Well Worth Reading! You've likely heard it said that the first step to solving a problem is recognition. During, and since, my reading of "The Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People " I've been speaking with business people who confirm all I've learned from this informative "MUST READ". Fortunately, now I not only recognize the problem, I also see practical steps that employers can take to position themselves to make it through the current and increasingly turbulent, employee shortages. I've found the research based evidence in this book to be presented in a way that not only speaks to CEOs and their direct reports, but also to every person, in any organization, that is planning to remain competitive in local, national or global markets. The real issues that affect employees decisions to either remain with or leave (and in some cases, even flee from) their current employers, are well addressed with an insightful understanding of the needs of all stakeholders involved in any business venture, including the customer. Since reading this book, I find myself looking at businesses differently; I now closely observe employees that serve me as a customer and many times I can see and hear the lack of commitment they have to their current employment. On the occasions that I am treated well as a customer, invariably, I find, through conversation, that this person likes where they work and is not being driven away by any of the 5 reasons most employees seek other employment. The last of which, by the way, is the amount they're paid. I recommend this book to any and everyone that is in business or a part of the workforce, but especially to those organizations that want to avoid being left without quality skilled employees.

As consultants very often do, this author has relied on statistics and the outside-the-picture view consultants inevitably have, and has come to the wrong conclusion. I think he's wrong about the nature of the impending crisis because he is basing his theory on the assumption that baby boomers are going to retire in large numbers. Most baby boomers I know are never going to retire because they can't afford to. They are supporting kids in college, elderly parents and a lifestyle that they refuse to give up unless they are forced to by becoming one of the increasing number of 55+ people who are being laid off so employers can avoid paying their benefits. These laid off people are not finding jobs at all or if they are lucky enough to find jobs they are jobs that pay far less than the ones they had. Many employers are reducing or cutting off medical benefits for retired people and medical costs are so high people are having to get whatever kind of job then can to pay them.

Many jobs are going overseas and many more will. So a lot of the jobs the author projects will be a crisis to fill, won't because there are going to be far fewer jobs in general. What I see happening is widespread unemployment and the creation of a new underclass of unemployable people. So in part I guess your take on the author's theory depends on your view of how our economy is likely to go and no one, even expert economists, know that. It's all theoretical guesswork.

I think the jobs that may boom are minimum wage jobs. Middle class jobs will remain fewer than the people qualified to fill them as they are now because many baby boomers will not be able to retire like their parents did and because many more of these jobs will be going overseas. The minimum wage job boom will be resolved by making illegal immigrants legal. There is already legislature proposed to do that.

I see a situation in the future where college graduates who can't find the work they trained for as well as baby boomers who can't retire and can't afford medical care will immigrate in increasingly larger numbers in order to find work and benefits, especially to countires that offer the kinds of benefits the USA seems to be determined to eliminate. I think we will see reverse migration, with many disenchanted US citizens going to greener pastures abroad. I see immigration to Canada, New Zealand, Australia, European countries and even Third World countries like India who are taking over yet another American industry, software development. I know people who are applying for jobs in Bangalore and who intend to immigrate to India in order to be employed.

Yet I must say I like seeing how popular this book is and how much it is getting the attention of employers. I think it may do some good by scaring employers into treating their employees like human beings and it may prevent them from continually laying them off when there is the slightest dip in coporate profits. It may cause them to act responsibly toward their employees and to think about the long term effects of the savage behavior they have shown in recent years. Some employers I know are saying they are going to stop pressuring their staff to work long hours and weekends, they are going to leave their benefits alone and they are going to consider their desire to telecommute more seriously. So I applaud this book because it may help the much abused American worker.

Herman and Gioia early on identified a critical problem the workforce is facing: a labor shortage. With downsizing and growth in new sectors comes the inevitable problem of a labor force that is not able to meet the current demands.

Their insightful book offers strategies for companies to protect and grow their greatest asset--- people. Impending Crisis identifies which areas will be greatest hit by the labor shortage as well as viable solutions that will abate the situation.

This thoughtful, well-organized and thorougly researched book is an eye-opener. Smart organizations will pay attention to the issue, provide every executive, manager and supervisor with a copy of this book and use Herman's and Gioia's book to avert an impending crisis.