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As the recession eases and companies begin to add to strained staffs, employers are also taking action to retain existing top talent at their organizations.

According to a new CareerBuilder survey, nearly one-third (32 per cent) of employers are concerned about losing their high performing workers in the second quarter, while one-third (33 per cent) of workers said it is likely they will start looking for a new job when the economy picks up. As a result, employers are turning to a variety of different retention strategies to hold onto those workers and their valuable intellectual capital.

Increased workloads, longer hours and fewer resources related to the recession may be contributing to higher job dissatisfaction. Looking at key factors that influence job satisfaction and company loyalty, workers reported the following:

• Pay: Nearly one-third (32 per cent) of workers said they are dissatisfied with their pay, up from 29 per cent during the same period last year.
• Work-life balance: Nearly one-quarter (22 per cent) of workers said they are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their work-life balance.
• Career Progress: Twenty-seven per cent of workers are dissatisfied with the career advancement opportunities provided by their current employers.

Of workers who have their sights set on making a career move, they shared the attributes they will be primarily looking for in a new employer in addition to competitive pay and benefits. Good career advancement opportunities (60 per cent) and good work culture (57 per cent) topped the list. Others include:
• Less stressful work environment (45 per cent)
• Sense of ownership in their position, that they can make a difference (42 per cent)
• Camaraderie, more family-like work environment (34 per cent).
“Many employers were forced to make unpopular, though necessary decisions during the recession in terms of adjustments in headcount, pay and overall strategy,” said Jason Ferrara, vice-president of corporate marketing for CareerBuilder. “As the economy improves and resources are reinstated, companies are employing different ways to repair and enhance the employee experience and strengthen morale.”

via www.metronews.ca

Two studies prepared by the Society for Research in Child Development underscore the value of quality parenting and child care in the early life of a child.

One study followed 1,300 children from their births in 1991 till the time they turned 15.

It found teens that attended child-care centres with higher-quality programs scored better on tests of cognitive and academic achievement than those who attended programs with lower-quality care.

The teens in higher quality daycare centres also had fewer behavioural problems such as rule breaking, arguing and hanging out with peers who get into trouble.

The finding was consistent among children from middle-class, low-income, two-parent as well as single-parent families.

"This evidence of long-term effects of early child-care quality is noteworthy because it occurred in a large economically and geographically diverse group of children," notes study author Deborah Lowe Vandell, a professor and chair of education at the University of California, Irvine.

However, teens that spent the most hours in child care during their first 4½ years reported more risk-taking behaviour and greater impulsivity than those who spent less time in child care.

The second study followed 1,300 children from birth to the fifth grade.

It found parents who visited their child's school and encouraged educational progress in the home had children with fewer behavioural and emotional problems.

The study shows those children had fewer aggressive and disruptive behaviours, and less anxiety and depression.

At the same time so-called pro-social skills such as co-operation and self-control were higher.

However, the high rate of parental involvement didn't seem to improve a child's academic achievement.

The second study was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh.

Both studies are published in the May/June issue of the journal Child Development.

Posted via web from Work. Family. Life.'s posterous

Metro – As economy rebounds, companies worry about talent exodus

The value of quality parenting and child care