Future Workforce Challenges and Solutions: Kelly Sullivan of Wiley Interviews Generational Guru Anne Loehr

In response to my blog series about the monumental changes that will influence workplace demographics in the next ten years, Kelly Sullivan of Wiley, the largest publisher for professional and scholarly societies, contacted me for an interview.  The article is titled, “Prepare Your Organization Now for the Workforce of the Future,” and was published this month in their *Nonprofit Business Advisor periodical. We were able to take a step beyond forecasting and discuss possible solutions for leaders and organizations who are preparing for the upcoming changes.

First, Sullivan and I discussed the three major changes that are on the horizon for organizations, as seen in my blog series:

·      The mass exodus of retiring Baby Boomers didn’t exactly meet feared predictions. With Boomers deciding to stay in the workforce, we are looking at extreme healthcare and pension costs. Personnel challenges will come too– from keeping Boomers up to date to preparing them for the possibility of reporting to someone young enough to be their grandchild. And if they do decide to leave? Organizations will lose talent and historical perspective. (Not to mention the Boomers who will take that knowledge and launch their own companies.)

·      Women are leaving the corporate world and becoming the competition. With only 19% of CEOs being women, and the fact that women are paid three-quarters of what their male counterparts make, women are deciding they can achieve more by consulting or creating start-ups. Wealthy women now control $6 trillion dollars in assets. Their decisions will significantly impact the future.

·      92% of the nation’s population growth in the last decade can be attributed to so-called minorities. The future holds a dramatic demographic shift—the minorities of today will be the majority of tomorrow. Hispanic and black youth are graduating from college at far lower rates than their white peers, meaning the majority of young Americans will not be educated or prepared to take their place in the workforce of tomorrow.

Sullivan and I then discussed possible solutions as management and leadership prepare for the future shifts they will be facing. Here is a summary of the ideas Sullivan and I discussed:

1.     Revamp their emerging leader training. The process for developing young leaders needs to be accelerated. Members of the younger generations will need to be able to fill the gaps that will soon emerge in organizations when the older generations leave. Nonprofits like The Nature Conservancy  and One.org, are transitioning from traditional face-to-face management training to online, hybrid simulations.

2.    Consider reverse mentoring. An engaging (and fun) way to incorporate reverse mentoring is to create a knowledge video. Leveraging the strengths of all parties, Gen X and Gen Y can produce the questions and video, while the older generations can act as the subjects of the video and answer questions.

3.     Create a culture (values, behavior and mindsets) where everyone wants to stay and contribute. Creating a company culture goes beyond diversity. It also encompasses how an organization goes about creating an atmosphere that allows it to attract, hire and retain top talent.

The number one job of a leader is to create and maintain the culture that is right for your organization. There is no right or wrong culture. The challenges arise when people are out of alignment with organizational values and behaviors.

 

4.    Fill  the  talent  pipeline now. Organizations should look  to local high schools and middle schools to attract their new workforce and get people excited about working for them. Organizations should visit schools, screen entertaining videos and come up with activities to get students interested in the organization before they even enter college. This could conceivably even influence the course of study a student decides to take, thereby more aptly educating your future workforce and future leaders.

 

Though these changes are a definite challenge, with some preparation, organizations will not only adjust to the demographic shift, but also benefit. The new generations have a lot to offer, if management can evolve to meet their high education levels, global view and macro thinking. Leaders have the ability to set their organizations on the path to success, even if that path is uncharted.

If you are interested in statistical information on demographic changes, please take a look at my infographics on demographics and the future of work and the rise of women in the workforce.

Has your organization started preparing for the approaching shift in the workplace? I’d love to hear your ideas and plans of action. Please leave me a comment, send me an email or send a tweet.

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* This article appeared in Wiley’s “Nonprofit Business Advisor,” issue 285.

© 2013 Wiley Periodicals,  Inc., A Wiley Company.

View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com • DOl: 10.1002/nba.20054