the right staff from x to y generational change.pptVIP

The Right Staff from X to Y:Generational Change and Professional Development in Future Academic Libraries Richard Sayers CAVAL Collaborative Solutions Australia Key Messages Generational change = critical challenge for future academic libraries How to attract and keep Gens X and Y? Professional development (PD) provides one solution It is possible to recruit / retain talented staff in a fluid labour market! “If you want happiness for a lifetime - help the next generation.” - Chinese Proverb Background The “talent squeeze” (Cooper, 2005) Challenges: Attracting new staff (recruitment) Keeping existing staff (retention) Ensuring the ‘right staff’ Key HR themes: Workforce planning Generational change Professional development HR Challenge for Libraries Strong economy = low unemployment Low salaries and poor image of libraries Casual-isation of workforce = flexibility / mobility Competition from… Other professions New careers (eg, gaming) 21st century home-based cottage industries Rapid technological change Thus… Libraries not appealing to new generations How do we attract and keep the ‘right staff’!? Generational Change Generation / cohort = approx 20 yrs From birth to economic maturity = 20 yrs 1968 – birth 1988 – first job 2008 – mid career 2028 – retirement Friction common between generations Generations Defined “times and tastes” = shared sense of identity (Zemke et al, 2000) Mindset not chronology Until late 1980s… Two generations at work Limited vertical mixing of generations Structured interactions between generations Career progression by seniority (experience) Live to work! Generations Defined From early 1990s… 3-4 generations at work Veteran (1922-1943) Baby Boomer (1943-1960) Generation X (1960-1980) Generation Y (1980-2000) Greater vertical mixing of generations Talent squeeze = competition Career progression by merit Work to live! Generations in Universities In Australia, 45% of academic staff aged 50+ yrs (AARE, 2005) 40-60% of librarians will retire in