MILWAUKEE, Sept. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, will host a panel discussion at The Economist's "Ideas Economy: Human Potential" event next week, titled "Epic Shifts in the Human Age," focusing on how business and work models must be redesigned, value propositions and people practices redefined, and social systems reinvented so that leaders can unleash the potential of their people.  

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110330/CG73938LOGO-a)

The thought-provoking panel discussion will be held at the Times Center, New York City and is sponsored by Right Management, the global leader in talent and career management workforce solutions within ManpowerGroup. Panelists, and thought leaders in their own right, include:

• Rich Floersch, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, McDonald's
• Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at London Business School
• Gerry Crispin, Founder and Principal of CareerXroads
• Mara Swan, Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Talent, ManpowerGroup

Moderating the discussion, which promises to reveal intriguing insights from various industry, business and academic perspectives, will be James Rubin, who has covered recruitment and employment issues for more than a decade and is a regular contributor to the Economist Intelligence Unit.

"Understanding how to unleash this spirit, enthusiasm and potential is not a one-size-fits-all strategy and will require employers to interact with their people on a human level," said Swan. "Companies will need to update their work models and people practices because the old ways of doing things no longer apply, and with skilled talent at a premium, must align their talent strategy closely with their business strategy. They should also become more agile in terms of attracting, retaining and developing employees, with the motivations and inspirations of individuals becoming increasingly important."

The Human Age is the culmination of several factors, including the continuing need for companies to do more with less as they are reluctant to shed financial flexibility following the global recession. Shifting demographics also mean rapidly aging populations in many developed markets and a lack of skilled people in emerging markets to keep up with economic growth. In addition, advancements in technology allow work to be performed anywhere at any time, individuals with in-demand skills have the ability to be more selective about where they work and rising customer sophistication necessitates a greater emphasis on innovation, delivery of greater value and efficiency.

Despite the many challenges associated with new world era, where employers' need for productivity and efficiency means they are seeking candidates with a greater specificity of skills — both technical and "soft" skills — to function effectively in a volatile global market, companies who invest in talent for the long term will have the ability to unleash the potential of their people and drive economic growth.

"This new reality requires a new mindset: new recruiting and development strategies to nurture talented individuals, an environment where creativity and collaboration can flourish, and increased transparency that allows the workforce to feel more in tune with the company to understand how they are contributing to the successful execution of its strategy," added Swan. "Unleashing the potential of individuals and having a robust workforce strategy that takes into account external factors as well as internal demand will help employers make sense of this new reality."

The "Ideas Economy: Human Potential" Event brings together business leaders, policymakers and academics to discuss the forces at work in the world, their implications for the global economy, the increasingly competitive war for talents and the new opportunities that this volatility and complexity presents for savvy organizations and individuals alike.  

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup™ (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, creates and delivers high-impact solutions that enable our clients to achieve their business goals and enhance their competitiveness. With over 60 years of experience, our $22 billion company creates unique time to value through a comprehensive suite of innovative solutions that help clients win in the Human Age. These solutions cover an entire range of talent-driven needs from recruitment and assessment, training and development, and career management, to outsourcing and workforce consulting. ManpowerGroup maintains the world's largest and industry-leading network of nearly 3,900 offices in over 80 countries and territories, generating a dynamic mix of an unmatched global footprint with valuable insight and local expertise to meet the needs of its 400,000 clients per year, across all industry sectors, small and medium-sized enterprises, local, multinational and global companies. By connecting our deep understanding of human potential to the ambitions of clients, ManpowerGroup helps the organizations and individuals we serve achieve more than they imagined — because their success leads to our success. And by creating these powerful connections, we create power that drives organizations forward, accelerates personal success and builds more sustainable communities. We help power the world of work. The ManpowerGroup suite of solutions is offered through ManpowerGroup™ Solutions, Manpower®, Experis™ and Right Management®. Learn more about how the ManpowerGroup can help you win in the Human Age at www.manpowergroup.com.

ManpowerGroup is the most trusted brand in the industry, being the only company in our industry to be named to the Ethisphere Institute's 2011 World's Most Ethical Companies list for our proven commitment to ethical business practices, including an outstanding commitment to ethical leadership, compliance practices and corporate social responsibility. In addition, ManpowerGroup has also been recognized as the industry leader by Fortune magazine, who named the company in first place on its 2011 list of the Most Admired Companies in the temporary help sector.

In January 2011, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, ManpowerGroup announced the world has entered the Human Age, where talent has replaced capital as the key competitive differentiator. Learn more about this new age at www.manpowergroup.com/humanage

Gain access to ManpowerGroup's extensive thought leadership papers, annual Talent Shortage surveys and the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, one of the most trusted indices of employment activity in the world, via the ManpowerGroup World of Work Insight iPad application. This thought leadership app explores the challenges faced by employers navigating the changing world of work and provides in-depth commentary, analysis, insight and advice on strategies for success.  

Follow ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres on Twitter: twitter.com/manpowergroupjj

SOURCE ManpowerGroup