I know you’re wishing that “Bob” would take back his intention to retire and keep on working alongside you until his last breath. We know it’s hard to let go after decades of experience; it’s obvious there are things that just cannot be taught!
Bob deserves to kick back and breathe in retirement. Living the good life with a newspaper in his hand on an idle Monday morning.
But before I give you the industry secrets, I must give you some facts.
Approximately 10,000 baby boomers are retiring every day? We both know they hold key management positions with tribal knowledge and secrets that they’ve built up over decades.
Also, it’s good to note a higher cycle of turnover is a new reality in the 21 century! 90% of millennials expect to stay in a position for less than three years. Yes, three years. Millennials move around a lot, and just when things are flowing smoothly, they get bored. Thank you, social media.
How will your company manage the turnover of key positions every few years as opposed to every decade or two?
Here are seven ways to excel at extracting and storing valuable information from turnover to turnover.
Don’t Undervalue Older Staff
Long-time workers have built in routine knowledge about how to work efficiently, and they know their way around facilities like second nature. They understand what has worked in the past, what hasn’t worked, and the why’s of everything.
Value your older workers by having open conversations with them about their history in the company and their plans moving forward. Applaud them on the knowledge of historic renovations, the discoveries they’ve made and all the pieces of the puzzles they have help solve.
Manage Cross-Generation Learning
Your aging employees need to know that it’s a part of their job to train the younger generation coming in. At the same time, younger workers need to know they are required to learn from their more experienced peers during this critical transition.
You can help facilitate cross-generational learning by noting that there is much to be learned from different perspectives, generations and work styles. Before training starts, communicate your expectations, which will minimize feelings of discrimination that older workers may feel as they begin to transition to retirement.
Avoid Knowledge Silos
Your long-time employees have formed relationships across the company, giving them a deeper understanding of how their job impacts someone else’s work in another area. Without a broader appreciation for other departmental roles, less experienced employees may cause delays in performance.
To avoid knowledge silos, encourage collaboration and accessibility through echo Drawing Management System to streamline, document, the process moving forward. Capture the information in a format that is transferable.
Cross-Train Employees
Cross-training is another remedy when long-time employees leave. By giving a new hire a three-month post in another department allows them hands-on experience in areas of the company unfamiliar to their job title.
Cross-training will prevent information silos gifting all new employees’ full access to the knowledge available.
Start the Knowledge Transfer Now
Knowledge transfers take time. Do not wait until two weeks before your older workers last day to start the process. Yikes.
The best thing you could do for your business during this critical time is to have your retiring worker share in this process. Have them be a part of the process of getting your facility drawings organized and into an echo Drawing Management System. By working together with a Drawing Specialist along with your older staff, we can capture the knowledge in their head. This allows for the future of your buildings to be organized, moving forward.
Another option is creating Baseline drawings. Baseline helps your older staff’s knowledge and history out of their heads and on one master drawing: securing your future today for tomorrow.
ics
Bringing in the human element to the conversation when dealing with your older staff’s retirement helps them feel appreciated. Remember, you are touching on this person’s livelihood, identity, and legacy. Please proceed with kindness and respect – we are all human.
You Are Not Alone
Now that we know 10,000 baby boomers are retiring every day and Millennial’s are cutting careers short, you can know with confidence you are not alone. It’s true, Facilities across the globe are managing the turnover of key positions every few years as opposed to every decade or two. But don’t worry! It’s figureoutable. DCM has affordable solutions to assist you with managing turnovers like a pro.
Our goal is to improve your drawing management so profoundly; you can’t imagine going back to the old way. Which means, the timing is perfect since your old way is retiring!
Book a call with a Drawing Specialist for your free no-obligation plan for 2020.