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Citigroup to Lay Off 17,000
Citigroup Inc. has announced that it will lay off 17,000 workers as part of a massive restructuring expected to save the company more than $10 billion over the next three years. In addition to the job cuts announced, New York-based Citigroup said it will also move an additional 9,500 back-office and corporate positions to lower-cost locations, both domestically and offshore. That move will allow it to eliminate some of the duplications that exist in those functions at the business, regional and headquarters level, the company noted. Other expense-cutting measures include an increased use of shared services for legal, human resources, risk management and financial operations and the sharing of some back-office functions in international markets. [Source: Computerworld]

NextSource Releases New Version of People Ticker
NextSource Inc., a workforce management solutions provider, has launched an updated version of its realtime rate and salary benchmarking tool, The People Ticker. Version 3.3 of The People Ticker provides compensation data and analysis for salaried and hourly labor based on current market rates. Clients receive realtime market pricing according to user-defined parameters such as job description, skill set, industry, experience level and geographic location. This enables employers across a variety of industries to negotiate more effectively, adapt to market fluctuations, and forecast project costs when recruiting employees or augmenting temporary staff.

Hyperion Adopts SuccessFactors to Augment HCM Initiatives
SuccessFactors, a provider of on-demand performance and talent management solutions, has been adopted by Hyperion to manage and align employee and business performance. Hyperion chose SuccessFactors’ Performance and Talent Management Suite to track and align goals and measure performance among its 3,000 employees worldwide, ensuring that individual and department goals at all levels consistently drive the organization towards attaining business objectives.

U.S. Workers Think America is Unprepared to Compete Globally
More than half -- 56% -- of U.S. adult workers believe America is unprepared to compete in a global economy, according to a new Workplace Insights survey commissioned by Adecco. Further, three-quarters of employed adults (76%) agree that today's U.S. employers do not invest enough in training and development to keep the U.S. workforce competitive with those in other countries.

Other findings from the survey include:

• Nearly two-thirds of employed adults (64%) agree that the U.S. educational system is not providing workers with the necessary skills to be prepared for the jobs of the future.

• 9 in 10 employed adults (92%) agree that strengthening the education system should be a top priority for the U.S. in the next decade.

• Older adults (ages 55+) are significantly more likely than younger adults (ages 18-34) to agree that America is not prepared to compete in a global economy (59% vs. 48% respectively).

What companies can do:

• Issue a training and development report each year to all employees that outlines what training is scheduled to take place, how it will impact the organization, and how the company envisions improving employees’ performance.

• If possible, let your employee base know how much your company is investing in training and development and communicate how critical your company views its programs to the success and the growth of the company.

• Celebrate successful training programs by showcasing examples of how people have implemented what they’ve learned into their work and also be candid about programs that weren’t as effective and involve employees in making them better.

More...

One in Three Adults Goes Back to Learning
A third of British adults are living a life of regret. That’s according to new research by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Close to one in three adults (31 per cent) say they wish they had achieved better qualifications when they were younger and one in four (27 percent) regret not making the most of the opportunities they were given at school or college.

Over a quarter, (28 per cent) admit that they didn’t work hard enough while they were at school -- and now they’re living with the consequences. For example, just under half (45 percent) of unemployed people who are actively looking for a job, regret not working hard enough in comparison to just over a quarter (29 percent) of full time workers.

However, the good news is, over a third of adults (35 per cent) have already gone back to learning to gain more qualifications and a further six percent are planning to do the same. And it’s not surprising, considering the benefits. Over one in four (30 percent) of those who have completed retraining say it improved their employability and close to one in five (17 percent) were rewarded with a pay rise.

Meanwhile, over a quarter (26 percent) say their job -- and life -- is now more rewarding. When it comes to the new skills Britons are gaining, the vocational route is a keen choice. A quarter (25 per cent) have trained or would like to train in a specific vocation whereas other options include professional jobs that require degree-level qualifications, like doctors or teachers, and roles such as managers or senior administrators.
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Two-Thirds of Organizations with Formal Succession Plans Anticipate Changing Them
According to a recent survey conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity, two-thirds of organizations with formal succession planning programs intend to change them in the coming years. A mere 9% of respondents say they have no plans to make changes, and 25% are not sure what they are going to do.

Most of the planned changes in succession planning boil down to three factors: integration, technology, and objectivity. The survey found that among the organizations that intend to change their programs, 75% cite the need to integrate succession management with other talent management processes. More than half (55%) plan to use new technologies, and 52% want to make evaluations more objective.

About half of the survey respondents also pointed to a lack of effective ways to track high-potential leaders and to share, sort and update data. According to the Institute, the survey findings indicate that there is a deep need in the industry for technologies that can integrate succession planning with performance management and leadership development, allowing organizations to better track high-potential employees.
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Executives Predict Employee Turnover Will Worsen in 2007
TalentKeepers, a global employee retention firm, has released its annual study of employee turnover trends that includes 547 major U.S.-based firms representing every major industry. For the first time, the forecast by employers turned decidedly gloomy. When asked to forecast the trend for this year, only 3% predicted turnover will decrease for their industry and nearly half -- 45% -- forecast an increase in turnover. Another 52% see the problem remaining the same for 2007.

Early tenure turnover also has been trending up, with many workers leaving jobs after less than a year. The study identified fairly definable periods in the employee lifecycle where the risk of voluntary turnover is highest. While few workers quit during initial training, which is only 1% of all turnover, the number quickly jumps to 15% during the first 90 days. Another 25% leave around 1 year into their jobs. Added together, 59% of all attrition is occurring in the first year of employment and begins declining only after the 1-2 year period. These days, no one is thinking about keeping workers forever. The new thinking is focused on extending the average length of stay.

