The paper written by Michael J. Holleran raises the issue of losing talent in terms of qualified personnel. Holleran notes that departments in charge of business development and marketing will experience shortages of personnel in these fields. Research conducted by the Conference Board of Canada revealed worrying statistics on the shortage scale in the private sector. For instance, over half of managers are expecting shortages in occupation.
This is expected to happen in two years. Since generation Y has unique skills needed in management, it is imperative that organizations learn the techniques required to retain Generation Y talent. This paper does just that, providing information on recruitment techniques as well as retention techniques to help firms get an upper hand in obtaining talent. The author suggests techniques such as:
- Professional services firms should subscribe to an empowerment culture.
- Employers should strive to understand generation Y.
- Firms should be involved in training and coaching young workers. It is easier to retain them if you are their trainer.
- Reduce the levels of middle management. It improves efficiency in the firms.
Holleran also cites the Eight-Step Kotter’s plan that in my opinion useful for an organization seeking to adopt change so as to accommodate young talent. He also lists four qualities that managers should look for in young candidates. This includes responsiveness, innovation, distribution proficiency, and cost-consciousness. The paper is useful for firms that especially have an older workforce and is at risk of losing connection with the younger generation. Holleran also presents a training guideline for firms.
Collaboration is key to effective outsourcing
Stephen Miller is of the view that for an organization to succeed in outsourcing, a collaboration between the client and the service provide is crucial. The author shares this view with the PriceWaterhouseCoopers study in 2007. Chief Executive Officers of PWC in nineteen countries reiterate the importance of collaboration between service providers and suppliers. The benefits of such collaboration include cutting down transaction costs mitigating complexity and having an upper in competition. Outsourcing services should areas such as information technology research and development, customer call centers, and human resource services.
How to investigate workplace misconduct
Jason E. Reisman enlightens employers on how to avoid the ‘HP’ syndrome and the art of investigating misconduct in the workplace. This includes misconduct of diverse nature ranging from sexual harassment to policy violation. Managers leave their organizations vulnerable when they fail to investigate cases of misconduct and take the easier root of abandoning the issue. Organizations can find themselves at the risk of liability in a lawsuit.
The author notes the conditions of a workplace investigation as making sure that it is efficient, ethical, and within the confines of the law. The HP syndrome refers to an investigation by the company that used controversial and illegal practices. This led to criminal indictments, an inquiry by SEC, and a tarnished reputation. Harassment stands as one of the major problems at the workplace and there is concern over the record rise in this form of misconduct. There is a great need for organizations to find the truth or as many facts about an incident as they can find. This puts an organization in a better situation especially in relation to employee relations.
Poor performance and due process
T.L. Stanley has issues with poor performers and wants this trend stopped. Sacking the poor performers apparently is not the solution according to the author. This category of employees has the right to a fair hearing and due process. The paper indicates that there is a need to have reasonable standards of performance which should be affected in a fair manner. Misunderstanding and poor communication are cited as the major obstacles to the due process. Training employees is imperative for this purpose. An employee facing this problem should offer help so as to improve in the areas in question.
Why American workers are losing out
Liberalization, according to a report by the International Labor Office, has led to economic insecurity globally. It has subjected employees to the dictates of supply and demand hence job insecurity. This is unfair since it does not respect the value of labor standards and is also a form of social injustice. Liberalization policies do not govern the economies of wealthy nations but they are shared by their leading economists. Policies of this nature have the following implications:
- They deregulate terms of parliament.
- Degrade unemployment compensation.
- Makes labor informal.
- Is an attack on organized labor.