Managing Change in the Workplace

Workplace Supply & Demand Trends

• By 2010, 52% of the U.S. work force will be between the ages of 55 and 64

• From 2010 to 2030, the portion of the U.S. population over age 65 will grow 4 times as much as it did in the last 80 years

• As of 2005, Gen X and Y outnumbered the baby boomers when they made up 51% of the U.S. workforce

• Starting in 2012, nearly 10,000 Americans will turn 65 every day

Be Prepared for changes in the workplace within the next 3-5 years

What key staff will be retiring & how will it effect the efficiency of your organization?

Step 1: Start assessing how the changing age demographic is going to affect your workplace culture and strategies for hiring, training & development, and employee satisfaction

Step 2: Take action and start training, developing, and coaching your future leaders now to ensure a smooth transition as senior management retires

Things to keep in mind

• Generational context is not about age, but common experiences

• Different is neither right or wrong, just different

• Different generations care about different approaches to the same problem

Who Are These Generations?

Baby Boomers

• Born 1946-1964 (78 Million)

• Idealistic, competitive, the “Me” generation

• T.V., suburbia, Vietnam, Woodstock, women’s lib, civil rights, drugs & rock‘n roll

Generation X

• Born 1965-1976 (46 Million)

• Techno savvy, skeptical, self-sufficient

• MTV, AIDS, Computers, divorce rate tripled, fall of the Berlin wall, Challenger

Generation Y• Born 1977-1994 (80 Million)

• Cyber literate, confident, efficient multi-taskers

• Internet chatting, O.J. trial, Lewinsky, Columbine, Ok. City bombing, Enron, 9/11, Gulf wars & Iraq

Why is this Important?• To attract and retain young talent

• Maximize the effectiveness of your employee pool while minimizing potential turnover costs & conflicts

• To remain competitive, adaptive, and resilient in a changing workplace

• Gen X can only replace 60% of the retiring boomer workforce, Gen Y needs to fill the gap

Generation Y’sAttitudes and Expectations

in the Workplace

Born 1977-1994 (80 Million)

Impact on the Workforce

• Fastest growing segment of the workforce• Today, they account for approximately 21% of

the overall U.S. workforce• By 2012, they will be the 18-34 labor age group• Potential intergenerational conflict

Why do you have to manage them differently?

• Grew up in the age of “active parenting”• Praised & indulged• Digital upbringing and info saturation• Accustomed to digital learning• Gen Y’s digital upbringing facilitates

multitasking

Characteristics of Gen YPROS

• Adaptability

• Technologically savvy

• Ability to grasp new concepts

• Efficient multi-taskers

Characteristics of Gen YCONS

• Impatient

• Skeptical

• Blunt & expressive

• They’re still young

Attitudes toward Work

• Behavior-driven position selection

• Performance and results should drive compensation/promotion

• Competitive

• Life-work balance

What do they want out of a job?

• Career growth, learning and development

• Desire for immediate responsibility

• Meaningful work

• Marketability

• Facilitation vs. Training

Steps to Recruiting a Gen Y Employee• Online job posting, career fairs,

personal networking

• Partner with local high schools, community colleges, trade schools & associations

• Emphasize the opportunities, technology, and satisfaction to be found in a HVAC/building controls career

• Defined roles within the organization

How do I reach them during training?• Make it relevant

• Use a variety of approaches

• Keep it fast-paced & interactive

• Provide immediacy

• Focus on outcomes

Steps to Retain a Gen Y Employee

• Encourage their values• Train them• Mentor them• Show them how their work will contribute to

the organization• Provide full disclosure• Provide access to technology

Myths to Watch Out for

• Younger generations have no work ethic

• They have no respect for authority

• Lack of attention

• Difficult personalities

The Bottom Line

The workplace is getting older, faster than we can replace them with

experienced workers.

Organizations MUST work to recruit, develop, and retain young workers.

Workforce Planning & Development

• Succession planning & knowledge transfer strategy

• Assign mentors to new employees• Phased or partial retirement• May have to restructure internal training

programs and hiring systems• Partner with local high schools, community

colleges, & trade schools