I never put much stock in these types of surveys, but the local Pioneer Press reports on the recent Manpower survey:

Twin Cities employers expect to hire at a sluggish pace during the first quarter of 2007, a Manpower employment survey found. Of the companies interviewed about their hiring plans, 28 percent expect to reduce their payrolls. Another 48 percent expect to maintain their current staff levels. Just 18 percent plan to hire more employees.

This survey is a Q1 outlook only and one very important piece of data is our current unemployment. Minnesota is almost at full employment. Our unemployment rate is well under the national average so I am not surprised most local companies are planning to maintain current levels.

Turnover, an increasing trend amongst younger workers, will continue and those positions will need to be filled. Even though a small percentage of companies plan to expand, there will still be turnover-driven demand in this market.

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Allow me to indulge myself for this is a pet peeve of mine. Inc.com offers up this article – Majority of Small-Business Owners Do Not Offer Retirement Benefits.

Only 14 percent of the nation’s small-business owners offer a 401(k) plan to their employees, and 63 percent do not offer any retirement benefits at all, according to a new survey.

I’m not surprised by this number. I’ve worked for both small and relatively large companies and there is a distinct difference between the benefits. Obviously the larger companies have the capital to offer more comprehensive plans. Here is the pull quote that struck a nerve (emphasis mine):

“Small businesses employ half of all private-sector employees in America and serve as our economy’s growth engine,” ShareBuilder CEO Jeff Seely said in a statement. “Given the rising cost of health care, uncertainty about Social Security, and longer life expectancy, it’s imperative that America’s small business owners understand their crucial role in addressing the looming retirement crisis.”

At what point does it become the responsibility of the worker to plan accordingly for their retirement? Ideally, all companies would offer some pre-tax retirement plan. But benefits are not a requirement by law and they never should be. The market will drive companies to compete for talent and that battle is only going to intensify over the next few decades. The demand will drive the need for companies to offer more benefits. In the meantime, workers need to plan for their own retirement needs.

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It is next to impossible to determine 1 specific set of descriptors for the perfect salesperson. The reason is simple – no 2 sales go down the same way. Each sale is almost a mini-drama in itself. On top of that, no two competitors approach the market the same way. This difference is the reason why we always start our hiring process by defining the typical and ideal sale for that company. That information provides a blueprint for the salesperson with the abilities to succeed in that particular position.

Now that I have written all that, we’ll take a stab at 10 sales traits that are needed in any sales position. These 10 traits are aptitudes we objectively measure using our online assessments.

Click here to read our Top 10 Sales Traits page.

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