Few books go into enough depth to really understand the differences between the future generations of professionals to come and the ones that have gone before. This innovative book examines how new generations of the workplace and workforce will be shaped in the future and shows organizations the ways in which they will have to adapt to succeed.

Few books go into enough depth to really understand the differences between the future generations of professionals to come and the ones that have gone before. The New Workforce Challenge is an innovative new book that examines how new generations of the workplace and workforce will be shaped in the future and shows organizations the ways in which they will have to adapt to succeed.

Think beyond today's human resources issues ... and into the future.

Millennials, the latest generation to enter the global workforce, are changing the face of employment. This volume represents the most up-to-date research on the changes and issues from an international cast of generational researchers. Shifting demographics around the world have created a unique historical phenomenon in which a large cohort of employees (i.e., post-war Baby Boomers) are nearing retirement, and a new cadre of younger workers are being recruited to replace them. These twenty-something year-olds, often referred to as ÔGen YÕ or Millennials, represent the workforce of the future and come with their own set of expectations, demands, and work habits. The contributors to this volume, drawn from countries around the world, document the cultural, historical, and social context surrounding this phenomenon. The international perspective makes it possible to examine cross-cultural similarities and differences in HRM practices. This timely book provides an understanding of the new workforce in multiple countries and settings and a valuable reference as scholars and employers seek to understand the values, beliefs, and expectations of the next generation of workers. While scholars and instructors will find this book indispensable, the book will also have implications for domestic and multinational employers, managers, HR practitioners, and career counselors.

Headlines frequently appear that purport to highlight the differences among workers of different generations and explain how employers can manage the wants and needs of each generation. But is each new generation really that different from previous ones? Are there fundamental differences among generations that impact how they act and interact in the workplace? Or are the perceived differences among generations simply an indicator of age-related differences between older and younger workers or a reflection of all people adapting to a changing workplace? Are Generational Categories Meaningful Distinctions for Workforce Management? reviews the state and rigor of the empirical work related to generations and assesses whether generational categories are meaningful in tackling workforce management problems. This report makes recommendations for directions for future research and improvements to employment practices.

Facing the Challenges of a Multi-Age Workforce examines the shifting economic, cultural, and technological trends in the modern workplace that are taking place as a result of the aging global workforce. Taking an international perspective, contributors address workforce aging issues around the world, allowing for productive cross-cultural comparisons. Chapters adopt a use-inspired approach, with contributors proposing solutions to real problems faced by organizations, including global teamwork, unemployed youth, job obsolescence and over-qualification, heavy emotional labor and physically demanding jobs, and cross-age perceptions and communication. Additional commentaries from sociologists, gerontologists, economists, and scholars of labor and government round out the volume and demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of this important topic.

A roadmap for how we can rebuild America's working class by transforming workforce education and training. The American dream promised that if you worked hard, you could move up, with well-paying working-class jobs providing a gateway to an ever-growing middle class. Today, however, we have increasing inequality, not economic convergence. Technological advances are putting quality jobs out of reach for workers who lack the proper skills and training. In Workforce Education, William Bonvillian and Sanjay Sarma offer a roadmap for rebuilding America's working class. They argue that we need to train more workers more quickly, and they describe innovative methods of workforce education that are being developed across the country.

Praise for Workforce Wake-Up Call "Great questions + great thinkers = novel ideas. Workforce Wake-Up Call deals with the challenges of getting, revitalizing, treating (engaging), and leading talent in today's workplace. These talent issues are at the core of successful organizations. And the authors deal with these challenges as a marvelous mix of theory, research, and practice. This anthology offers practical insights that give hope for mastering the challenges of the new workforce." —David Ulrich, Professor, Ross School of Business University of Michigan and Partner, The RBL Group "In the near future, there will be dramatic shifts in workplace practices and a further evolution of employment relationships. The authors provide provocative insights that help business leaders better navigate the talent maze and workforce challenges." —J. Randall MacDonald, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, IBM "This book addresses the question that all companies need to answer: Are your talent management efforts competitively positioning the business? The global economy is leveling the playing field on many fronts, leaving talent as the one true area where your company can gain leverage in the marketplace. Change is proving to be a constant in the workplace, and the authors have created a great blueprint for handling these ever-present challenges in the recruitment and retention of your workforce. This book is a must-read for any executive serious about building a high-performing team and achieving sustainable advantage for both today and tomorrow." —Dennis Donovan, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, The Home Depot "The best ideas from the best minds on the workforce of the future!" —Marshall Goldsmith, author or coeditor of twenty books, including The Leader of the Future (a BusinessWeek bestseller) and Global Leadership: The Next Generation Contributors to Workforce Wake-Up Call include: * Max Bazerman, Harvard Business Schoolcoauthor of Predictable Surprises * Peter Cappelli, The Wharton School author of The New Deal at Work * Lynda Gratton, London Business School author of The Democratic Enterprise * Ed Lawler, University of Southern California author of Treat People Right! * Thomas Malone, MIT Sloan School of Management author of The Future of Work * N. R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman of Infosys Technologies Limited * Nigel Nicholson, London Business School author of Executive Instinct * Jeffrey Pfeffer, Stanford University author of The Human Equation * Matt Schuyler, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Capital One * Ricardo Semler, President of Semco author of The Seven-Day Weekend * Noel Tichy, University of Michigan author of The Leadership Engine * Sheila Wellington, Stern School of Business author of Be Your Own Mentor

Unprecedented shifts in the age distribution and diversity of the global labor pool are underway. Within the decade, as the massive boomer generation begins to retire and fewer skilled workers are available to replace them, companies in industrialized markets will face a labor shortage and brain drain of dramatic proportions. Ken Dychtwald, Tamara Erickson, and Robert Morison argue that companies ignore these shifts at great peril. Survival will depend on redefining retirement and transforming management and human resource practices to attract, accommodate, and retain workers of all ages and backgrounds. Based on decades of groundbreaking research and study, the authors present innovative and actionable management techniques for leveraging the knowledge of mature workers, reengaging disillusioned midcareer workers, and attracting and retaining talented younger workers. This timely book will help organizations sustain their competitive edge in tomorrow’s inevitably tighter labor markets.