Turnover’s impact on organizations continues to rise as well. When asked to report the areas most impacted by the loss of employees, executives cited lost productivity and service quality at the top of the list.
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Organizations Susceptible to Data Leaks through Social Media Sites
According to a recent workplace survey conducted by Clearswift, 46 percent of office workers have discussed work-related issues on social media sites and services; the most popular being blogs, forums/chat rooms, instant messaging and Web-based email applications. This despite the fact that among the organizations that have an “acceptable use policy” regarding employees’ use of the Internet, nearly 29 percent do not allow the use of social media sites or services at work. Clearswift included blogs, forums, Web mail, instant messaging, social networking sites, podcasts, online video sites, wikis, photo sharing sites and Second Life among the social media sites and services on the survey.

The survey also highlights that while data leaks are a concern, productivity may also be a problem. In fact, according to the survey, nearly 43 percent of office workers in the United States access social media sites and services for personal reasons from their work computer several times each day, with 51 percent spending one or more hours a week on the sites. Thirteen percent spend an average of five or more hours per week on the sites and another five percent aren’t sure exactly much time they are using the sites or services.

More than 71 percent of office workers use Web-based email at work for personal reasons, and it was also the Web application used most often, 22 percent, for discussing work-related issues. Another 46 percent regularly access Wikipedia during work hours, while YouTube, Flickr, instant messaging and blogs are also popular destinations and services accessed using work computers.
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Federal Telework Coordinators Spend 25% or Less of Their Time on Telework
The Telework Exchange, a public-private partnership focused on eliminating telework gridlock in the Federal government, has announced the results of a Federal Telework Coordinator survey, The study provides an insider perspective on Federal telework programs by polling agency-appointed Telework Coordinators. Drawing on parallel surveys fielded in 2005 and 2006, the study reveals a lack of dedicated telework personnel. However, it shows increased interest in telework from agencies. This study is on the heels of the recently-introduced telework legislation from Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) that includes a requirement for each Federal agency to appoint one full-time senior level employee as a Telework Managing Officer.

Key study findings include:

• Telework Coordinator Hat Dance: Agencies lack dedicated telework personnel. The majority of Telework Coordinators spend 25 percent or less of their time dedicated to telework.

• The Telework Upswing: All surveyed Telework Coordinators witnessed an increase in telework interest throughout their agency, revealing that telework is gaining momentum and attention in the Federal community.

• Telework Tango: Drivers vs. Barriers: Work-life balance, fluctuating gas prices, and Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning are significant telework drivers. Telework Coordinators highlighted that management resistance is the leading obstacle to Federal telework adoption.

Personnel Management requires that agencies track and report telework performance. In 2006, 88 percent of Federal agencies consistently tracked and reported telework performance. This represents an increase of 19 percent from 2005.

Of those that witnessed peaked telework interest at their agency, Telework Coordinators noted the most significant drivers are work-life balance, rising gas prices, and COOP planning. This insider perspective supports other research on telework barriers that reveals that top-down support is the leading telework obstacle, with 67 percent of the respondents in agreement.
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Webinar: What Causes Most Calls into Your IT Service Desk

Register now for our new 20 minute webinar, "What Causes Most Calls into Your IT Service Desk", and we'll guide you through the results of our recent exhaustive survey into 20 large, multinational companies. We evaluated nearly 2 million call logs and have created what we call the SupportSoft Headache Index. In just a few minutes you'll learn:

• -- The 5 key categories that drive 75% of your calls
• -- Strategies for managing your highest call drivers
• -- How to dramatically reduce the volume of calls in your highest call drivers

Click Here to register or for more info...

Get It Done: Ten Ways to Ensure Effective Results
There has never been a higher premium on getting effective results. And yet, while technology continues to improve, organizations consistently over-promise and under-deliver. What levers do leaders need to pull to ensure greater success? This article presents ten factors to enhance the effectiveness of any project, goal, or business objective. The more of these “Key Effectiveness Factors” that are present, the higher the likelihood for the success of your project.
Full Article...

Down To Business: Talent Shortage?
Ask a dozen CIOs and tech vendor CEOs to identify their single most pressing challenge, and you'll likely get at least 10 different answers, right? Not exactly. In fact, they all come back to one overarching concern: finding, grooming, and retaining tomorrow's leaders.
Full Article...

Are You More I or T?
At some point in your management career, you have or will come across a personality test/inventory known as the Myers-Briggs. It is usually associated with career/management training/counseling as a tool to better understand yourself and your tendencies. For people in the IT field, it may be more beneficial to think in terms of whether you are more “I” or more “T” when it comes to career counseling.
Full Article...

Managers Lose Talent When They Don't Coach
Rather than worry so much about the war for talent in today's tight job market, executives ought to focus on the waste of talent in their ranks. Many don't spend nearly enough time making sure the people under them learn and develop professionally while on the job.
Full Article...

How to Confront the Elder Care Challenge
The cost to U.S. business from the lost productivity of employees caring for elderly family members is more than $33 billion per year. Experts say the companies that will thrive in the future will adapt to this reality by implementing or strengthening HR policies and practices that improve both the bottom line and the lives of employee caregivers.
Full Article...

While many supervisors know how to identify flaws in their employees’ performance, only the best managers truly know what it takes to fix the problem. A Manager’s Guide to Improving Workplace Performance offers a practical, step-by-step approach to guiding employees to excellence by analyzing their problem areas, developing creative solutions, and implementing change. Using case studies and real-life examples, the book shows supervisors how to take their employees from good to great.

For more information, or to order your copy...

More books can be found in the RecognizeServiceExcellence.com Required Reading section: http://www.recognizeserviceexcellence.com/

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