Joyce Gioia-Herman - Future Workforce Trends

Resorts Going Green

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0600

Ecotourism is "in". People want to believe their precious vacations are not creating a giant carbon footprint to harm the environment, but rather are at least carbon neutral. And the hoteliers are responding. Going green is not just a good idea for impressing guests and supporting the environment, but energy-saving practices also often benefit the bottom line. For now, some resorts will use it as their "unique selling propositions".

In Hawaii, an increasing number of hotels and resorts now use recycled water and computer-monitored ‘fertigation’ (irrigation with doses of organic fertilizer). Another attractive feature they provide is beach-site, solar-power restrooms.

Nominated for the World's Leading Green Resort and located in Bahia, Salvador, Brazil's is the beautiful and luxurious Tivoli Ecoresort Praia do Forte. Boasting five stars, this idyllic resort features simple architecture in harmony with the spectacular scenery and the impressive biodiversity of the area. Guests enjoy colorful gardens and natural pools as well as "a culinary journey through exotic flavors".

Founded after British environmentalist/businessman, Jan Telensky happened upon a pipe gushing hot water near Slovakia's High Tatras Mountains, AquaCity was named the World's Leading Green Resort in both 2008 and 2009. AquaCity uses available geothermal energy to heat and power its extensive facilities.

Guests minimize their carbon footprints, at the same time enjoying the highest standards of service at affordable prices. AquaCity has earned a global reputation for its pioneering approach to green tourism. Since it opened, it has welcomed over 2 million travelers and now daily saves more than 27 tons of carbon from entering the atmosphere.

In the February issue of its in-flight, Qantas announced its "Awards for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism". Among its state award winners are the Crowne Plaza Alice Springs, Australia. The hotel identified 30 actions it could take to become more eco-friendly. Among them are replacing light bulbs, reducing water and gas usage, and installation of a system that reduces in-room air-conditioning use by 25 to 40 per cent.

Expect the "green movement" to gain momentum, as every industry will look for ways to go green, while saving energy (and money) and attracting both talent and customers.

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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, e-mail assessments@hermangroup.com. Validated for many countries and cultures. We offer in-depth help with job descriptions, too! www.hermangroup.com/assessments.html

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ENGAGEMENT AND RETENTION RESOURCES AVAILABLE

Check out The Herman Group web site for free and low-cost resources to help you attract and retain top talent. Visit http://www.hermangroup.com/valuable_resources.html to see some interesting articles; then to see our list of valuable, yet inexpensive, downloads at
http://www.hermangroup.com/store/pdf_articles.html

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Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:00:00 -0600

For years now, we have seen a growing trend towards "Innovation" being a leading focus for corporations worldwide. A new book from Rob Wolcott and Michael Lippitz, "Grow from Within: Mastering Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (McGraw-Hill 2010), provides a roadmap for effectively creating innovation in organizations.

Wolcott is one of the founders of the Kellogg Innovation Network (KIN), "a unique forum for select executives and innovation managers to meet and discuss internal and industry-wide challenges, business growth, risks, and successful strategies, with academics from [Northwestern University]".

Discussed in the book, "Innovation Radar" (IR) grew out of an understanding that "innovation is about more than just products and technology". Companies can innovate in any area. Using IR, executives look at 12 dimensions of innovation; the chart represents all of the activities with which companies can add value.

The valuable part of IR is that it provides a bridge between strategy and innovation and gives executives the opportunity to have all of their questions and answers (hopefully) before they begin the strategic process.

Wolcott suggests that entrepreneurs. . ."Be clear about their objectives. Be clear about their questions. Recognize that "we [often] only see the things for which we are looking".

The authors also talk about some corporate initiatives that promote innovation, like IBM's "Global Innovation Outlook" programs and "Innovation Jams". In these unique in-person and online events, IBM engages people from a wide variety of enterprises to solve global challenges facing humanity.

In "Saving America: The Generativity Solution" by Robert R. Carkhuff (HRD Press 2010). Moving past any obvious political overtones, Carkhuff believes that the lack of economic freedom hamstrings entrepreneurship. Defining Generativity as "the capacity to generate a new idea", the author also provides an organized approach to innovation. “The Generativity Solution” is the application of "generativity" to all areas and levels of human endeavor: individuals, organizations, and all components of the community, culture, and economy. And that is only the beginning.

