Innovating to Retain Experienced Employees

All across the workforce, and especially in the nonprofit sector, we are soon to see a massive exit of experienced folks who bring a ton of value to our workplaces. That’s a big problem for all of us, because turnover of leadership, subject matter expertise, and institutional knowledge can all be incredibly destabilizing for organizations.

And that kind of instability can have long-lasting - think years- and decades-long - impacts.

By testing and expanding a strategy that already exists - such as parental leave or sabbaticals - and applying it in a new way, organizations have an opportunity to retain engaged employees who also want to support their adult children as they welcome new tiny humans into the world.

As a working parent who was in executive leadership roles when my babies were born, my parents and in-laws provided essential support, care and love to my kids, my husband, and me.

I see this same care now in my neighbors and friends who are welcoming their first grandbabies into the world. And I see them wrestling with “how much longer” to stick around.

Workplaces that recognize the desires of their experienced workers and the reality of multi-generational working families understand that employee engagement and retention is vital to their success.

Innovating - not with shockingly new ideas, but by introducing proven strategies to new “markets” - and adapting talent strategy to fit these upcoming trends is sound strategy and the right thing to do.

What innovations are you seeing like this in your work? Join the conversation on LinkedIn.