‘Echo’ generation poses potential solution for succession woes

Chances are that organizations are having a tough time recruiting talent in the age cohort range of mid-20s to mid-30s because not nearly as many people were born into this generation, unlike their predecessor Baby Boomers, David Foot, author of Boom, Bust & Echo, told delegates at the RIMS Canada 2008 Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
This Bust generation, Foot explained, is the revenge of the birth control pill.
But not all is lost, he continued. While the business pages of papers are filled with stories of a talent-deficit in the current job market, there are also stories of post-secondary institutions preparing for an enrolment spike.
The children of the Boomers are now entering the workforce, and they offer a huge opportunity, he told the crowd.
Employers need to target high schools and those in the early stages of their post-secondary education when seeking new talent.
Now is the time to recruit the future workforce. Dont put it off, its only going to get more difficult, he warned.
The majority of the Boomers are in their 40s, so it may be a while before they retire, some opting to go part time, Foot said. By allowing an older person to work part-time, an organization could afford the salary of an entry-level person just completing school.
The two he said, could work together, with the Boomer mentoring and passing on corporate knowledge, and the Echo offering fresh technology knowledge and skills.
This, Foot said, is the workplace of the future.