Expect innovation to become increasingly important, as the nations of the world look for answers. Wolcott is right: "Corporate entrepreneurship is the strategic answer to the challenge of economic growth."

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

Our Growing Global Workforce

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:00:00 -0600

Fortunately, CEOs around the world do not share the waffling confidence among consumers in the United States. Of the 1,100 executives from 52 countries polled by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for their 13th annual "Global CEO Survey", almost 40 percent expect to add people in 2010. Only 25 percent expect further reductions in force.

In Brazil, a full 60 percent plan to increase their head counts, while in the Asia Pacific region and in Canada, about half of CEOs anticipate doing so. Only 39 percent of US CEOs expect to add staff; most (almost two-thirds) will increase modestly (5 percent or less).

The most encouraging statistic is that worldwide, 81 percent of CEOs are confident of their 2010 prospects (up from 64 percent) and only 18 percent remain pessimistic (down from 35 percent). Moreover, 31 percent of responding CEOs reported feeling “very confident” of their short-term prospects---an increase of 10 percentage points from 2009.

Executives in developing nations were more upbeat than their counterparts from developed nations. While 80 percent of North American and Western European respondents were optimistic about growth in 2010, 91 percent of CEOs in Latin America and China/Hong Kong and 97 percent in India said the same.

However, looking ahead to the next three years, the results were even more impressive: more than 90 percent of CEOs polled were confident of growth---a large number of executives thinking positively!

In spite of all of this optimism, many respondents are still fearful of a protracted global recession (65 percent) and over-regulation (60 percent). In fact, more than two-thirds of CEOs disagreed with the notion that governments have reduced the overall regulatory burden, while 65 percent agreed that regulatory co-operation will help mitigate systemic risks successfully.

ExecuNet's latest Recruiter Confidence Index data reinforces the PwC study: executive recruiter confidence is at an 18-month high and more companies are adding new executive jobs. Sixty-four percent are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve during the next six months.

"Perception is everything!" Confidence is up and we will see more hiring worldwide. The United States will likely not lead this recovery.

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

Caregivers' Cost Companies Billions

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:00:00 -0600

Taking care of elderly relatives or friends affects many people's health as well as their employers' bottom lines. According to the MetLife Study of Working Caregivers and Employer Health Care Costs, employees in the United States who care for older relatives are more likely to report health problems. These health problems, including depression, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, cost employers an estimated average additional healthcare cost of 8 percent or $13.4 billion annually.

Produced by the MetLife Mature Market Institute® with the National Alliance for Caregiving, in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Aging, the report, also found that younger caregivers (ages 18 to 39) cost their employers 11 percent more for healthcare than non-caregivers, while male caregivers cost the most---an additional 18 percent.

The study also found that for some, eldercare is closely associated with high-risk behaviors like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Aggravating the potential impact to employers is the possibility that these medical conditions may lead to disability-related absences.

Employees with eldercare responsibilities had more missed days of work than non-caregivers. Caregivers have more unplanned absences. A lack of focus on their work due to distractions, like phone calls and care coordination, compromises job performance.

In addition to practices like flexible hours, paid time off (PTO) and telecommuting, the report contains suggestions to connect their caregiving employees with wellness programs to help reduce employees' stress, positively affect health, and provide the needed support.

Younger caregivers also demonstrated significantly higher rates of stress-related diseases---high cholesterol, hypertension, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), depression, kidney disease, and heart disease in comparison to non-caregivers of the same age.

Employed caregivers have more difficulty than non-caregivers taking care of their own health or participating in preventive health screenings. They need workable solutions to be healthier and perform better.

By anticipating and responding to the challenges of eldercare, employers can provide support to their employees, while reducing their healthcare costs.

Our forecast: Smart employers will look for more creative ways to support their caregiving employees, including flex time, flex place, and administrative support to handle the administrivia of caregiving.

To see the entire study, visit www.maturemarketinstitute.com

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EMPLOYER OF CHOICE® WORKSHOP NOW AVAILABLE ABROAD

Have you wanted to be recognized as an Employer of Choice®? The first step is to send your champion to The Employer of Choice® Workshop. In Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam (17 and 18 March), Singapore (23 and 24 March), and Accra, Ghana (30 and 31 March), we will hold these two-day learning experiences. For more information, contact Joyce at joyce@hermangroup.com or you can call 336-210-3548.

