Spherion Corporation's Talent Alliance Service Selected by Toyota To Launch MyCareer@Toyota; Online Career Management Tools Enable Employees to Develop and Sharpen Skills

    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--Oct. 17, 2001-- Spherion(sm) Corporation, a Recruitment, Outsourcing and Technology services provider, announced today that it has been selected by Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) and Toyota Financial Services (TFS) to develop MyCareer@Toyota, an on-line career management portal intended to better educate, cultivate and retain Toyota associates. Spherion utilized Talent Alliance(sm), its proprietary web-based career management solution, to design the customized site for Toyota, offering access to content and exercises related to career development.
    According to Saratoga Institute, a renowned leader of human capital research, employees today are leaving jobs for more than just salary increases. Inadequate career growth opportunities, poor supervisors and a lack of training and development are also principal reasons for turnover.
    Toyota believes the implementation of MyCareer@Toyota will help to increase associate retention within the organization and allow company officials to better understand the interests and background of its current associate population.
    "Today's workers are taking a much more active role in their career development. As a dynamic company with a vested interest in our associates, we must offer the services and assistance to meet their career expectations, interests and desires," said Steve Thorne, Organizational Development Consultant of Toyota. "We believe our associates will benefit greatly from the level of expertise that Talent Alliance and Spherion are providing for MyCareer@Toyota. We have already received positive feedback and response from our associates regarding its implementation at Toyota."
    The site includes coaching, personal development, career planning and additional features from Talent Alliance. An "Automotive Center" addressing the specific needs of Toyota and its associates was also developed. One of the site's main features is the career profile system, which allows associates to post their employment background, current skills, training history and desired job preferences, thus allowing management to identify appropriate candidates for internal job openings throughout Toyota's organization.
    "It is refreshing to see companies such as Toyota, taking an active role in helping its associates realize the full potential of their careers," said Perry Borman, managing director of Talent Alliance. "We are delighted to have been chosen by Toyota and feel that MyCareer@Toyota will provide long-term benefits to both the company and its associates."
    MyCareer@Toyota was launched company-wide this fall.

    About Toyota Motor Sales

    Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota in the United States and is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp. TMS has achieved sales of more than 1 million vehicles annually over the past 11 years. TMS' goal is "to become the most successful and respected car company in America." Toyota Motor Corp. and its subsidiaries produced more than 5.8 million vehicles worldwide in calendar year 2000. Toyota vehicles are manufactured in 25 countries and are renowned for their quality, reliability and value. Toyota is the third-largest vehicle manufacturer in the world and the fourth-largest maker of vehicles in North America.

    About Toyota Financial Services (TFS)

    Toyota Financial Services (TFS) is the finance and insurance brand for Toyota in the US, offering retail auto financing and leasing through Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC) and extended service contracts through Toyota Motor Insurance Services (TMIS). TFS is part of a worldwide network of comprehensive financial services offered by Toyota Financial Services Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation.

    About Spherion

    Spherion Corporation provides Recruitment, Outsourcing and Technology services. As part of Spherion, the Human Capital Consulting Group provides workforce analysis and human resources benchmarking and consulting. In addition, Human Capital Consulting offers outplacement services, career assessment and counseling, executive coaching and career transition services. Founded in 1946, with operations in the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific, Spherion helps companies efficiently plan, acquire and optimize talent to improve their bottom line. Visit the Company's Web site at http://www.spherion.com.
    Talent Alliance is one of the web-based services that supports Spherion Corporation's Human Capital Consulting Group and provides a comprehensive suite of Web-based career management services, education and training courses, coaching services and proprietary job-to-candidate matching systems. For more information about Talent Alliance, please visit http://www.talentalliance.com.