This Week's Herman Trend Alert Purpose Emerging as Important Driver of Engagement

The Herman Trend Alert August 24, 2011 Trends in Benefits Not surprisingly, the insecurity about of the future of the global economy is affecting employers’ benefits offerings. According to a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), uneven economic growth and related uncertainties about the nation’s fiscal health are having an impact on benefits offerings. As fewer employers offer defined-benefit pension plans and more are using other savings plans, they continue to shift more of the cost burden to their employees. Other benefits offerings that have taken a hit include employee services, like mentoring programs and professional development opportunities, and housing and relocation benefits. Employers are watching their bottom lines more attentively and the variety of benefits offerings has changed with slow-growth. In 2011, 77 percent of HR professionals said their employee benefits offerings were negatively affected by the economy, according to the SHRM 2011 Employee Benefits Research Report. That is a five percent increase from 72 percent in 2010. Employers have kept the foundational benefits of paid holidays, life insurance, prescription drug program coverage, and dental insurance, while reducing other health-care-related offerings such as, long-term care insurance, health maintenance organization plans and retiree health coverage. The most interesting aspect of these results is the effect on job satisfaction. In both 2009 and 2010, 60 percent of respondents cited benefits as a “very important” factor when ranking elements that contribute to their job satisfaction. That trend changed in 2011, only 53 percent of respondents cited benefits as very important for job satisfaction. Other factors deemed more significant were job security (62 percent), opportunities to use skills/abilities (60 percent), compensation/pay (59 percent), and relationship with immediate supervisor (55 percent). Because employees are receiving fewer offerings or paying more for benefits, they are valuing other aspects of their jobs more. We believe strongly that as the world economies recover, employers will bring back their various benefits offerings. They will have to, if they want to win over the best talent. The real winners will be skilled talent. Employers will get creative in tailoring benefits offerings to these valued individuals. Employers adding the most value will attract the top talent. The full version of SHRM's Workplace Visions, Issue 3, 2011, is available here. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." WHO SENDS OUT YOUR NEWSLETTERS? We are convinced there is no better choice than ours! We have happily used DataBack Systems to deliver The Herman Trend Alert for over 10 years and. Visit their website (http://www.databack.com) or call Byron directly at 503.941.0427. You'll be glad you did. IS YOUR EMPLOYER AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE®? Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. In the future, being an Employer of Choice® will not be optional. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 to arrange a no-obligation conference call. Or order the electronic version of the Employer of Choice book on your desktop for only $17.80 @ http://hermangroup.com/store/books_all.html#2. STRUGGLING TO FIND THE PEOPLE YOU NEED? VETJOBS CAN HELP! Recently, hundreds of thousands of jobs remain unfilled due to a lack of capable people. If you are looking for qualified candidates, you need to hire a veteran using VFW-sponsored VetJobs, the largest military employment site on the Internet. Thousands of returning veterans are looking for good jobs now. Mention this ad in The Herman Trend Alert and receive a 10% discount on job postings. Call Ted Daywalt at 877-838-5627 or inquire at info@VetJobs.com. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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