We have long suggested that pairing older and younger employees really works, because of the respect the two generations have for each other.
Finally, there is proof that this “buddy system” works to increase productivity and employee retention.

In Singapore, CASSIS International and IBM have launched a pilot program at train and bus stations. By tapping on a Smart Poster with their phones, consumers can receive information, access services and conduct transactions like buying movie tickets.

More employers turning to recruitment process outsourcing. As part of 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.

In research conducted for the Adecco Institute, the Shanghai Academy of Social Science found that China’s labor market faces 5 to 10 year supply constraints in five key areas of skilled labor: “management talent, English language skills, research and development personnel, senior and secondary technically skilled workers, and holders of professional certificates.”

Founded in 1919, the Institute of International Education is an independent, nonprofit organization and a world leader in the global exchange of people and ideas.
IIE administers more than 200 programs that serve more than 20,000 people each year. Just last week, the institute released its annual study about international students in the United States.

Data published about work force attitudes suggest a continued disconnect between employers and employees.
This disconnect relates to the effectiveness of various employee retention tactics, including financial compensation, benefits and work/life balance programs. More than three-quarters of the 3,152 employed adults surveyed view health care benefits (78 percent) as crucial to retaining them. Almost as many people viewed compensation (75 percent) as critical.

BlueSpace is the name that IBM has given to its next-generation workspace project.
This solution encompasses multiple software and hardware components that integrate sensors, actuators, displays and wireless networks into architectural elements.

The 25 percent of the population of China with the highest IQs is greater than the total population of North America. The United States is 20th in the world in broadband Internet penetration; Luxembourg passed us last year.
In 2002, Nintendo invested $140 million in research and development; in 2006, the U.S. government invested less than half that much on research and innovation in education.

In 2006, the United Nations said that by the year 2025, the world’s average rate of fertility will fall below the level of replacement … an historic occasion.
The earth’s developed nations have experienced these population declines for years now. Most have responded by paying citizens with “baby bonuses.” Italy pays about $5,000 annually, though one village reportedly offers $14,000 for every new toddler.

Driven by consumer behavior, we will see some interesting changes in the field of customer loyalty programs.
The megatrend toward globalization will have two major effects. First, international borders will no longer be the dividing lines that we see today. We will see more worldwide and macro-regional programs, as opposed to today’s programs that are country-centric. Second, globalization will mean that customer loyalty will be more difficult to develop, because consumer values are shifting.