********

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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LOOKING FOR A DYNAMIC KEYNOTE SPEAKER?

You need look no farther. Joyce Gioia (joy-yah) is a sought-after speaker in Asia 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.

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

Green Banks Thrive

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:00:00 -0600

Capitalizing on the green movement, a growing number of financial institutions have sprouted up in the United States and elsewhere. Promoting earth-friendly policies, these green banks have appeared in numerous US cities and other countries, including France, Mexico, and elsewhere.

The concept originated in Europe with the need to finance "alternative projects", socially and environmentally desirable developments. Committed to ethical and responsible banking practices, France's Credit Agricole supports producing responsible products and services and reducing effects of climate change.

Green banks support environmentally friendly strategies by providing lower interest rates on loans to green builders and borrowers who buy fuel-efficient cars, as well as incentives to depositors who opt out of paper statements. Consumers feel positively towards these green improvements. A recent survey found that 56 percent of respondents believe paperless statements to be ecologically friendly---not just a cost-cutting ploy on the part of the banks.

As the economy emerges from its contraction, GreenChoice Bank, located in the Midwest, hopes to be one of the region’s first green lenders. GreenChoice’s chief operating officer, Steve Sherman, is accredited in green building practices by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). GreenChoice will reward green builders and penalize consumers who opt to continue to receive paper statements. They will soon provide envelope-free ATM deposits and "remote deposit capture", a way for business customers to deposit checks without visiting a bank.

Another example: First Green Bank, which opened last February, offered zero-interest loans to workers who bought cars that get more than 30 miles a gallon.

Another traditional lender, PrivateBank, financed part of a USD $1 million-plus loan for the Little Green Tree House that opened an environmentally friendly day-care center.

Jumping on the bandwagon, the major banks of the US have embraced green practices. HSBC donated $100 million USD to four environmental organizations and Wachovia, now a subsidiary of Wells Fargo, announced that it would build only "green branches" as it expanded into California and Texas.

Expect more financial institutions and other enterprises worldwide to join in this green movement; it makes organizations more attractive to both internal and external customers.

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

STEM Grads and Competitiveness

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:00:00 -0600

A few years ago, we heard Dean Kamen, brilliant inventor of the Segway transportation system, speak during his FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) Championships. Kamen founded FIRST, an international robotics competition, to encourage young people to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) subjects in school.

He lamented the fact that our youth seemed to revere the accomplishments of sports celebrities and rock stars, while our scientific geniuses went virtually unrecognized. More recently, United States President Barack Obama at his Whitehouse summit for youth echoed Kamen's words, himself promoting the study of the STEM topics as a matter of competitiveness.

Most recently, DARPA, the US Department of Defense's research agency, issued a report reinforcing what we have been saying for years---a "significant national decline" in the number of US college graduates with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees is "harming our national security". (For years, we have sounded this alarm: see HermanTrendAlert.com/archive.)

DARPA blames public perception and a heightened awareness of international outsourcing trends. . . leading people to believe that there are fewer jobs in these fields. Yet, according to the US Department of Labor in November 2007, "Computer Software Engineers, Applications" was the fourth fastest growing occupation. In the period between 2006 and 2007, we had 43 percent fewer graduates in than in 2003-2004, according to the Computer Research Association. Additionally, these degrees are especially declining for women and minorities.

According to the DARPA report, this issue is of "national importance" and "affects our capacity to maintain a technological lead in critical skills and disciplines" on the international stage---"a national security risk waiting to happen". The increasing complexity of systems means we will require more people with higher levels of talent to manage and maintain them. Employers find recruiting the right people with these specialized talents is becoming more difficult. As this trend evolves, the US Department of Defense will be directly affected.

To respond to this crisis, DARPA wants proposals for initiatives that would attract teens to STEM careers. We believe a massive public relations campaign is in order. The US is not alone.

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

European Expectations are Mixed

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:00:00 -0600

Expectations are often self-fulfilling. That is why when a recently released Financial Times/Harris Poll compared next decade expectations for the five largest European countries and the United States, we decided to share the results. (Two weeks ago, we actually devoted an entire Herman Trend Alert to US expectations. http://www.hermangroup.com/alert/archive_1-06-2009.html )

Not surprisingly, the French and the British were the most pessimistic (44 and 36 percent respectively), while Americans (43 percent) and Spaniards (41 percent) were more optimistic about what the new decade will hold for them financially. Over 40 percent of Italians polled were on the fence (neither optimistic nor pessimistic; we wonder how their recent unrest among migrant farm workers might affect this poll, if taken today).

