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ATD Blog

HELP WANTED! Impending Generational Brain Drain

Friday, October 26, 2012
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You’re right: The current unemployment numbers are a little off-putting, and we need a more skilled workforce to meet the challenges of today. However, an even scarier prospect is that organizations are losing institutional knowledge through the retirement of baby boomers, and they are unable to recoup that loss because of rampant Millennial turnover. If you aren’t shaking in your boots yet, you have permission to begin now.

Earlier this year, AARP released a study that showed that 72 percent of HR executives identified the pending retirements of Baby Boomers are a problem that their organizations hope to address. Moreover, these executives also shared the strategies they are using to combat this brain drain:

  • increasing training and cross training of younger workers (45 percent of respondents)
  • developing succession planning (38 percent)
  • hiring retired employees as consultants and temporary workers to retain their expertise (30 percent)
  • offering flexible work arrangements (27 percent)
  • designing part-time positions to attract older workers (24 percent).

While these are great “short term” initiatives, it appears that HR may be missing the point. This is more than just a threat on the company’s SWOT analysis; this brain drain is a major shift in the macro business culture that America has known for so long. It isn’t enough to just come up with a succession plan and train some young people. We must literally manufacture a paradigm shift that promotes a climate change
This new American business climate must honor all generations within the workplace and highlight the strengths they bring to the table. It must promote dialogue and collaboration cross-generationally. It must place value in authentic community. You know, like:

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  • It takes a village to raise a child.
  • Sticks in a bundle cannot be broken.
  • Sankofa.

All of those feel good adages that macro America views as mumbo jumbo because it doesn’t promote survival of the fittest. Bottom Line: It’s time to bring humanity back into business.
What’s amazing about this revelation is that it may mean job security for our field. You see, we’ve always been passionate about people―that’s why we do what we do every day. As revenue, sales, and market share become much less attainable by the old strategies of yesteryear, we should be right there picking up the pieces and showing corporate the way.

Workplace learning and performance professionals, I triple dog dare you to revive the message of people first. And, don’t let it go until we stop implementing “initiatives,” and we start carving a new path toward true knowledge and skill optimization.

About the Author

Nandi Shareef serves as the Global Training Manager for one of the largest residential Clubs in the United States. In this position, and with it being the first of its kind, Nandi is charged with the ground up design and implementation of a global training plan for over 400 employees with the end goal of creating and establishing a regional service training academy. In her former position, Nandi served as the youngest director of a national learning center franchise where she facilitated the sustainment of a half million dollar business in the throes of an economic recession. In addition, Nandi provides pro bono consulting services for small businesses and non-profit organizations in strategic and business planning as well as career coaching to citizens in transition. Nandi received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business Administration from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. She serves as a Trustee for the Franklinton Center at Bricks and Vice President of her local ASTD and Toastmaster Chapters. She is also an avid playwright and performing arts show producer. Her PhD studies in Organization Development at Benedictine University focus on Millennials in Today’s New Normal Workplace.

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