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Workforce Week®

	www.workforce.com
	March 4 - 10, 2007 Vol. 8 Issue 10

In This Issue ...

Workforce News of the Week
Workforce Management Launches China Series; Workforce.com Adds Blogs, Podcasts
Feature: Demon Speed: The Danger of Hidden Meth Use
Feature: Skills That Separate People Who Perform From Those Who Don't

Get a Free Recruiting Benchmarking Report for Your Company

Forum Post: Reasonable Accommodation?

Member Poll: Workforce of Narcissists

Best in Shows: A Review of Conventions and Conferences

Commentary: HR's No. 1 Priority—Profit

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Workforce News of the Week:

Print Ads Make a Minor Comeback: When it comes to making external hires, respondents to CareerXroads' 2006 Sources of Hire Study like print advertising more than ever before. But nothing compares to employee referrals.
Click to read more. >>>

High Point for Card-Check Legislation? The House passed a bill that would make it easier for workers to unionize. But the legislation has uncertain prospects in the Senate, and the Bush administration has formally announced that the president will veto the bill if it reaches his desk.
Click to read more. >>>

Chrysler Cuts May Ease Talks With UAW:
Announcement of major layoffs could make workers hesitant to strike in upcoming negotiations. Experts predict that by timing its announcement as it did, just months before the Big Three automakers enter contract negotiations, DaimlerChrysler might make the talks easier on itself.
Click to read more. >>>

FedEx, Goodyear Make Big Pension Plan Changes
Click to read more. >>>

401(k) Hearings May Set Tone for Dems' Oversight
Click to read more. >>>

Enough About You: Hiring the 'Only-Me' Generation
Click to read more. >>>

Bummed Out: Unhappy Workers Abound in U.S.
Click to read more. >>>

New Hires Scratch 'Seven-Month Itch' to Leave
Click to read more. >>>

'Helicopter Parents' Hover Above HR
Click to read more. >>>

New features
Workforce Management Launches China Series; Workforce.com Adds Blogs, Podcasts

Workforce Management staff writer Ed Frauenheim recently traveled to China to report on leadership and talent management in the burgeoning Chinese economy. We're proud to present this multimedia special global report, which will appear starting in next week's Workforce Week. Two more parts will follow in subsequent weeks, and all the installments will include podcasts featuring interviews with workforce management leaders in China.

Starting today, you can read Ed Frauenheim's China Matters blog for a preview of the stories and a more personal look at the intersections of culture and workforce management that he discovered during his trip. China Matters is the newest of several planned blogs, and joins The Business of Management, written by Workforce Management editor John Hollon.

Visit Conferences, Commentary & More. >>>

Feature
Drug abuse
Demon Speed: The Danger of Hidden Meth Use

While some measures show meth usage at work decreasing, drug intervention experts worry that several factors muddy a clear view of its workplace prevalence. Meth-infused energy and productivity can mirror ideal employee behavior, rather than addiction, they say.

Feature
5 Questions
The Skills That Separate People Who Perform From Those Who Don't

In his new book Know-How: The 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform From Those Who Don't, Ram Charan defies traditional notions about leadership. It's no longer enough for leaders to be charismatic and courageous to succeed. Instead, they need to hone their skills to address the needs of their organizations. Charan recently spoke to Workforce Management staff writer Jessica Marquez about his perspective.

Discussion
Reasonable Accommodation?

Posted in the HR General Forum:
A reader writes: "We have a midlevel manager who has been with the company for several years. This person recently decided that fragrances or smells make him/her 'sick.' The manager sent a memo to the staff directing everyone to stop wearing any scent. This was not approved by upper management, nor do we feel it is reasonable. Why should an entire office have to accommodate one person's (new) aversion? What could other solutions be? Also, it should be noted that no one has worn a noticeable amount of fragrance, nor has it been easily detected until one comes face to face with those who wear it."

Join the discussion. >>>

Enough about you
Workforce of Narcissists

A new study on the attitudes of college students gives HR executives cause for alarm. Researchers say today's collegians are more "narcissistic and self-centered” than previous generations of students. As a result, they are hostile to constructive criticism, don't work well with others, and care more about self-promotion than helping others.

Are today's college graduates really more self-centered than past generations of young people joining the workforce fresh out of college?
● Yes.
● No.
● I don't know.
● Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to you.

Take the poll. >>>

Conventions & conferences
Best in Shows 2007: Notes From Key Workforce Management Conferences and Conventions

Ever wanted to attend an important conference or convention but just couldn't make it? The staff of Workforce Management will bring you reports from key workforce management conventions and conferences throughout the year in this exclusive Web feature. We'll report on the buzz at each show as well as highlights from selected seminars, presentations and speeches. We hope that Best in Shows will be the next best thing to actually being there.

Read about the Work-Life 2007 Conference & Exhibition, sponsored by WorldatWork and the Alliance for Work-Life Progress; Pensions & Investments' 15th Annual East Coast Defined Contribution Conference; the 2007 Deploy Solutions User Conference; and the Conference Board 2007 Employee Health Care Conference. >>>

Also:
Best in Shows 2006 >>>

Work Views

HR's No. 1 Priority: Profit
Functions that do not have a clearly visible impact on profits are doomed to battle for funding or may face elimination. It's either "show me the money" or you will be "shown the door."
Read more about HR's profit priority. >>>

Also:
Becoming the 'Eye of the Tiger' >>>
How Great Leadership Traits Can Squelch Employee Commitment >>>
Forget Dave Ulrich: HR Doesn't Drive Organizational Chan >>>

Regulating Executive Pay

Should the government place limits on executive pay at public companies?
    53%: Yes.
    44%: No.
      3%: I don't know.

Total respondents: 194