GLOBAL TALENT: crisis or crunch time?

Lesley Horsburgh talks with David Arkless of Manpower Inc about the stark reality of the talent crisis now facing governments and businesses worldwide. “Even if you’re small the need to become increasingly involved in networks, understand customer requirements in relation to skills and then get actively involved in training and producing the people clients need is vital.” David Arkless is impressive. Renowned across the globe for his expertise on labour market trends and his tireless efforts to assist countries in the development of labour strategies, he is an interviewers’ dream. Passionate, informative, forthright and talkative, Arkless has an exhaustive biography that encompasses roles as a respected government advisor, influential business figure and active campaigner in the fight to end human trafficking. As Manpower Inc’s President of Corporate and Government Affairs since December 2008, he has advised the Governments of China, Mexico, Vietnam and the UAE, and various mega-cities like Shanghai. As well as being a regular advisor to the US Department of State, and various EU departments, Arkless serves as both Board Member and Corporate Committee Member of CIETT, the international confederation of private employment agencies. In May 2010, he became Vice President of the China International Council for the Promotion of Multinational Corporations (CICPMC) in Beijing. I first heard David Arkless speak at the 2010 RCSA Conference in Tasmania last August. His no-nonsense presentation was little short of mind boggling. Statistics rolled out one after the other, revealing a very clear message about the state of the world labour market; we’re headed for trouble. And unless a significant shift from government gains momentum we simply won’t have enough people with the right skills to sustain strong economic growth, further impacting the escalating labour imbalances between developed and under-developed countries. My interview with Arkless begins by revisiting the content of his 2010 presentation but we quickly move to focus on Australia. Arkless is positive: Australia is in a good position for a robust economy. “Australia has a very talented workforce, excellent technology and the potential for Australians to respond to other countries for IT and T resources is huge. “Not only that, you sit in the best timezone band in relation to economic growth. But the industrial output is being hindered because there’s simply not enough people to skill up into the roles needed” , he states. The latter point has been said before, many times, and is not unique to Australia, however, government response is thwarted by a sentiment that is shared the world over – pushing for more immigration isn’t an option anyone is willing to push. “Most politicians I’ve spoken with have the same view; yes they understand the need to promote more workers but come the time for the next election, increasing immigration isn’t a policy that will win votes.” Despite the political barriers, the forecast from Manpower Inc is that within the next 10 years there could be half a billion people working outside their own country, often simply for better pay and in many cases illegally. Add to that the pace at which technological developments are outdating available skills and the talent shortage takes on a whole new dimension, leaving employers with a burgeoning skills deficit. The reaction from many corporations is to take action into their own hands, which has already triggered a rise in the number of firms choosing to off-shore skills. While off-shoring might offer a cost effective solution, the long-term impact on the economy may not sit so well. Arkless agrees, citing investment into education and training as the must do strategy for governments and the business community. “It doesn’t make sense just to off-shore high-cost labour items. There has to be a natural balance. We really have two choices – off-shore talent or bring in skills. “Some cities are brilliant at getting supply and demand right. When governments get the right advice and respond by doing the right things to attract people into the necessary industries or roles the balance will shift favourably” , Arkless points out. “Take Germany for example, young people are being encouraged to become engineers and in some cases are being paid more than lawyers or doctors as a result.” Equipping the skill-set of the future workforce is a responsibility that not just governments need to take seriously, the recruitment industry is also in the firing line to feel the hits if it doesn’t take action. While Arkless doesn’t feel the need to turn our conversation into a PR exercise for Manpower, it’s evident that the recruitment giant is in many ways taking the lead in what has become a revolution of the recruitment industry as we know it. “The recruitment industry is changing rapidly and massively”, says Arkless. “Even if you’re small the need to become increasingly involved in networks, understand customer requirements in relation to skills and then get actively involved in training and producing the people clients need is vital.” Arkless terms this need for agility as a move into the production of raw goods, suggesting that the world of recruitment has taken a sideways step to morph its services into training, development and education. It is, he says, the human age – a term Manpower defines as a time when optimising human talent will be the single most important element of organisational success. “We’re now in the business of supplying skills, even small companies are going to get into that. It’s the lifecycle of talent – we’ve now entered the human age.” Smaller recruitment firms will have to niche themselves as highly specialised providers if they are to succeed. “Small firms don’t have a choice; they simply won’t be able to compete with global players on cost or quality. They must fine tune their niche if they are to survive.” Change must also be embraced by clients too, as young people become more sophisticated about the career options open to them, organisations will need to adopt a creative employer brand. Arkless isn’t suggesting that this is anything new, it’s all been said but this time the pressure is mounting. “It’s an old phrase – the war for talent – but it’s back and this time it isn’t going away. It’s here and now and companies that don’t get involved will fail.”

