Each year at this time, The Herman Group issues its annual forecast. Typically, we have offered an abbreviated version to conform to our one-page per Herman Trend Alert format. This year, once more, we offer you  our full forecast for the coming year:

1. Recruitment in a Tightening Labor Market. Even the coming economic slowdown will not completely stop the creation of jobs. Moreover, stimulated by job creation and the fact that  skilled workers in many occupations are in short supply, time-to-fill openings will also continue to increase as will the costs.

2. More Employers Turning to Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). In an effort to reduce costs, more large employers will turn to  companies like The Right Thing, Inc. and others will step in to provide a wide variety of recruitment services on an outsourced or insourced basis, including providing customized services for clients, based on specific needs.

3. Retention in the Face of Increasing Choices for Employees. Recent studies reflect that employee turnover is accelerating. With  increasing choices we will see more attrition, especially from the ranks  of long-term employees. Wise employers will conduct "stay interviews" and provide re-orientation to their seasoned employees. More employers  will begin to be aware of the value of contingent employees and address the issues of retaining them.

4. More Employers will focus on Metrics. Following the lead of large employers, more medium-size employers will embrace technology to manage the employee life-cycle and operate more  efficiently. This increased efficiency will drive more profit to the  bottom line.

5. Leadership Deficit Becomes More Apparent. As companies experience the re-careering of Baby Boomer executives, they will become more aware of the lack of qualified supervisors and  managers to move up into higher positions. The organizations' previous lack of training for would-be leaders is to blame.

6. Lack of Succession Preparation. Organizations will become more acutely aware of their lack of  succession preparation. hey have simply not invested in leadership training so  that their supervisors, managers, and executives are not ready to move into the positions.

7. More Employers Accommodate Older Workers to Maintain Intellectual  Capital. The drive to retain older workers will cause companies to work harder to accommodate the wants and needs of older workers. AARP will support  employers' drives to hold onto these valuable employees. More employers  will embrace flexibility in all aspects of work to adapt to the wants and needs of their retirement-age associates.

8. More Awareness of the Link between Economic and Workforce  Development. Workforce development issues move to top-of-mind for communities, as they become more aware of the workforce imperative---that business and  industry will only locate where there are the skilled workers to fill  their open positions. This awareness will lead organizations to focus more on middle- and high-school students to begin to expose them early to the careers available in their communities.

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Herman Trend Alerts are written by Joyce Gioia-Herman, a strategic  business futurist, Certified Management Consultant, author, and   professional speaker.

Archived editions are posted at http://www.hermangroup.com/archive.html