With 2009 rapidly coming to a close, it's time to look back and identify the trends and events that mattered.
There are some obvious factors that influenced workforce management planning and execution over the past 12 months, but a more discrete look reveals why, beyond economic turmoil, 2009 will go on the books as a year of challenge and disappointment.
Here are the top 10 workforce management trends of 2009.
How underemployment can change your hiring strategy in 2010
Last week, a Wall Street Journal article highlighted the growing number of people who are underemployed. These people are working multiple part-time jobs, or positions that don't utilize their skills just to make ends meet. This is the only option left for the unemployed. For companies, it means the lure of getting a highly-skilled worker at a bargain rate.
It's no shock that underemployment has been on the rise since the end of last year. What is surprising to many employers is the effect it will have moving forward. In my opinion, this working arrangement will further confuse and compound the issues facing both employers and workers.
It's no shock that underemployment has been on the rise since the end of last year. What is surprising to many employers is the effect it will have moving forward. In my opinion, this working arrangement will further confuse and compound the issues facing both employers and workers.
Transcript of final podcast from CWS Summit 2009
The transcript from my final podcast at CWS Summit is now available. Click below to read how to prioritize criteria when developing your contingent workforce program.
In case you missed it: Dec. 11
The country's employment situation has been getting a lot of attention as a result of President Obama's White House Jobs Summit, and also last week's surprising U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) unemployment report. Here are a few articles that recount this news, and explore other talked about topics over the past two weeks.
Reaction to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report
There are plenty of "good" news stories about the unexpected decline in job losses. In addition, much is being made of the 52,000 additional temporary workers as a leading indicator that permanent recruiting will be on the upswing.
However, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke refused to indicate when the Fed would be raising interest rates from its historic lows, squelching a market rally with new fears of inflation and a continually declining dollar.
Planning for 2010: Top five items to consider
We're entering the final stretch of 2009, and closing the book on what was without question, a very difficult year. From the beginning of 2008 through November 2009, 7.2 million Americans lost their jobs.
As Friday's BLS unemployment report indicated, we are headed for a turnaround, but it is most likely going to be weak. Regardless of the strength of the recovery, it is critical that firms use lessons learned over the past year and a half to prepare for 2010.
I recently contributed an article to BusinessWeek.com on the top five items to keep in mind as businesses prepare for 2010. By evaluating your workforce segmentation; refining your recruitment strategy; identifying your employment brand; differentiating between deliverables and skill requirements; and brushing up on the rules, you will be better prepared for the talent war that is sure to follow for the most qualified talent available.
As Friday's BLS unemployment report indicated, we are headed for a turnaround, but it is most likely going to be weak. Regardless of the strength of the recovery, it is critical that firms use lessons learned over the past year and a half to prepare for 2010.
I recently contributed an article to BusinessWeek.com on the top five items to keep in mind as businesses prepare for 2010. By evaluating your workforce segmentation; refining your recruitment strategy; identifying your employment brand; differentiating between deliverables and skill requirements; and brushing up on the rules, you will be better prepared for the talent war that is sure to follow for the most qualified talent available.
Hey President Obama, temporary workers can save the economy!
OK, maybe save is too strong of a word to use, but temporary workers certainly cannot hurt. On Thursday, the White House hosted a jobs summit to listen to new ideas for creating jobs. Well, I have an idea. Encourage businesses to hire more temporary workers to get things moving. While at first this might seem a bit self-serving, I think there are some sound reasons why it can really work. Here's why:
Flexible workforce strategies -- Where to start?
We're continually looking for ways to help customers understand and assess their workforce strategies. Recently, my boss and I were working on a short assessment document for our customers that is intended to be the start of a conversation about a topic I feel very strongly about -- confidence. While developing this document, he challenged me: "If you could only ask a few questions, what would they be?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
