An aging work force that will not retire

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to make employers aware of the unique characteristics of the baby boomer generation in the workforce, the causes of boomer behavior and how employers might respond to those unique circumstances. A review of some books and articles is included as documentation of the phenomena. Design/methodology/approach As this is not a research paper, there is no specific design or methodology. The approach used was to write an assessment based on the authors’ nearly 50+ years’ experience in the recruiting and talent management field and Sparzo’s academic experience teaching in an MBA program. Findings Employers should be mindful that employees who are members of the baby boomer generation are not generally performing or retiring in ways that are similar to previous generations of workers. Recommendations are made as to how to manage this cohort, how to integrate this generation with the members of an employer’s workforce who belong to other younger generations and how the accommodations suggested may be applicable into the future, even after the last boomer retires. Originality/value The authors believe that the emerging trends and patterns of baby boomer behavior offer both challenges and opportunities to employers. The authors’ unique view as to how to understand the source of these trends and manage this workforce’s accumulated knowledge, while using the period of longer work-spans to “catch up” in developing strategies to capture, manage and redeploy their knowledge before they leave the employment scene.