Retirement Groove: Finding Yours: Trends by Alexis Leclair
Guest blogger, Alexis Leclair
The boomer retirement wave is upon us. Yet many retirees, anticipating longer, healthier lives, are re-imagining retired life where work plays a major role. Others have decided it is not wise for mental, physical and financial reasons to retire.
It is becoming clear that savvy employers try to maintain workforce capacity in the wake of the retirement wave by embracing the concept that retirement no longer means good-bye.
Factors Affecting Retirement Trends
Several factors are contributing to this modern work model.
- First among them is the law of supply and demand which means about one-half the number of younger workers are coming up to fill the roles that boomers are leaving.
- Second, a different work ethic exists, driven in part by re-prioritizing work-life balance: a re-arranged balance that is shared by younger and older workers alike.
Some Solutions
Maintaining workforce capacity will be difficult. But not for for forward-thinking employers who redesign how the work gets done and rethink who will do it. Structural redesigns that offer more flexibility and varying engagement levels, as well as equitable learning and development opportunities while building on generational strengths, will appeal to both younger and older workers.
For one savvy client, redesign meant offering job-sharing opportunities to senior level executives. The thought process was simple: If job-sharing works at administrative levels, it should work with highly responsible and skilled executives. For another client, investing in professional development training for an employee 18 months away from retirement was a smart move. The employee felt valued and stayed on to shore up some serious technical skill gaps. The move also strengthened a sense of commitment when younger workers witnessed their employer walk its talk on corporate values.
At Uptake, we have put together the information and services employers need to help create future workforce capacity. 
For more information on understanding why people retire, what brings them back to work, get in touch or see our book Retirement Groove: Finding Yours!™, A make-sense book about the soft side of retirement.
Despite a new work world where retirement no longer means goodbye, when asked about filling open jobs with competent workers, one company president said: “I’m not a fan of hiring back our retired workers.” The million dollar question is, “Why wouldn’t you?”
To Contact Alexis Leclair
To find out more about Alexis Leclair and her expertise about the workplace and retirement, please contact her at Uptake Consulting Ltd.
Note from Patricia: Please let me know if you are aware of a group that would benefit from my Tips on Resilient Aging from a Spunky Senior presentation. Ok? Here is a sneak preview.