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GLOBAL TALENT: crisis or crunch time?

Tags: campaigner, department, horsburgh, june 2011, manpower, private, result, trafficking

Hiring intentions fall as employers tighten belts: Manpower

Hiring intentions are falling as concerns about the economy grow and employers look to restrict their cost base, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

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Hiring intentions fall as employers tighten belts: Manpower

Tags: economy, employment, Industry Chat, manpower, outlook, result, survey

Job ads slump: ANZ; Manpower re-brands professional arm; plus more.

Job ads slump the largest since 2009: ANZ…. Manpower re-brands Australian professional arm…. Ex-Reed staffer launches micro-employment site…. Tamworth council seeks recruitment companies for panel.

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Job ads slump: ANZ; Manpower re-brands professional arm; plus more.

Tags: anz, arm, companies, council, employment, Industry Chat, job, manpower, professional, reed, result, Staffer, tamworth

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Check your moral compass; you don’t know who is watching

We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. I certainly am not. In these very pages I’ve made comments that may not have been as well considered and expressed, as they could have been. It’s all part of the risk that comes with the territory of making a living by expressing a view about people and events using social media networks. Once a mistake is out in the public domain, the power of social

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Check your moral compass; you don’t know who is watching

Tags: domain, Industry Chat, manpower, media, mistake, networks, public, risk

Check your moral compass; you don’t know who is watching

We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. I certainly am not. In these very pages I’ve made comments that may not have been as well considered and expressed, as they could have been. It’s all part of the risk that comes with the territory of making a living by expressing a view about people and events using social media networks. Once a mistake is out in the public domain, the power of social

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Check your moral compass; you don’t know who is watching

Tags: domain, Industry Chat, manpower, mistake, networks, public, result, risk

Employee Retention – Are Surveys CAUSING the Problem or Just Reporting It?

