in a row, the most prestigious occupation among those over 1000 adults surveyed was "Firefighter". An astounding 62 percent of respondents attributed "very great prestige" to people in this occupation, up five points from its score last year. Second, third, and fourth with 57, 56, and 54 percent were "Scientist", "Doctor", and "Nurse", respectively. Rounding out the top six most prestigious occupations were "Teacher" and "Military Officer" that both scored 51 percent.

On the other end of the spectrum were "Real estate agent/broker" at five percent, "Accountant" at eleven percent, "Stock Broker" at 13 percent and "Actor" at 15percent. The later was a surprise, given the worship that we see of celebrities and their adoration by the media and fans. Between 65 and 80 percent of adults said that that these occupations have "hardly any" or only "some" prestige.

The Approaching Senior Surge

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:00:00 -0600

In our book "Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People", we talked about the senior boom that would drive the economy. Beginning in 2012, the Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964), 76.4 million strong, are approaching their 65th birthdays. As their saving-minded parents, pass away, they will inherit billions of dollars.

In fact, according to a report from the McKinsey Global Institute, maturing Boomers will be the most affluent demographic segment in recorded history. McKinsey believes their money will represent 40 percent of all of the transactions in the United States in the next decade. Imagine the political clout they will have!

At this point in time with our contracted economy, Baby Boomers are spending less and saving more. When the recovery gets here and their investment portfolios return to reasonable levels, we will see a significant release of these funds. Some marketers are forecasting significant shortages of computers and automobiles, due to reductions in capacity.

Highest Paid Jobs for Fresh Grads

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:00:00 -0600

College students: Want the highest starting salary in this economy? Study engineering. According to a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), engineers earn the best starting salaries. NACE’s Summer 2009 Salary Survey shows that four of the five highest starting salaries went to occupations involving engineering.

The Law of Supply and Demand is alive and well in the global labor market. In our audiences around the world the oil and gas producers complain that petroleum engineers are in high demand, often being poached for salaries up to seven times what they are earning in their home countries. Marilyn Mackes NACE executive director confirms, "Even in a tight job market, there are simply more opportunities requiring an engineering degree than graduates available to fill those positions. That drives salaries up."

In fact, as reported in the Digest of Education Statistics 2008 from the National Center for Education Statistics, out of the more than 1,524,000 bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2007 (the latest data available), just 450 were in petroleum engineering and only 4,492 were in chemical engineering.

Herman Trend Alert: The Future of Social Networking

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:30:45 -0600

No one would dispute that the world is changing at an every-increasing rate. . .and the brave new world of Social Networking is no exception. Social Networking is all about "building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. (Wikipedia)

People are using Social Networking to find find lost loves (I found my fiance on Facebook), source materials, sell products and services, and much more. For job hunters and recruiters, Social Networking is already being used with great success! The cool part to us is that it's all free!

"Right now, social networking is in its infancy", said David Nour, Relationship Economics, CEO and Web 2.0 guru. "We're on the upward swing of the hype cycle". Lots of people are discovering the power of Social Networking and investing their time and energy to make it work for them.

The real promise of Social Networking is the mass collaboration platform it presents to accelerate one's ability to get things done", adds Nour. Enlightened individuals are shifting from "not invented here" to "invented everywhere. It gives us the opportunity to look beyond our own geographic area and even industry and learn from others---many others.

More than a handshake, Social Networking also allows us to nurture key relationships by supporting those who support us and it allows us to stay connected with our most trusted relationships---all online. The more diverse your portfolio of relationships, the broader your influence footprint," Nour continues.

The future of Social Networking looks very bright. . .for three reasons:

1) Interoperability