PSU Magazine Winter 1993

past three or four years I don't hear that answer anymore. Employers simply want competence, cooperation and efficiency in their employees." Employees realize the days of one– stop, up-the-ladder careers are over. "We've had this notion of career as being always vertical. Careers now are really multi-directional. People come in at the bottom and spiral around. Sometimes they move up," Eder says. In a time of downsizing, it's not surprising that people jump companies. "It's much more acceptable to change careers. Today it's not so bad if you change your career seven times in your lifetime." An apparent shift from materialism to more humanistic values may also affect employees' views of the com– panies they work for. People no longer expect a guarantee that they'll have more money and more power in their jobs as they continue. "We have a high-tech soc iety, but we also need a high-touch society, where people feel more empowered to live their lives as they wish, and cope with inevitable changes," Eder says. In the 1990s more employees will offer their services on a contract basis. Already, Europe has a greater percent– age of its total work force in part-time contract service than the U.S. has. "There's a sense of pride you hear from independent contract workers," says Eder. "They work for one, two, or three different employers and can schedule work largely as they wish. They're not unnerved by the insecurity of it all because there's no security out there (in full-time jobs) anymore." Also, Eder adds, couples living together often both work, allowing one partner to toil in the more "stable" job while the other has more room to experiment with a career on a contract or free-lance basis. The next logical step in this move– ment? More accessible health insurance for all employees. "If we get some stabilization in health care benefits that are not tied to people being gainfully employed all the time, you'll see a tripling in the number of people on contract employment," Eder claims. "The companies want it, 12 PSU '' Downsize to get a company down to the right size once, maybe twice. But don't make downsizing a permanent part of your company's philosophy '' and many peop le in our society want it if they can get health care coverage." The mobile contract worker of the future also is an employee who expects to continually upgrade his or her educa– tion through conferences, networking and continuing education courses. The challenge for most companies in the 1990s, a Eder sees it, is strategic staffing. That means more long-term planning and less short-term reaction. "It's a simple problem with a difficult answer," says Eder. "As a bu i– ness executive you must ask yourself if your business is growing or shrinking. Ask yourself if you're going to have an increased need for labor or a decreased need. "Don't offer job security to more people than you can, realistically. Discourage waves of repeated layoffs. These create devastating morale problems. We see this in a lot of high– tech industries, in which products are so short-lived." To fill fluctuating staff needs, Eder recommends that companies hire as many "ad hoc" or contract employees as possible. "A company may have 1,000 employees, but 100 may make up the core. The core group should be assured of in-house training. The contract emp loyees should be used according to their strengths, and every effort should be made to allow them to be comfort– able with their work environment," says Eder. Downsizing might not always be avoidable, of course. Just ask any num– ber of airlines. But, says Eder, it doesn't have to be a regular occurrence. "Downsize to get a company down to the right size once, maybe twice. But don't make downsizing a permanent part of your company's philosophy," he says. "Deal with changes in your busi– ness as variations in contract employ– ment." Eder believes too many companies fail to deal with survivors of staff layoffs. He points to an American Management Association publication, which mentioned studies that show increased productivity in a company immediately after a layoff. The studies also show widespread lethargy and depression among surviving employees within months of the layoffs, as the sur– vivors settle into a mode of fearful expectancy. Human resource officials must hand– le any downsizing task delicately. Employees affected by the cuts need a straight-forward, honest explanation for their company's staff slashing. Survivors must hear these explanation also, so they can accept the company's new mission and forge ahead with commitment and energy. Eder is working with Northwest Natural Gas Co., Portland, to help com– pany officials there develop a long-term human resources plan that aims to aid employees while improving customer service. "They're (Northwest Natural Gas officials) very aware of the need to be more customer-driven, and they're under some internal and market-driven pressure to change," Eder says. Eder is helping the company estab– lish optimum staffing levels to carry out the greater customer service commit– ment. A vital part of the staffing includes empowering employees (another business buzz phrase of the 1990 )-helping them feel more com– petent, creative and independent in their jobs, and helping them believe their work is meaningful and has an impact. By the end of thi decade, employees and employers may never again view each other the same way. But the downsizing of the 1980s can turn into the rightsizing of the 1990s if companies can grasp human nature as well as the nature of a changing marketplace. D