Probably the most explosive statistic HR folks have been exposed to recently is the Manpower Survey announcing that 84% of employees plan to look for a job in 2011. That’s quite a few. It’s not the only place you can find that data, and it’s not just the good ol’ USA.  In India the statistic is 40% who plan on quitting. Another survey by Monster says 66% will be looking. A Career Builder survey shows that 15% of the workforce is actively searching and another 76% would change jobs for the right opportunity. So – if these statistics are anywhere near correct, HR has a tough, tough job ahead of it in 2011. But let me help you a bit. Social Proof I’m beginning to think these surveys aren’t accurately reflecting the true desires of employees. I don’t think they’re lying – but I do think there is something else at play here.   And that is the principle of social proof.   As someone who makes their living influencing behavior, I’m always keeping my eyes open for these types of issues.  A Definition:   Social proof at its core is simply this: we, as humans, like to “go along.” When we don’t have a strong idea of what the “right” answer is, we look to others to see what they think. Our behaviors are influenced by what we believe the majority is doing. If we see everyone dressing like Don Johnson or Madonna – we will adapt some of those fashion elements in our own style (c’mon guys and gals – you know you did it… don’t hide… it was cool back then.)   Social proof can be one of the major behavior influencers.   Simply put – it’s what the cool kids are doing – and we want to be cool. Surveys Cause Statistics My thinking is that the first survey on employee intention to leave might have had some validity – but every survey after that could have less and less validity. It might just be that employees, having seen the previous survey results think… “Hey – if a lot of others are doing it, should I be looking into it as well?” Is it any surprise that the most recent surveys report the “highest intention to leave” percentage? I’m thinking that employees aren’t really wanting to leave – but they are wanting to be like what they think OTHER employees are like. And if they're thinking about leaving, I should too. I could be wrong – but in reality, if employees think everyone else is thinking about leaving (real or not) it will influence their behavior.   As an HR person you need to, first be aware of the effect of social proof and second, you need to be prepared to counteract its affects. To help me help you, I’ve enlisted Brian Ahearn – one of only 25 certified Cialdini Trainers ( IN THE WORLD) to discuss ways HR can help mitigate the effects of social proof (if in fact it is playing into these statistics.) Brian – in addition to being an all-around great guy, also blogs at Influence PEOPLE – read, know it, subscribe to it.   Below is a modified exchange between Brian and myself about these sobering statistics on retention.  Me : First off Brian – Do you think that the principle of influence called social proof is having any impact on the data that is being promoted on the web? Brian: Absolutely. The principle of social proof is hard-wired into our brains.  Just seeing statistics like this will influence an employee’s behavior. Even if they never had thought of leaving a company – seeing that a majority of “other employees” are considering leaving will impact their feelings.  And that would have to show up in subsequent surveys. The first one wouldn’t have much social proof – but if the survey population saw the results from the first survey, it would be almost impossible for it not to influence the outcome of every other survey. Me: Okay – if we assume some portion of the results from these surveys is due to the effect of social proof – how can an HR person help reduce the impact of that effect within their organization? Are there any communication and management techniques that can soften the effect?     Brian: First of all I’d be very careful putting out any of the statistics to your own employee base. It is very possible that they have not seen the statistics. Sending out an email saying something like, “I know you’ve all seen that 80% of employees are looking for work but not here,” – will just reinforce the problem you are trying to avoid. I would do things like the following: If you have a survey mechanism in place, begin highlighting the positive results from that survey – create your own social proof. If you have high satisfaction scores, highlight them. If you have low turnover – highlight that (be careful – cite how many stay, not how many leave.) Any facts and figures that promote how great an organization you are – put them out there and create your own buzz. If you don’t have great statistics – look at trends. Highlight that satisfaction is up 20% or something like that. Use the positive aspects of your own data.  Now, if you think your well is already poisoned I’d: Start by casting doubt on the statistics like a good lawyer would do in a jury trial. Who’s citing the statistics? Do they have a vested interest in the statistics being bad? Most of the numbers are coming from companies that will do better financially if the survey results are valid – so I’d start by planting seeds of doubt about the numbers themselves.  Secondly – I’d teach employees about the principle of social proof. Educate them about how it works and how it manipulates their thinking. Once employees realize that the numbers are simply an influence technique – they will be less influenced by the technique. Me:  Thank you Brian… There you go folks –from a certified influence trainer. (BTW – that’s the authority principle in play.) If you’re worried about your own employee turnover/retention in light of these statistics, I suggest you take Brian’s advice: get ahead of the curve by highlighting your own positive statistics – and if you have to – address the issue head on and sow the seeds of doubt.   And finally, show your employees how these types of stories play on human psychology. Don’t take my word for it – all the cool HR folks are doing it. Editor's Note -  Paul Hebert is the Managing Director for  i2i  (an influence consultancy), the brain behind  Incentive Intelligence  and a recognized authority on incentives and performance motivation. Want to know what's going to motivate your people to perform at their best and impact the bottom line? Want to know whether your service award program really means anything at all? And are there psychological principles that drive your employees behavior? Paul's your guy… unless you fervently bow down to Maslow.

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Tags: current affairs, engagement, good hr, human-resources, job, manpower, monster, paul hebert, result, retention, robert cialdini, satisfaction, social influence, Social Proof, survey

Spruik CSR strategy to secure top talent

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is often perceived as a fringe activity to be sidelined when times are tough, but CSR programs can help a company “thrive” in an economic downturn – providing employers know how to “communicate their involvement”, says Manpower’s Chris Riley.

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Spruik CSR strategy to secure top talent

Tags: chris, csr, economic-downturn, fringe-activity, involvement, know-how, manpower, often-perceived, providing-employers, social-responsibility, their-involvement