KAW Consulting News
OD Network Conference October 28 – November 1, 2000 ASTD International Conference
SHRM 52nd Annual Conference
Save issues of this newsletter to help as a quick start for future research.
KAW Consulting
Employee Gap HR Magazine OD Consultants OD Practitioner Web Based Training Training Magazine
|
About this Issue Welcome to this latest edition of the KAW Consulting News. Here you will find information on trends and ideas in HR and OD of interest to practitioners like yourself. Sometimes they may be hot topics of today, and others may be topics just starting to appear on the radar screen that you may want to think about. Our issues deal with three main areas—Human Resources, Organizational
Development, and Technology. Why technology? Simple. Talk to people in HR
and OD these days and you’ll find they tell you they need not only to
stay up to date on trends in Human Resources, Training, Group Process,
etc. but also on how to use all the new technology to deliver these
functions
Our Format In terms of format, we provide you with a quick introduction to topics of interest, and then point you in the direction to learn more, either in terms of articles, books, etc. or even appropriate web sites. In this issue we discuss three main areas:
Are You Ready for the Coming People Gap? There are 3 forces starting to sharply impact the ability of U.S. organizations to stay staffed with people having the needed knowledge, skills and abilities. These forces are the aging of baby boomers, a dramatic shortage of younger workers to take their place, and difficulty in retaining good employees. Beginning in 2001, the first members of the 76 million strong baby boom generation will hit the early retirement age of 55. Experts are now starting to warn about the potential serious impact of boomers retiring, because there aren’t sufficient numbers in the next generation to replace them. Can boomers be enticed to stay working longer? Perhaps, with the right incentives such as phased in retirement programs that allow the employee to work part time but still retain benefits, or offering boomers the chance to change their work roles to use more of their knowledge and skills--such as use as internal consultants. However, few organizations are pursuing this tack at present; one survey found less than 20% of large employers offered such programs. In respect to the second force, experts are warning not only of small numbers, but also of large skill gaps in needed abilities such as written communication, ability to follow instructions, research and use information, apply mathematics, apply technology, and pay attention to detail. One survey of Ohio Public High School students found that less than 20% of graduates had the applied technology and information research and usage skills required by the vast majority of jobs. Finally, keeping the people you want is also becoming quite a challenge. The biggest reason cited by good workers for leaving according to USA Today is lack of promotion and advancement opportunity, followed by lack of recognition. To learn more see: "Labor Forecast", HR Magazine Vol. 44, No. 11 "Boomers Put New Wrinkle in Retirement" Dallas Morning News. Dec. 29, 1999
Use of OD Consultants On Rise To help build high performance organizations with the attributes needed to thrive in today’s work environment, organizations are turning more and more to Organizational Development Consultants. A recent study in the OD Practitioner found that employment opportunities have increased substantially for OD Consultants in the last five years. OD Consultants are being asked to help in such areas as group/team facilitation, process improvement, change management, leadership development, and executive coaching. Why the emphasis? Perhaps the answer can best be understood by looking at the best human asset management practices of exceptional companies. According to Jac Fitz-Enz, author of The 8 Practices of Exceptional Companies, companies ranking in the top 5% of performance paid strict attention to key factors such as values, culture, commitment, communication and collaboration, which mirror the areas OD Consultants are being asked to focus on. To learn more see: " Jobs in OD: What Do Employers Really Want?. OD Practitioner. Vol. 31, No. 4 The 8 Practices of Exceptional Companies. Jac Fitz-Enz. AMACOM. 1997.
On line training tips As organizations move more and more towards using on line training, one issue that has cropped up is: when will employees be expected to take the training – during normal work hours, or on their own time? Many organizations expect salaried employees to do it on their own time, and this may cause resistance. Experts say there’s no easy answer to this dilemma. Whatever approach is taken, designers need to make sure such issues are dealt with in the training design. To learn more see: " The Lie of Online Learning " Training Magazine. March, 2000 |
Last Update: 04/28/06
