Mapping China's Urban Middle Class

In early 2009, the number of Internet users in China passed 300 million. What's more, the number of Chinese blogs is estimated in the tens of millions. This makes the Chinese blogosphere the largest available source of information on the growing Chinese middle class. Our strategic partner and international think tank and consulting firm, Kairos Future, is starting an exciting project to map the Chinese middle class and the rapidly growing number of online Chinese.

Through a combination of nethnographic blog analysis and quantitative surveys Kairos Future will be able to break down China's urban middle class across different demographic groups and regions and analyze its views on a variety of issues, including work, consumption, family, housing, education, technology, and lifestyle. The results of this exclusive research will be critical for any company looking to understand where one of the most important consumer and talent markets in the world is heading. To become a corporate research partner with Kairos Future or for more information on this project and others, please contact a member of our Interchange Group team.

To register for this week's webinar, "Future Workforce: Millennials in a Global Context," featuring research from Kairos Future's Global Youth Study, click here.

Oct 22 Webinar: Future Workforce – Millennials in Global Context

Information about generational differences in America abounds, but today's talent marketplace is global. As our workforce ages, U.S. and multinational companies alike will be faced with the challenge of recruiting and retaining younger employees with very different attitudes toward work and life. Understanding how American Millennials (born 1981-2000) compare with their international peers will have a profound impact on the way employers plan for and manage their talent in the next decade.

Based on exclusive research in 17 countries from Kairos Future, this 1-hour webinar will present critical findings about American Millennials in a global context and offer workforce planning and talent management strategies to create a competitive advantage for the future. Learning outcomes include:

• Education and competence level comparisons of U.S. Millennials with their international counterparts
• Contrasts in career orientation and entrepreneurialism among young workers around the world
• National differences in attitudes toward job security and willingness to work abroad
• Strategic considerations for workforce planning professionals
• Talent management priorities to balance current economic realities with future labor needs

* This webinar is approved for 1 hour of PHR/SPHR strategic management recertification credit.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

America's Brain Drain

The U.S. awards over 50% of all engineering, mathematics, computer sciences, physics and economics doctorates to foreign students, according to the National Science Foundation. Many of these students have traditionally remained in the country upon graduation to pursue work and post-doctoral opportunities. However, new research out of Duke University shows that the number of foreign undergraduate and graduate students who intend to leave the U.S. within 5 years of graduation is growing. Restrictive immigration policies are only partly to blame. More common reasons for leaving include:

• Promising economic future of home country - 74% of Chinese and 86% of Indians say the best days for their home country’s economy lie ahead
• Better career prospects in home country - 87% of Chinese and 79% of Indians see a growing demand for their skills in their home country
• Proximity to family and friends - 77% of Chinese and 88% of Indians state a desire to be closer to family and friends

American employers and policy makers alike should be concerned. While immigrants represent only 12% of the U.S. population, they have started 52% of Silicon Valley’s technology companies and contributed to over 25% of America’s global patents. If reverse migration trends continue, it will signal America’s first brain drain of talented youth. To stay competitive, U.S. employers must develop new strategies for recruiting and retaining skilled foreign and domestic workers. The future of their businesses will depend on it.

For more information on this research and for insight into workforce planning and talent management solutions for a global workforce, join us for our October 22 online seminar, Future Workforce: Millennials in a Global Context."

Recession Sentiments Across the Generations

Since the recession began, we've been observing the impact (or lack thereof!) of the economy on the attitudes and behaviors of the different generations toward work and life. The results of a recent national survey by the Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends provide the statistics behind these observations and offer employers valuable data on the financial wellbeing and motivations of their workforces:

• Traditionalists (age 65+) are most likely to report being very satisfied with their personal finances and least likely to say they will be adversely affected by the recession
• While Baby Boomers (ages 50-64) have the highest incomes of any generation they are the least likely to be satisfied with their quality of life
• An equal number of Generation Xers (ages 30-49) and Baby Boomers have suffered more than a 20% loss to their retirement accounts, but Generation Xers are more likely to believe their personal situation will improve by next year
• Although adult Millennials (ages 18-29) have faired worst in the job market, they are the most confident about their short and long term financial future

The findings above, while partially driven by the current recession, also reflect deep-set generational attitudes. Understanding these attitudes gives us critical insight into the professional motivations and decisions of our current and future employees. How much do you really know about each generation in your workforce? Isn't it time you found out?

