16 May Managing Nontraditional Employees (...challenge....coordinate....all...)

[Paul Terlemezian]

We hear so much about the retirement of the "baby boomers" and the knowledge gap that will be created as they leave the workforce.

 

Why do we have a retirement age?

 

In the agriculutural and industrial era when much of work was physical it was natural to assume that the body would be less supportive of the physical requirements of work.

 

In the knowledge era our work is mental - not so much physical. Experience (something generally acquired 5 minutes after you needed it) contributes to the effective application of our knowledge - this is the basis of the "knowledge gap."

 

Perhaps older workers can stay in the workforce longer and work fewer hours?

Perhaps older workers could be hired to mentor/coach younger workers?

Perhaps job-share teams could be established much like apprenticeships in the past?

 

What other nontraditional jobs could be developed to suit the knowledge era?

 

How would this be reflected in compensation, management structure and communication?