Is Your Organization Oozing Expertise?

The US Census Bureau estimates that 35 million Baby Boomers will be leaving the workplace over the next 10 years or so.  If you have these individuals in key positions and lose them all at once, how will that impact your organization?  Will they take key safety information with them or will they pass it on before they retire?  The answer to that may depend on your planning and the results may be significant.

Many Boomers have been in the same position for years; some for their whole careers.  They have knowledge that is not always captured in operating manuals or other documentation.  They also have developed judgment about how to handle certain situations based on their years of observation and experience.  How can you keep this knowledge and judgment when you lose the people?

One answer is a mentoring program in which experienced workers train new workers.  New workers can be asked to capture the tips and procedures they learn and share them with the next generation of workers.  Another approach is to have experienced workers hold formal training, develop training materials, or lead JSA or JSOP teams.  Still other organizations hire key retirees as part-time consultants or on-call resources for the new employees.  

Whatever your plan, your goal should be to spare your organization from oozing out needed expertise as the new generation of workers replace the old.

-Terry L. Mathis

Terry L. Mathis is the founder and CEO of ProAct Safety, an international safety and performance excellence firm. He is known for his dynamic presentations in the fields of behavioral and cultural safety, leadership, and operational performance, and is a regular speaker at ASSE, NSC, and numerous company and industry conferences. EHS Today listed Terry as a Safety Guru in ‘The 50 People Who Most Influenced EHS’ in 2010, 2011 and 2012-2013. He has been a frequent contributor to industry magazines for over 15 years and is the coauthor of STEPS to Safety Culture Excellence, 2013, WILEY.