Seems that all this talk about an impending talent shortage in the US is finally morphing into action. In the fourth quarter of 2003, the drip-drip of communities and regions issuing "Human Capital" RFP's grew to a steady stream.
As a nod to the progressive places already planning their plunder – and as a kick in the pants for communities idling in "wait-and-see" mode – here's a rundown of the talent trends to watch.
Michigan Cool
Yes, Michigan is bite-ass cold this time of year. But if Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has her way, Michigan will be Cool year-round. Gov. Granholm passes out copies of Rich Florida's Creative Class like candy and recently encouraged the mayors of 200 towns to form "cool commissions" to attract and retain the state's young people.*
Harvard Agrees
Economics professor Edward Glaeser of Harvard University says that cities should court workers rather than companies. Glaeser says that in almost every decade since the 1880's, the level of skills in a city has been the best predictor of economic growth.*
Capital City tips 40,000 Young Professionals
Washington DC is not only the capital of our country; it's a talent capital for young professionals. Boasting over 40,000 YP's the DC Society of Young Professionals (http://www.dcyoungpro.com/index.cfm ) is kickin'. Just shows what can happen when two young bucks - Michael Karlan and Greg Bland - put their antlers together.
Café Mosaic recognized by Fast Company Magazine
Young Professionals of Milwaukee's "Café Mosaic series" is committed to taking diversity off the rhetoric agenda and putting it into your dining room. Their Fast Company "Fast 50" submission is one of the most popular to date.
Talent ready to Bolt
In a recent Conference Board survey of 5,000 U.S. households, less than half of respondents described themselves as satisfied with their jobs. That was the highest percentage of disgruntled workers since 1995.
In a Web opinion survey by Monster.com, 57 percent responded that they feel overworked, and 83 percent of them are not satisfied with their jobs. About 80 percent of the Monster respondents said they are unhappy with their work/life balance, with 71 percent saying they work more than 40 hours a week.
Nearly two-thirds of employees questioned in a recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (www.shrm.org) said they considered themselves very likely to launch or intensify a job hunt as soon as the market improves. "People are thinking, definitely thinking of moving on," said Jennifer Schramm, manager of workplace trends at SHRM. "It's just that they're waiting until the time is right."
*From "On a Hunt for Ways to Put Sex in the City" by John Leland, New York Times, December 11, 2003
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