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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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".

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.)

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.

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.

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.