You may remember that all of these European countries have struggled with lowered birthrates and increasing in-migration of workers to fill the open jobs local employers could not fill with nationals.

Looking ahead, ten years into what people think their standard of living will be it is not just the French who are pessimistic. Over half of French adults (56 percent) say their standard of living will be worse as do many Germans (42 percent), Italians (41 percent), and Brits (38 percent). Spaniards are split as 35 percent each say their standard of living will be better and worse.

When it comes to spending money most report they are spending more money than they did ten years ago; Spain (61 percent), Italy (58 percent), France (57 percent), Great Britain (51 percent) and Germany (51 percent).
Global increases in terrorism may explain why very few people feel safer. Most people also believe that the US and its allies are unlikely to win the war on terror.

Most Europeans agree (between 54 percent and 75 percent) that over the next ten years the government will do less for them and their families financially than it has in the past decade. Also, the current economic uncertainty is hitting home with citizens of these six countries, especially the French, and many people are taking a wait and see approach to what this new decade will bring. This attitude will negatively affect the recovery.

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

Job Satisfaction-Unemployment-Job Growth

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:00:00 -0600

Recently, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its monthly unemployment rate for November. Not surprisingly, the stated number was 10 percent---not including the discouraged-unemployed or the under-employed---both of which are substantial.

The Conference Board research group recently reported job satisfaction has fallen to a record low of 45 percent, the lowest level ever recorded in 22 years of surveys! Extrapolating from that number, more than half (55 percent) of US workers state that they are "dissatisfied" with their jobs. It is also logical that the most dissatisfied group is workers under the age of 25---64 percent of whom said they are unhappy in their jobs. Given that many employees are juggling the work of departed workers, these statistics do not shock us.

Corporate America has sacrificed the health and well-being of its employee populations on the altar of profitability. Some would say they are "lucky to have jobs at all", while workers have a different view. According to well-respected reward and recognition guru Bob Nelson (nelsonmotivation.com), over 80 percent of today's workers report feeling over-worked and under-appreciated.

When the economy improves, we will again shift back to a sellers' market for labor. The result is later this year or early next year, we will see an unprecedented level of churning in the labor marketplace, as employees who are "corporate cocooning" escape the discomfort of the jobs they have been waiting to leave---in some cases---for years.

What is stopping job growth? We know that the bulk of job growth (estimated at 80 to 85 percent) takes place in small and medium-size firms; the entrepreneurs and business owners are also acting out of fear.

According to Ted Daywalt, President of VetJobs, the US' largest veterans' job board, they have several concerns. Among those fears are lack of access to capital―the banks simply aren't loaning, an increasingly onerous regulatory environment (especially regarding discrimination in hiring), and the health insurance mandate for small businesses.

Until these and their other concerns are addressed, we will see a continuing reticence to hire. This reticence is bound to slow the recovery.

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

Consumers Looking Up

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:00:00 -0600

As we have reported in the past, consumer confidence plays an important role in forecasting the future. Consumers' optimistic expectations have a positive effect on many aspects of the economy.

According to recently released surveys from both The Conference Board and the Pew Research Center, most people in the United States looking up. According to the Pew survey, while only 27 percent of Americans had a positive feeling about the 2000s, most (59 percent) think the coming decade will be better than the last for the country as a whole, a view held across most political and demographic.

At the same time, a significant minority---32 percent---believes that things will be worse in the 2010s than in the 2000s. Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats (42 percent versus 20 percent) to offer a pessimistic assessment of the next decade. Only a third (34 percent) of independents holds a gloomy expectation.

Generationally, the most optimistic group is young people, ages 18 to 29, 65 percent of whom feel positively about the next decade. On the negative side, people between the ages of 50 and 64 are the most pessimistic about the 2010s---42 percent think things will be worse. This statistic compares with 30 percent of people under 50 and just 26 percent of those ages 65 and older.

In both November and December, The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, rose. The Index now stands at 52.9, up from 50.6 in November. The Expectations Index increased to 75.6 from 70.3 last month. Expectations for the short-term future increased to the highest level in two years (Index 75.8, Dec. 2007). A more optimistic outlook for business and labor market conditions was the driving force behind the increase in the Expectations Index.