Want more insight and tips for managing the different generations in your workplace? Contact us at www.interchange-group.com.

July 16 Webinar: Generational Differences in Volunteerism

On July 16, the Interchange Group will be hosting its popular online seminar, "Generational Differences in Volunteerism - Recruitment & Retention Strategies for Nonprofits." The 45-minute session is designed to equip nonprofit executives and boards with new insight and techniques for recruiting, retaining and engaging top quality board members and volunteers. Key learning includes:

• Tap into the unique values and motivations for volunteering that each generation possesses
• Optimize the skills, experience and resources of older generations to increase participation and effectiveness
• Harness the energy of younger generations and the power of social online networking in nonprofit fundraising and advocacy
• Identify the best communication channels and messages for each generation to maximize recruitment impact and to increase volunteer engagement

Nonprofit executive directors, board members and development professionals are especially encouraged to attend!

Details and registration

Boomers As Interns & Volunteers

Executive Internships. Returnships. Career Reengineering Programs. Call it what you like, we're seeing a growing trend in Baby Boomer internships and volunteer programs. Once reserved for students and entry-level job seekers, these programs are attracting the increasing supply of unemployed mid-career professionals. As the economy worsens, Baby Boomers are eyeing internship and volunteer opportunities as a way to learn new job skills that will keep them up to date with their profession and allow them to break into new careers. Employers in both public and private sectors are seeing the advantage of hiring skilled, mature interns and volunteers to meet their current needs and fill their future talent pipelines. Here are some examples of the growing number of programs specifically geared to Baby Boomers:

• AmeriCorps, thanks to the 2009 Serve America Act, now dedicates 10% of all new volunteer slots to people 55 and older.
• Civic Ventures, a think tank focused on Baby Boomers, spearheads a variety of cause-related career and volunteer programs for individuals 55 and older.
• Babyboomers.TV, a website start-up targeting Baby Boomers, hires mid-career interns, offering each a $100 weekly stipend.
• Investment bank Goldman Sachs provided a pilot internship program last year offering midcareer women a chance to return to the finance industry.

How will your organization be able to leverage the strengths and expertise of the Baby Boomer population? What opportunities exist to engage them as volunteers and interns?

Want more insight and tips for engaging volunteers in your organization? Register now for our July 16th online seminar, "Generational Differences in Volunteerism - Recruitment & Retention Strategies for Nonprofits".

India's Talent Shortage

India, with its growing economy and young workforce (the median age of India's 422 million workers is 25), is projected to become the world's third-largest economy by 2035. In point, 34 Indian companies were already listed in the Forbes Global 2000 ranking in 2008. However, India is facing a sizable shortage of talented workers that will threaten its own growth and the success of multinational companies reliant on young Indian talent. Here's why:

• India's literacy rate is less than 60% (the rate in the U.S. is 99% by comparison)
  
• Less than 12% of India's workforce has a college degree
• 50% of India's working women will opt out of the workforce by the age of 30
  
• Good benefits and high salaries rank as top priorities for young Indians, resulting in highly mercenary behavior toward employment opportunities

In recent years, employers in India have seen attrition rates as high as 70% in some industries. The situation poses a significant challenge to executives in India and abroad tasked with finding and keeping top global talent and magnifies the need for strategic workforce planning. Are you prepared?

For more information on this research and for insight into the recruitment and management challenges of a global workforce, join us for our May 28 online seminar, "Millennials in a Global Context: Workforce Planning for an International Talent Marketplace".