WorkTeam Advantage™ - 10 Days and Counting

We feel a bit like the little guy on Fantasy Island...the software, the software! It's coming! Well, the fact is our new Career (Strategic) Development Planning software is right on schedule and will be in beta testing within 2 weeks. It features an Xpress system for those who want to move quickly into development planning; a Step-by-Step menu for those who wish to learn more about the process; a module to help managers brief their teams on business challenges (the context for development planning); a development plan and career discussion archive; and a few surprises.

You don't have to wait to see WTA. We will be holding several Microsoft Live Meeting demos of WTA during May. We will send out a special Concepts e-Newsletter with dates and information on how to register. Or give us a call at 301-774-9700. We will also be at ASTD in Washington, May 24-26, Booth 1228. You can also learn more about WTA at www.concepsys.com.

To see a copy (PDF) of our new WorkTeam Advantage Brochure click here.

The Good News...Employment Brightens.
The Bad News...Here Comes the Churn!

The Employer Outlook Survey by Manpower International, a Milwaukee-based staffing company states U.S. employers nationwide say they will soon hire more workers than they have in the past three years. This is prompted by strong demand for their products and services. Twenty-eight percent of employers expect to hire more workers from April to June. That's the highest level since the first quarter of 2001 and it's the third consecutive quarter in which U.S. employers have increased hiring.

Recruiting and hiring will be targeted at job-seekers in all 10 sectors that Manpower tracks including construction, education, the wholesale and retail trade, public administration, service jobs, transportation and public utilities, durable and non-durable manufacturing, mining, and finance.

This is the turnaround we have all been expecting and may bring the job churn we have talked about in earlier newsletters. As the economy improves, employees who have stayed at jobs out of fear of not being able to find other work may start looking for new opportunities. That, in fact, was what the outsourcing company Accenture found in a survey of 508 full-time workers. Forty percent of U.S. workers plan to leave their current job within the next five years. They noted a variety of factors that would prompt them to stay put. The primary reason, cited by almost three-quarters (71 percent) of respondents, was more money, followed by opportunities for advancement (58 percent) and a different boss or management team (30 percent). But of relevance to the career development world, 27% said they would stay in their current jobs if they received better or more training, but more than half (51 percent) of all respondents said that their employers are not providing training to expand their skills. It is time to start thinking about bringing back career development and helping managers coach employees on development planning.

CSI offers workshops for employees and their managers to help create development plans targeted to your business strategy and the needs of employees. Call us or visit us at www.concepsys.com for more information.

Drop Us a Note

Please drop us an e-mail with any comments about this e-newsletter, items you would like to see covered, or if you have any news you think others would like to hear.  E-mail us at ask@concepsys.com.