The outlook for the labor market was also more upbeat. The percentage of consumers expecting more jobs to become available in the months ahead increased to 16.2 percent from 15.8 percent, while those expecting fewer jobs decreased to 20.7 percent from 23.1 percent.

These positive expectations will support higher levels of consumer spending and therefore, drive retail sales as well as the labor market.

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

2010 Workforce/Workplace Forecast

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

Each year at this time, The Herman Group issues its annual forecast. Once more, this year, we offer you our full forecast (longer than our usual alert) for the coming year:

1. Cutbacks and Re-Engineering will continue into 2010

Expect ongoing reductions in force as some employers continue to optimize their workforces and eliminate "redundancy". We caution these employers to be very careful, because we know that 54 percent of today's employees are ready to jump, as soon as the economy improves. They are currently "Corporate Cocooning".

2. Shortages of Certain Skill Sets will become More Acute

As the economy begins to recover, certain skill sets will be more critical and difficult to find. These high-demand workers will be more demanding about their work schedules, environment, etc. The wisest employers will embrace not only flex-time, but flex-place as well.

3. Employers will embrace Innovative Ideas to Reward their Valued Workers

This innovation will include non-financial ways and even non-reward (recognition only) ways to add value for their top talent; these innovative ideas will come from the employees themselves. Employers that do not mine the collective intelligence of their workers will find themselves unable to optimize profits.

4. Fear and Apprehension continue to reduce Productivity

A significant percentage of employees continue to worry about the future. These negative feelings will persist, unless addressed. Transparency, besides being one of those elements employees seek, will be imperative.

5. More Employers will invest in a Variety of Healthcare Cost-Cutting Strategies

Besides wellness programs to address expensive unproductive behaviors (like smoking and over-eating), more large employers will embrace ideas like onsite clinics and health coaches. For some candidates, the cost of not complying with the prospective companies' wellness programs will change their employee value propositions so drastically that they will choose to work elsewhere.

6. Focus on Engagement will replace the Focus on Retention

Recognizing that with engagement comes not only retention, but greater productivity and profitability, too, employers will change their focus. We will see Directors of Retention morph into Directors of Employee Engagement. The next step (coming much later than 2010) will be to recognize the importance of the total "Internal and External Customer Experience".

7. Increasing Attention to Succession Planning

Around the globe, we see an increasing attention to succession planning and management. However, the issue of succession preparation continues to take a backseat to succession planning. This big mistake will begin to be felt in 2010, when Baby Boomer retirements combine with the lack of trained people becomes a critical problem. Succession management continues to be critical to long-term success.

8. Employers that did not build Bench Strength will pay More to hire Experience

Organizations that did not take the opportunity presented by this business slowdown to send their people for more training, will have to pay more to hire trained, experienced people.

9. Some Employers will eliminate Reward Programs

Misunderstanding Dan Pink's new book, "Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us", some employers will abolish their reward programs altogether. This ill-advised shift will cause significant, negative, unintended consequences.

10. Burned out Employees will begin Leaving Employers

Over 80 percent of today's employees feel overworked and under-appreciated. Too many organizations have survived and maintained some level of profitability by over-loading their long-term employees. Once we begin to see positive job growth in the second half of 2010, some employees will feel confident enough to leave their companies.

11. Employers will accommodate Older Workers like Never Before

The exodus of their long-term employees will challenge some employers to get the work done, without resorting to hiring expensive contract help or paying high fees to recruiters. Enlightened employers will mine the rolls of their retired workers and hire them back on a part-time, temporary, or seasonal basis. These seasoned professionals will be welcomed back, in spite of the fact that they will dictate their own terms.

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LOOKING FOR A DYNAMIC KEYNOTE SPEAKER TO INSPIRE YOUR PEOPLE?

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, call Carol at 336-210-3547 or visit the web site at http://www.hermangroup.com/joyce.html for more information on Joyce's topics.

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HELP YOUR LEADERS TO EXCEL

Use our weekly Lessons in Leadership to help your leaders at all levels. Your supervisors and managers are your front line in the War for Talent. These valuable weekly reminders have received rave reviews. The annual subscription is only $47, a bargain when you think about the savings to the organization in reduced turnover. Order at http://www.hermangroup.com/store/subscription_all.html#3 . Quantity discounts available by calling Joyce at 336.210-3547.

