KAA-BOOM Vol. 1 No. 3
- 2008 Summit Keynote Speaker Announced
- 5th Annual Best Employers Award for 50 Plus Canadians News
- Knowledge transfer: do it or lose it!
- New Feature: Case In Point - the Business Case for Mature Workers
- Global Report - United Kingdom Part II
2008 Summit Update
David Delong, author of Lost Knowledge: Confronting the Threat of an Aging Workforce will be the keynote speaker at the 4th Annual Summit on the Mature Workforce November 5, 2008 in Calgary, Alberta.
The theme of this year's conference is Age Diversity: the Evolution of Workplace Culture.
The Workplace Institute gratefully acknowledges the sponsorship of the Government of Alberta for the 2008 Summit.
5th Annual Best Employers Award for 50 Plus Canadians News
Update: Applications for the 5th annual awards competition close July 31, 2008.
Nominate your organization for the Best Employers Award for 50 Plus Canadians.
APPLY NOW!
Knowledge transfer: do it or lose it!
I heard a great story at an HR convention this year. We were talking about the unintended consequences of early retirement for senior (and well-compensated) managers in favour of younger (and cheaper) replacements. In this case, the senior technical operations manager at a lumber mill was retired early and rushed out the door. His replacement, a good 25 years younger, had an engineering degree and was a whiz at schedules but helpless when the main boiler broke down. Frantic to get the mill up and running again, the company begged its former employee to come back and help them out. He agreed, but for a consulting fee far higher than his former compensation. The former employee sat in his old office and requested that they turn on the boilers. The mill manager waited with him, inwardly fuming at what he saw as a moment of nostalgia. Yet within five minutes, the "consultant" told them exactly what the problem was: a boiler bolt needed adjustment. Disbelieving, his young replacement pulled out his charts and showed him: servicing wasn't required on that boiler for some time, according to his schedule. Nonetheless, the older manager was right. How did he know? He could hear the difference in the noise and feel the vibration the boiler made; he'd been listening to it for 20 years! The mill was soon operational again, but the costly error might have been averted if the lumber company had thought about the kind of knowledge that went out the door with their former employee.
Effective workforce planning can protect the operational health of an organization by ensuring that the company has backed up critical talent and knowledge and provided for a seamless transition when key personnel leave or retire. A few steps to consider:
- Identify the most critical jobs for corporate success.
- Assess the company's short- and long-term ability to replace the skills and knowledge vested in these positions.
- Develop succession planning to back up key personnel
- Capture the knowledge required to perform the job (individual, social and structural knowledge).
- Develop knowledge transfer systems that are continuous and repeatable.
- Institute ongoing knowledge transfer relationships between older mentors and proteges.
- Create a workplace culture that values and acknowledges the knowledge possessed by senior employees. Reassure them that knowledge transfer and mentoring activities are not a way to get them out the door.
New Feature: Case In Point - the Business Case for Mature Workers
This issue of KAA-BOOM introduces an ongoing feature, case studies of organizations that lead the way in maximizing the potential of their mature workforce - and reap the benefits. Each month we'll highlight innovative and effective best practices to help you make the case for the mature worker.
Global Report features and Case in Point case studies from previous newsletters will also be posted on the Resources web page of www.workplaceinstitute.org.
CATHOLIC CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY OF TORONTO, CANADA
Best practices: recruitment and retention
Best Employers Award for 50 Plus Canadians winner
The Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto provides stability and continuity in a high-stress, high-turnover field by listening to what mature workers want - and giving it to them. Read More
SAINSBURYS, United Kingdom
Best practices: multigenerational workforce, recruitment and retention
"We can teach you a thing or two."
- 65-plus recruitment campaign slogan
Sainsburys reaps the benefits of its age-friendly policies - a flexible and motivated multigenerational workforce and improved productivity. Read More
GLOBAL REPORT - United Kingdom Part II:
How the British government deals with its mature workforce
UNITED KINGDOM PART II: Government Initiatives
Policy makers in the UK put the aging workforce high on the government labour agenda. Numerous reports have considered the economic implications and emphasized reactivating older workers; active labour market policies frequently target the mature workforce. Government-led awareness campaigns, anti-discrimination initiatives and training programs are key to improving the engagement, recruitment and retention of older workers. Read more
Our poll last month: Does ageism still exist in your organization?
77% of respondents said YES!
Barbara Jaworski B.Sc. MBA
Workplace Institute
