KAA-Boom! KAA-Boomer! KAA-Booming!

Back in the 50s and 60s when young baby boomers read their favourite comic books, they frequently saw the word KAA-Boom. It meant that Batman had whacked the Joker, or Superman had once again thwarted Lex Luther. KAA-Boom meant a very big impact. Forty years later, it's the sound employers are hearing as the bottom falls out of the labour market. It's the big impact retiring baby boomers are having on organizations throughout the Western world.

For quite a while now, we've been reading about the looming demographic crisis that is about to explode in our faces as the baby boomers inch toward retirement. The first wave of boomers is now 61 and many have already elected to retire. Those who haven't are planning for it. As a result, CEOs are beginning to complain that skills and talent shortages are keeping them up at night, and human resource professionals are being asked to develop strategies to prevent a slowdown in productivity due to retiring boomers.

Many organizations think they have another three to five years to develop these strategies, but what they've forgotten is that it takes three to five years to change a workplace culture. Those mature employees they are seeking to retain or attract will want a workplace that meets ALL their particular needs, not just most of them. Boomers aren't interested in idle promises; they want to see concrete evidence that a workplace is ready to accommodate them.

Are you ready?

What does KAA-Boom mean to employers?

For employers, KAA-Boom means that 50 percent of their workforce is between the ages of 46 and 61. Many in this huge group are now in senior positions and are primarily responsible for managing, innovating and holding the knowledge capital of a business. And over the next few years, they are all due to retire, causing many organizations to implode through lack of skills, talent and industry knowledge. Thousands upon thousands of people with millions of years of experience -- gone. The backbone of every sector -- no longer there for support. KAA-Boom! Making matters worse is that there are not enough skilled younger workers available to replace those leaving.

Most organizations are not ready.

What Does KAA-Boom mean to boomers?

For boomers KAA-Boom means new beginnings, new directions, renewed energy. This dynamic post-World-War-II generation should be called KAA-Boomers because they're vigorous, innovative and actively engaged with all facets of their lives. KAA-Boomers have always been catalysts for change, and now they changing the meaning of retirement and the workplace. KAA-Boomers may age, but they are refusing to get old. KAA-Boomers are optimistic about their future. They are the fire between the KAA and the Boom.

They're ready for the next exciting phase of their lives.

What Does KAA-Booming mean to you?
KAA-Booming means having fun, enjoying the ride, blazing new trails, prospering from new directions, and continuing to change the world.

Get ready to experience KAA-Booming at the forth annual Summit on the Mature Workforce this November.

We are accepting submissions for speakers, sponsors, or booths at the Summit on the Mature Workforce.