January 12, 2011
Edited and Written by Ira S. Wolfe
Published by Success Performance Solutions.
What's Inside this issue of The Total View:
1. Falling Unemployment Rate May Lead to Higher Turnover
2. Workforce Trends
3. What Motivates Employees
4. Annual Performance Reviews Simplified!
5. Leadership Guide and Workbooks for Managing Geeks, Geezers & Googlization!
Falling Unemployment Rate May Lead to Higher Turnover
Hiring figures are starting to creep up. Layoffs and terminations are falling. That's great news for our economy and the unemployed. But there's some danger lurking in the shadows for employers.
 The unemployment rate fell in December to 9.4 percent from 9.8 percent in November, the Labor Department just reported. It was the lowest in 19 months as the economy generated a net total of 103,000 jobs and marked the biggest one-month decline in the jobless rate since April 1998. The economy added 1.1 million jobs, or an average of 94,000 jobs a month in 2010. While that's a far cry from the 200,000 needed to jump start our economy, it's a dramatic turnaround from just a year earlier.
In addition, fewer jobs were eliminated in nearly every major industry in 2010. Downsizing in 2010 fell by 59 percent compared to the previous year. Employers announced 32,004 planned job cuts last month, the lowest monthly total since June 2000, when employers cut 17,241 jobs. The 2010 total was the lowest since 434,350 job cuts were announced in 1997.
Ironically this good news may not portend good times for employers. An employee migration has begun from those businesses that reduced labor cost by massive downsizing and squeezing every last bit of productivity out of the survivors. As the economy improves, an employee exodus will accelerate, especially for employers who aren't paying attention.
The media rang in the new year with multiple reports that hiring is on the rise. Goldman Sachs projects that employers will add 2.2 million jobs this year, or about 180,000 a month, double last year's amount. Moody's Analytics puts the figure at about 250,000 per month.
For employers that have used the economic downturn and the scarcity of jobs to justify putting it to employees by freezing wages, cutting benefits, and reducing resources, the party is about to end. For employers who took this tactic, voluntary turnover is almost certain to rise dramatically as their employees learn there are new outlets for their efforts and talents. In addition, these employers likely will have a more challenging time making new hires as word of their actions gets around and impacts their reputations.
Workforce Trends
Hiring Updates
- Forty-five percent of CEOs surveyed by the Business Roundtable late last year plan to increase hiring this year, up from 31% in the third quarter survey.
- Ford Motor announced it will add more than 7,000 jobs, including 750 engineers, in the U.S. in the next few years.
- The top job creator in Dec 2010 was the food service industry, adding 25,000 jobs; since August the industry added 130,000 jobs.
- Union Pacific plans to add 3,500 workers.
- Farmers Insurance is adding 1,600 call-center jobs.
For more workforce and hiring trends, visit Perfect Labor Storm website and Perfect Labor Storm blog.
What Motivates Employees
Business values and motivators determine the "why" of human behavior.
For managers, Business Values and Motivators answers the nagging question - How can I motivate my employees?
For employees and individuals looking to re-energize their careers, the Business Values and Motivators report helps them understand what they value most. As people, we tend to value certain viewpoints positively and judge others negatively. How we value or judge determines our motivations and provide us with our sources of energy or conflicts and stress in our personal and professional lives.
What are Business Motivators? Read more.
Download the 1st Chapter.... FREE!
Annual Performance Reviews Simplified!
 Save time, increase productivity, and eliminate hassles when administering employee performance reviews with HReviewer.
Ask any manager what he or she hates most about the job and you'll often hear "performance reviews." That's why we've created HReviewer.
We recognized a huge gap in the performance evaluation market between paper forms and online performance management.
HReviewer is a user-friendly, centralized online solution to streamline and improve the annual, semi-annual or periodic review for small to medium sized organizations. It's convenient and very affordable too. Our goal was simple: to help take the hassle out of getting managers to complete performance appraisal forms and giving employees more frequent feedback.
The system comes with a library of competencies, an easy to use form creator, at-a-glance dashboards and reports, and a built-in reminder system to help HR track down managers when reviews are due....or past due!
More about HReviewer or Email us to schedule a FREE demo.
Just Released! Leader Guide and Workbooks for Managing Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization
Start the New Year out right. The leading edge of Baby Boomers start turning 65 in just a few weeks. Make 2011 the year of managing successfully the wired, the tired, and technology!
For the first time in history, four generations are co-mingling in the workplace. Capitalizing on each generation's strengths is a must. Minimizing generational clash points is a necessity. Keeping each generation engaged and motivated is critical.
Learn more....
Consultants and Trainers? Contact us about our reseller and certification program.
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 Articles written by Ira S Wolfe is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at www.super-solutions.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.super-solutions.com/contact.asp.
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