Herman Trend Alert: Universities Coming to the Corporate Campus
Employers, distressed that their employees lack critical knowledge and skills to perform effectively in a highly competitive, fast-moving marketplace, are looking to colleges and universities for help. Executives are inviting professors to come to the corporate offices to teach executives and managers. Supervisors are being trained in their work settings, as well as on campuses of universities and community technical colleges. While this practice is not new, the intensity and level of activity will grow substantially.
Herman Trend Alert: Employment Picking Up
As we completed the election campaigns in the United States, the economy showed signs of improvement. Those indicators, combined with relief that the campaigns would be over and corporate expansion could resume, stimulated job growth. Our forecasts are becoming reality.
Herman Trend Alert: The Global Problem of Short-Term Employee Turnover
A major personnel cost for employers is the turnover of employees with less than one year of service. Research conducted by a number of companies shows that if an employee stays for a year, there is a strong likelihood that the person will remain with the company for a much longer time. Unfortunately, many employers suffer from a costly churning in their new-hire labor force.
Herman Trend Alert: The Global Problem of Short-Term Employee Turnover
A major personnel cost for employers is the turnover of employees with less than one year of service. Research conducted by a number of companies shows that if an employee stays for a year, there is a strong likelihood that the person will remain with the company for a much longer time. Unfortunately, many employers suffer from a costly churning in their new-hire labor force.
The Year in Review – A Look at the Top 10 News Stories of 2004
Whether you believe 2004 was a good or bad year for the aftermarket, no one can argue this was a big news year for our industry. The year included noteworthy shifts in leadership, mergers, acquisitions and more, most of which will significantly impact the industry for many years to come. Here’s a month-by-month look at what aftermarketNews.com considers to be biggest news events that happened in our industry in 2004.
Herman Trend Alert: Employees More Valuable than Customers
Recently, we heard about an employer who is a forerunner of what we believe is to come. A 120-person advanced manufacturing organization in Browns Summit, NC, literally fired its biggest client — refusing additional work. Sales with this household name client had grown rapidly to the point where they had represented 60 percent of the company’s annual revenue. Nuts, you say? Not at all — in fact, it may turn out to be a brilliant move.
Herman Trend Alert: The Great Mismatch
Higher education has become more accessible to students in developed countries around the world. A university degree has gained status as a means of entry into more highly regarded careers. Families at all socioeconomic levels now strongly encourage their youth to attend 4-year colleges and universities, as well as to pursue graduate degrees. In many cases, the parents sacrifice so their children can attain levels of education beyond what had been achieved in the family before.
Herman Trend Alert: Bonuses for New Hires
Employers are becoming more aggressive in their pursuit of highly talented employees. Recruiting efforts are being stepped up. Once again, bonuses are being paid to new employees, just for joining the company.
Herman Trend Alert: Demographic Train Wreck?
Commentators, consultants, politicians, and others are talking about a “demographic train wreck.” They warn that employers will run out of workers to serve customers and make money for their companies.
Case Study: The DNA Building-Block Approach in Action
NMS Communications, a mid-sized network equipment manufacturer, employed the Thomas Group DNA building-block approach to reengineer the supply chain for its platform business, which accounts for 80 percent of the company’s revenue. NMS realized that to maintain a competitive edge, it needed to create a high-speed, demand-driven supply chain. But developing such a capability in an environment where forecasts traditionally ruled was a challenge.