********

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

********

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

Near-term Future of E-mail Marketing

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

As we move into economic recovery, marketers are optimistic---optimistic enough to maintain or increase their online marketing spending. Based on a recent survey of 1,057 business executives, online marketing spending will be up in the coming year.

According to the StrongMail “2010 Marketing Trends” report, 89 percent of respondents answered they will either maintain or increase the amount of their marketing spending in 2010. Fifty percent of the executives said they will allocate "additional dollars" to their marketing efforts.

The top two areas that will benefit from this increased spending are social media and e-mail marketing, with 69 percent responding they will increase e-mail spending; 59 percent saying they will increase social media efforts, and 69 percent reporting they will integrate both areas. Moreover, 68 percent of marketers will also work to make better use of the data that is already available to them.

StrongMail’s director of corporate marketing Kristin Hersant points out marketers are becoming more sophisticated and "leveraging the viral aspect of the Web". "For example, using targeted segmentation to create a referral program with their top influencers, …[those] most active with their brand", says Hersant.

Better tools are becoming available to help marketers identify their most active customers by examining engagement metrics. (Engagement metrics measure the degree of customer involvement.) These companies can also scan lists to determine which people are involved in social networks, including the networks in which they participate.

Not surprisingly, 46 percent of marketers reported a desire to increase efficiency by adopting segmentation and targeting. "Marketers will also increase relevancy is by using video in e-mail", added Hersant.

Marketers will use video more often to promote opportunities like webinars, training, and product education. There's also a developing technology that turns video into animated GIFs that look like a playing video. A new technology ("Relevance Engines") that makes it easier to test alternative versions of artwork and copy will become more important in 2010.

Our forecast, wise marketers will begin by looking at their current missed opportunities to better target current customer segments. More sophisticated marketers will embrace the new technologies to make their marketing investments go farther.

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

2010 Workforce/Workplace Forecast

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

Each year at this time, The Herman Group issues its annual forecast. Once more, this year, we offer you our full forecast (longer than our usual alert) for the coming year:

1. Cutbacks and Re-Engineering will continue into 2010

2. Shortages of Certain Skill Sets will become More Acute

3. Employers will embrace Innovative Ideas to Reward their Valued Workers

4. Fear and Apprehension continue to reduce Productivity

5. More Employers will invest in a Variety of Healthcare Cost-Cutting Strategies

6. Focus on Engagement will replace the Focus on Retention

7. Increasing Attention to Succession Planning

8. Employers that did not build Bench Strength will pay More to hire Experience

Organizations that did not take the opportunity presented by this business slowdown to send their people for more training, will have to pay more to hire trained, experienced people.

9. Some Employers will eliminate Reward Programs

10. Burned out Employees will begin Leaving Employers

11. Employers will accommodate Older Workers like Never Before

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LOOKING FOR A DYNAMIC KEYNOTE SPEAKER TO INSPIRE YOUR PEOPLE?

********

HELP YOUR LEADERS TO EXCEL

********

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

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

The Future of the Internet

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

Our phones will continue their evolution being our primary devices for online access. Improvements in voice-recognition will be significant---especially for those whose hands are less able to operate keyboards. Artificial and virtual reality will become more embedded in everyday life, and the very architecture of the Internet itself will improve.

These findings reflected the beliefs of selected Internet leaders, activists, and analysts reported by the Pew Internet & American Life Project that we will see major technological advances. The Project asked respondents to assess predictions about technology and its roles in the year 2020. The panel of experts disagreed about whether this advancement will lead to more social tolerance, more forgiving human relations, or better home lives.

In previous Herman Trend Alerts we have discussed the important role of mobile devices. These experts believe by the year 2020, mobile devices will be the primary connection tool to the Internet for most people in the world. For the last few years we have been reporting the rise of the mobile platform. In many countries where the infrastructure for landlines is less well developed, cell phones are the major medium for communication. The widespread established base of cell phone users will support this trend.

United States President Barack Obama has long touted the importance of transparency. Technology will support the possibility of that transparency. This Project forecasts that "transparency of people and organizations will increase". Unfortunately, that transparency "will not necessarily yield more personal integrity, social tolerance, or forgiveness.

