Welcome to the June 13, 2007 issue of The Total View

Published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

Visit our Human Resources Blog and Perfect Labor Storm Blog where we can post daily (and more often) human resource updates, news, and Perfect Labor Storm facts. 

What's Inside:

1. Generational Workplace Woes: Geezers vs. Geeks

As a result of efforts to retain aging workers longer and to fill the new jobs being created as well as replace retiring workers, the workforce is becoming much more multigenerational. Today, we have four
distinct generations sharing the workplace: the “Traditional” older workers, the Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y (also called the “Millennials” or the “Net” generation.) This means that the workplace will be increasingly characterized not just by an aging workforce, but also by increased age diversity.

According to a survey by Lee Heckt Harrison, more than 60% of employers say they are experiencing tension between employees from different generations. The older generation has always complained
about the younger one, but, in the modern workplace, the misunderstanding works both ways. Today, you might have a fresh college graduate managing a person thirty, or even forty years older!
It can be difficult, on both sides, to handle the disparities of this reality.

I recently overheard the following discussion that summed up the problem. Common conversation between "seasoned" workers is that "I can't find young people to put in a good week's work anymore" (aka - 60-hour work week). To that young Millenials reply: "I will work 60 hours if I have to!" What Gen Ys are really saying is "I'm sorry it takes you 60 hours to complete in what takes me only 40 hours." Gen Ys
will work long and hard - they just don't want it to be a way of life.

This generational “crowding” is making for some major conflict and miscommunication in the workplace. That’s because each generation has its own distinct set of values, shaped by their unique social conditions, political events, economic conditions, major crises and childhood experiences. Each generation also reacts to the generation before them, and this reaction becomes part of its own identity and defining characteristics. These differences can lead to major misunderstandings between coworkers raised in different eras.

Authors Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas have their own unique view of this situation. They see the generation gap as being between what they call the “geeks” (the younger, “digital” generations) and the
“geezers” (the older, “analog” generations.) The analog world in which today’s older generations grew up was primarily linear. It rewarded specialization and experience, followed a mechanical
understanding of the world, and favored organizational hierarchy. The digital world of the younger generations is nonlinear; it favors a flat organizational structure and rewards the generalist with the
beginner’s mind. Rather than a mechanical view of the world, it favors a more fluid and changing “living systems” model. This is a major paradigm shift that increasingly divides different generations in the
workplace.

Managing this conflict, and finding ways to value the unique contributions made by these four unique generations in the workforce, will be a challenge for all businesses in the future. If you would like to screen candidates more accurately with less effort and to improve the quality of candidates presented for interviews, call us at 800.803.4303.

2. Perfect Labor Storm Workforce Statistics and Trends

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the following events will occur during the month of JUNE 2007:
One birth every.................................. 7 seconds
One death every.................................. 13 seconds
One international migrant (net) every............ 27 seconds
Net gain of one person every..................... 10 seconds

Birth rates show the waves of demographic changes since 1920. The following "waves" contributed in large part to the impending Perfect Labor Storm.

Birth dearth: reduction of birthrates in the late 1920s and early 1930s
Baby boom: 1946-1964
Baby bust: 1965-1975
Baby boom echo: late 1980s and 1990s

Perfect Labor Storm 2.0 is now available. The year 2007 will see an increase in skilled worker shortages and more competition. The result will be higher salaries, more training and career advancement opportunities, and more flexible work cultures. How prepared is your company to find skilled and dependable workers?

Perfect Labor Storm 2.0 is the newly updated and revised 2007 edition of best-selling book first published in 2005. You can now download an advance copy of PLS 2.0. a $10 value with every purchase of the original Perfect Labor Storm, still a great value at $9.95. Order your copy today!

3.  New! Upcoming Webinars, Workshops and Training Dates

Hiring Tool Kit 101
During this webinar you will when it is appropriate to use pre-employment tests, how to compare different hiring tools for reliability, and how to differentiate between screening and selection tools. 
Date: June 14, 2007
Time: 2:00 PM EDT (11:00 AM PDT)
Place: On the Web
Cost:  FREE - limited to first 10 participants.
Register for Hiring Tool Kit 101

Get Clues: Solving the mystery of hiring employees
Date: June 19, 2007
Time: 10:00 AM EDT
Place: On the web
Cost: FREE - limited to first 10 participants.

Looking for an easy to use, low cost tool to uncover employee clues that predict successful job performance? Then you don't want to miss this free webinar conducted by Marilyn Walker, Director of the SPS Assessment Center.

Call Allison at 800.803.4303 or 717.291.4640 or email her to reserve your seat.

4. Bridge the Gap between Generations

Bridge the gap between people of different ages in your workplace. The chances are, you’ve struggled with someone older – or younger – who just doesn’t see things your way. This assessment will help you understand the differences between the generations and identify ways to “flex” your own behavior to better work with or manage people of all ages.

Generational Style Assessment asks you to read a range of different workplace scenarios and then choose the answer that best describes what you would do in a given circumstance.

Click here to learn more about Genenerational Style Assessment.

5. Test Drive JobClues

Try JobClues ... a state-of-the-art, fast, affordable assessment tool guaranteed to help you make smarter, more informed hiring decisions.

Take the test yourself ... you'll be amazed at the accuracy of the assessment results ... and you'll immediately see how this tool will give you keen insights into a candidate's abilities and "fit" for the
job you want to fill.

For a FREE JobClues report, click here or or call toll-free at 800-803-4303 about our special unlimited use pricing.

6. Ever Wonder Why?

Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?

Why don't you ever see the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"?

Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?

Why is it that to stop Windows, you have to click on "Start"?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

7. New report pages added to CriteriaOne DISC

Two new pages have been added to all versions of CriteriaOne (with the exception of Interview Assistant). First we've added a page called "Intensity of Each DISC Behavior," which a graphic for each style, comparing how and additional will respond to problems, influencing people, pace, and procedures in both his/her natural as well as adapted state.

The second new page is a Personal Action Plan page. Each page includes open comment sections for an employee or manager to outline development goals, expected outcomes, who to involve and more.

These new pages have been added to all reports at no additional charge. If you prefer to receive your reports without these or customize the pages you or your employees receive, just contact us at 800.803.4303.

To view a sample of CriteriaOne DISC, click on:

Individual Report                                    Sales Report

8. Quotes from Hire Authorities

" Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't."
Margaret Thatcher

Permission is granted to consultants, managers, business owners and HR professionals to reproduce content from this newsletter for your internal publications, or to distribute copies to your workforce, on the condition that you reproduce the credits and contact information as follows: "Reprinted with permission from Ira S Wolfe and Success Performance Solutions. Copyright 2007 Ira S Wolfe." We also hope you will forward the newsletter in its entirety and recommend to others that they subscribe.

Ira S. Wolfe Copyright 2007 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission