Ideas For Action
These short articles are intended to give executives actionable ideas, insights, and frameworks that they can immediately apply when addressing the challenges created by a changing workforce.
Managing Five Risks to Future Workforce Performance
Changes occurring in the sources of skilled talent today are much more complex than they have been described in the media. Five trends are simultaneously reshaping your workforce and management ranks. These challenges include the need to integrate more mid-career hires and the increased likelihood of high performers being stolen away. Leaders must know how to respond effectively to these five forces if they are to develop and sustain a high performing workforce that can achieve future strategic objectives.
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Six Mistakes to Avoid When Implementing an Aging Workforce Strategy.
A number of organizations, such TVA and Northrop-Grumman have begun serious initiatives to address the aging workforce and knowledge retention threats posed by increased employee retirements and mid-career turnover. There are important lessons to be learned from these early adapters as they try to implement new workforce planning and knowledge management strategies.
Latest Research
This section provides access to our most recent research that helps clients anticipate the real impacts of changing workforce demographics on their organization’s performance. These reports, case studies, articles, and working papers can help you identify the specific actions you should be taking to: (1) improve the transfer and retention of critical knowledge; (2) utilize older workers more effectively; and (3) recruit and retain young and mid-career employees.
Searching for the Silver Bullet: Leading Edge Solutions for Leveraging an Aging Workforce
This report will show you how to:
- Transfer knowledge more effectively
- Build loyalty and retain high performing employees longer, and
- Leverage the growing pool of "retirees" who can still add tremendous value in your organization.
The report uses new case studies from First Horizon Bank, Boston Scientific, Weyerhaeuser, and the Aerospace Corporation to show how leading edge organizations are improving performance in the face of increased generational diversity in the workforce. This study, conducted by David DeLong & Associates in collaboration with MetLife's Mature Market Institute, is based on 75 interviews in 28 companies.
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Living Longer, Working Longer: The Changing Landscape of the Aging Workforce
Among the important findings from this survey of 2,700 U.S. residents age 55 to 70 is the significant shift that occurs in motivation to work for people in their sixties. This study shows that employers will need a variety of recruiting, retention, and workplace strategies to address the changing needs, priorities, and preferences of workers as they grow older. In contrast to the stated plans of Baby Boomers, this survey reveals the decisions people are actually making today about work and retirement. The report also identifies the evolving perceptions and meaning of "retirement," and it also explores the implications of the growing phenomenon of the "working retired."
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Accenture Reports
A series of research reports funded by Accenture's Institute for Strategic Change define future workforce issues and "better practice" solutions being pursued to retain critical knowledge.
Are You Ready for the Workforce of the Future? Written originally for executives in the chemicals industry, the issues addressed in this four-page report are highly relevant for workforce planning in virtually all industries. Challenges described include the aging workforce, a shrinking labor pool, and different values of the younger workforce.
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Uncovering the Hidden Costs of Lost Knowledge. Set in the context of the global chemicals industry, this brief report shows how lost knowledge keeps organizations from achieving strategic objectives such as growth, innovation, or low-cost efficient operations.
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Confronting the Chemical Industry Brain Drain: A Strategic Framework for Organizational Knowledge Retention. Based on interviews in 25 global chemical companies, this 16-page report describes the management challenges caused by changing workforce demographics. It also presents a framework for developing a long-term knowledge retention strategy. The insights provided are important for managers in many industries.
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Better Practices for Retaining Organizational Knowledge: Lessons From the Leading Edge. This 16-page report shows how some organizations are attempting to improve knowledge retention through a range of initiatives that include interviewing, mentoring, storytelling, IT applications, phased retirement policies, and programs to effectively utilize retirees. Examples are drawn from many industries.
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The reports in this section were written by David DeLong for Accenture's Institute for Strategic Change, where he was formerly a research fellow. They are made available with Accenture's permission. For more information on Accenture's recent research, please visit their website at www.accenture.com.