Other key findings include that by 2020, "voice recognition and touch user-interfaces with the Internet will be more prevalent and accepted" and globally, intellectual property law and copyright protection will continue to be a challenge to enforce, while others continue to find ways to copy and share content---without payment.

Divisions between personal time and work time and between physical and virtual reality will further evaporate with mixed effects in their impacts on basic social relations.

Expect the changing Internet to have new and unexpected effects on many aspects of our lives, as its user interface evolves itself into more elaborate systems.

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

Herman Trend Alert: Future of Cruising

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

A water park with three slides, two bowling alleys, a rock climbing wall, and Las Vegas-level entertainment. No, we are not describing a new Disney or Gaylord resort; we are describing new cruise ships, currently on the drawing boards. Never mind the ports of call, cruise ships are becoming destinations.

Norwegian Cruise Line's megaship Epic, launching in July, will feature 20 dining options, as well as offering the highly acclaimed Blue Man Group on its main stage, and jazz and comedy clubs provide lots of entertainment.

Royal Caribbean's equally impressive Oasis of the Seas, launched just this week, provides its 5000+ passengers with many amenities, including a rope zip line that diagonally spans nine-decks above the ship's open-air atrium. Moreover, the ship has a Las-Vegas-style Royal Promenade and six other themed "neighborhoods", providing the opportunity to find personally relevant experiences.

With ships as destinations, the trend is towards reducing the number of ports visited. With more days at sea, the cruise lines' onboard spas and casinos will earn higher revenues---a positive effect on the bottom line.

According to a recent survey from America's Vacation Center Affiliates, 79 percent of consumers are currently buying on price, while 14 percent are buying on destination, and only seven percent make their buying decisions by cruise line. The agents polled in the Cruise One/Cruises, Inc. survey reported similar results, though in their findings even more consumers are buying on price (83.6 percent).

With a trend toward people being cautiously optimistic, we are seeing more stability in bookings, although people are currently either booking far out or closer in. New Zealand and The Baltic Region are particularly hot attractions in the coming year.

For the affluent traveler, most cruise lines offer private areas surrounding suites, closed to public access, some with butler service. Then there is the trend towards adventure cruising. If you have unlimited funds, you might want to take Crystal Cruises' special excursion "Extreme Overnight Adventure in Antarctica" for a mere $9957/night. Or you might choose to take Holland America's Cruise to the World Cup, stopping in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Durban.

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman

New Electro-Magnetic Treatment for Depression

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0600

"Depression" is a disease that affects over 14 million adults in the United States every year and has been characterized by the World Health Organization as the "leading cause of disability worldwide among persons five and older". In a study conducted by Employee Assistance Professionals Association, depression ranked among the top three workplace issues, costing US businesses about USD$70 Billion in medical expenditures, lost productivity and other costs, plus an additional USD$12 billion in lost workdays annually.

Up until now, the best approved therapies included a class of drugs called Serotonin Re- uptake Inhibitors (SRIs), such as Paxil®, Zoloft®, and Prozac®, anti-depressants sold in pill form.

Now, people with depression have an alternative that does not involve the ingestion of chemicals---or anything else for that matter. Called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), this new therapy involves the use of electro-magnets to stimulate the part of the brain that produces serotonin, the hormone believed to be most responsible for mood.

Last month, Neuronetics, Inc., a privately-held medical device company that produces the NeuroStar® machine announced that its NeuroStar TMS Therapy® received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the procedure. This non-invasive (does not involve surgery) and non-systemic (does not circulate in the bloodstream throughout the body) form of neuromodulation uses highly focused, pulsed magnetic fields to stimulate function in targeted brain regions. Typical treatment protocol is daily treatment everyday for six to eight weeks. Patients are awake during the procedure and may feel a light tapping, but no pain.

In randomized, double-blind studies, NeuroStar TMS Therapy-treated patients had statistically significant response and remission rates, approximately twice the rate of placebo-treated patients with no adverse effects.

This alternative therapy is currently only available at selective centers throughout the US and must be administered by a licensed psychiatrist; however our forecast is that it will soon be available at centers throughout the world. We also forecast that alternative therapies like this one, using electro-magnetism to stimulate parts of the body will become increasingly important in the medical arsenal. It has been used successfully for years to promote healing after knee surgery.

Looking Forward. . .

Joyce Gioia-Herman