Based on 30 focus groups and [...]]]> The July-August 2009 issue of The Harvard Business Review contains an article directed to employers titled:  “How Gen Y & Boomers Will Reshape Your Agenda.”  Its nice to know that we, older folks, have some things in common with the up and coming 20’s workers entering the job market today.  

Based on 30 focus groups and 40 interviews,  the authors, Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Laura Sherbin and Karen Sumberg concluded that the youngest (born 1979 through 1994) and the oldest (born 1946 through 1964) workers will demand many of the same concessions in the work place.  As the population balance of both groups shift, these two groups will possess the numbers to get their way.

In an improving economy, employers will again be looking for talented individuals to regenerate sagging companies.  Only then will companies realize that the employee pool has been drastically altered.

Retention of skilled older workers will become a big issue. Due to a change in economic circumstances and improved health, boomers are choosing to stay in the workplace longer. As they age, they may need increased accommodations to do so.  Educated and professionally motivated, many of the youngest workers will not just be looking for monetary rewards. They are more socially conscious than their predecessors and expect the workplace to reflect their needs. Being twice the size of Generation X, both the Boomer and Gen Y age groups are redefining what makes a “great work environment.”

Both groups attribute the highest values to flexible work arrangements and the opportunity to participate in socially-conscious activities.  It means that employers have to develop creative work incentives involving time or a green workplace to substitute for traditional monetary rewards.

“Chunking”  of work allows Boomers and Gen Y workers the ability to scale back their hours but continue to work on ventures in accordance with their experience and expertise. Known as ”phased retirement” at American Express, this approach allows workers to stay productive in the workforce on a project by project basis.  Consulting arrangements with former employers can bring flexible hours, keep a connection to the company and lay the foundation for self-employment.

Flexible time schedules give both groups an opportunity for personal fulfillment.  Whether its having more time for child care or just more available time to go to the gym, both groups value the ability to alter their work hours for self-improvement or to take care of other pressing needs.

The ability to work from home and electronically communicate with workers in the office, has made working-from-home a viable option.  Since both groups enjoy the teamwork and community generated in an office environment, a consensus of opinion seems to favor working at home one day a week as a viable option.  The concepts of what it means to manage workers will alter as these populations fulfill all or part of their employment responsibilities from remote locations.

Person Fulfillment includes an interest in other activities besides work.  Both groups put an emphasis on exploring passions and participating in doing “good works.”  Those interviewed stated that the ability to take time off from work in the form of a sabbatical or other restructuring of the work schedule boosts commitment and performance.

Progressive Policies permeate both groups.  Both are eco-friendly and value a work environment that supports collaboration and innovation.

When asked to rate seven types of rewards at least as important as compensation, both groups chose “high-quality” colleagues putting an inordinate value on social networking and colleagueship.  For boomers, mentoring younger colleagues is a way to further utilize their knowledge to benefit others.  Unlike any other age groups at any other time in history, these two “over-sized book-end” generations will profoundly force changes in the workplace to occur.  To retain quality workers, employers will have to “tune into” the needs of these diverse age populations and alter policies and environments accordingly.

In a 2007-2008 report from The Conference Board, titled [...]]]> Are you retired or near retirement and still want to work?  Are you in search of a second career?  You are not alone.  Many individuals in their 50s, and even 60’s  want to embark on second careers which offer flexibility and a sense of commitment and purpose.

In a 2007-2008 report from The Conference Board, titled “Boomers Are Ready for Nonprofits But are Nonprofits Ready For Boomers?”  encouraged nonprofits to take advantage of this unique population swell of relatively healthy but older individuals looking for some kind of meaningful affiliation.

It seems logical that a match between boomers and nonprofits would be a “no brainer” and that nonprofits would welcome these experienced, work-savvy individuals into positions commiserate with their expertise and educational background.  On the one hand, Boomers are looking to give back to the community.  On the other, nonprofits have a professed need for individuals to perform various tasks to support the agency’s mission.  Here is a seeming match made in heaven.

Like any relationship, the expectations of both parties have to be modified to encompass the reality of the situation.  Individuals working their whole adult life in the for-profit work world may be use to being results-oriented and feel out of place in a more process-oriented environment.

Some nonprofits are thrilled to find individuals with certain highly-developed skills who are willing to try out working in a non-profit job by doing volunteer work. Having not properly figured out how to best utilize these skills, the individual is left to languish in a pool of volunteers carrying out menial tasks.  Both parties can become disappointed and disillusioned.

This study included survey results from nonprofit employers, mature workers who made the switch to nonprofits and job seekers age 50 and older.  The report also features nine case studies of nonprofits employing boomers.  The following are insights from case studies:

Volunteerism:  This work relationship provides a gateway for the individual who still needs a monetary salary but wants to transition to a non-profit second-career position.  Creating professionally oriented volunteer opportunities for “second career seekers” will attract boomers and make the best use of their skills.  When a pay-position becomes available, nonprofits should consider qualified board members and older volunteers first.

Flexibility:  Boomers look for a culture which can accommodate their need for adjustable job roles, time schedules and compensation.  It is important that the nonprofit emphasize results not hours worked. In a flexible environment, trust should not exclude accountability emphasized in the forprofit world.

Tradeoffs:  Lower pay and less opportunities for promotion are balanced off by having a chance to learn new skills and apply old ones in fresh ways.   Forprofit veterans need to have a realist understanding of the non-profit environment which can be as stressful as their former work environment.

Adaptability:  Personnel interviewing “second career seekers” should ask them how they see the possibility of using their for-profit skills in this new work setting.  Older individuals should keep this question in mind as they evaluate each nonprofit setting.

The emphasis of a nonprofit is on obtaining something for the client which alters the pace and focus of the work environment.  For a person having spent their whole work career in the forprofit world, it might be somewhat of a “culture shock. ” Nonprofit leaders need to understand how to be a positive guides to insure a successful adjustment for the older individual seeking a second career.

Collaboration:  With an emphasis on working in multigenerational teams, human resource strategies needs to be explained in terms of an over all  business strategy to benefit the client and organization.  To make learning needs of “second career seekers” meaningful, they have to linked with the personal and as well as the organizational goals of the agency.

Passion and Pragmatism:  These watchwords strike the balance which nonprofits need to follow when incorporating older individuals from the forprofit environment.  Boomers who want to start a second career, often have a longing to receive a sense of satisfaction from their employment, which comes from a need to see a clear connection between one’s work and its outcome.  Having a desire to make a difference and understanding time and other limitations of one’s job contributes to identifying those qualities which constitute a fruitful match.

Switching sectors to create a second career can be tricky and daunting for you.  Sometimes the nonprofit as well as the individual can benefit by the assistance of a third party who acts as a “matchmaker.”  The report describes  a New York City agency, ReServe Elder Service, Inc., which takes such a role.

The full article can be found at:  http://www.conference-board.org/pdf_free/R-1447-09-KF.pdf