The term “baby boomer” was first used in the 1970's to describe the mass of children born between, approximately 1946 to 1961. Born in more prosperous times following WWII, the baby boomer generation have been described as “expanding the world economy more than any previous group and represent the largest workforce ever”. Interestingly, this generation is reported to have been the leading cultural force in the world for the past thirty years.

There is no disputing that the workforce all over the world is aging. Australia, as reported by CCH has the distinction of having one of the world's most rapidly ageing populations, with more than 12% over the age of 65. By 2050, almost 25% of our population -or one in four people - will be over the age of 65. Labour force participation is projected to age dramatically with over 80% of the labour force growth occurring in the 45 years and over age group. The departure of the Baby Boomer generation will be felt by organisations in Australia and all over the world. In Australia w e currently have 170,000 new entrants into to the workforce per year. From 2020 to 2030, there will only be 125,000 new entrants in the whole decade.

Characteristics and interesting insights into Baby Boomers.

Baby Boomers may be characterised by:

• Challenging the status quo, especially on civil rights issues and the rights of women.
• Being philosophical and striving to make the world a better place to live than the past.
• Valuing creativity, taking risks, seeking independence and loving adventure.
• The baby boomers arrived at a time of unexpected economic growth following WWII and were said to be a more spoilt generation.
• The huge birth rates during the baby boom meant that children in this era competed heavily for places in education and later for positions in the job market. The boom era may have contributed to developing individuals that are resilient, resourceful and able to compete and survive in the workplace.
• Their demand for products and services has seen baby boomers heavily influence the mass market more than any previous generation. As baby boomers age, they will continue to influence the evolution of products and services and they will have the ability to afford to pay for them.
• They don't like the concept of retirement; this is for “old people”. Baby Boomers are said not to be too keen on getting older and will work to prevent the ageing process as much as they can.

In the workplace-

• Working long hours for their job and being loyal to their company.
• Baby boomers prefer informal assessments rather than formal appraisals and scheduled discussions.
• Stick to traditional “sacred cows” and training methods of learning from past lessons and experiences.
• Follow the hierarchical control of organisations and the concept of working your way to the top.
• Don't necessarily understand the needs and motivations of the X and Y generation, especially when it comes to accessing leave and entitlements and the need for work life balance.
• Baby Boomers are believed to be the generation that will retires with more money than any previous generation. In Australia, recent social commentary indicates that the retirement funds of baby boomers are actually being eaten away by adult children that remain living in the family nest. Many are staying in the workforce dissatisfied because they have to work for more retirement funds not because they are enjoy working.

So how can organisations and baby boomers work together to stay in the workplace longer?

1. Like any group, avoid stereotyping or making the assumption that people are too old to work or that they don't want to work.

2. Look at the current remuneration and benefits offered and assess needs -Areas to consider include; health care, financial planning and assistance, superannuation/life/TPD and salary continuance insurance.

3.Consider the adoption of flexible or alternative work practices and accessing leave and entitlements at different times of life.

4.Continue to provide and access training and development. In order to maintain work satisfaction, ask individuals if there is anything new that they would like to learn or aspects of their work they would like to better. Consider designing learning methods that are more traditional and suit the learning styles and needs of the individual.

5. Utilise the skills and experiences of baby boomers in mentoring or coaching relationships.

6. Baby boomers also need to put up their hand to be a coach or mentor, be willing to participate in training, try new things or processes and be open minded to learn from other generations.

7. Take a risk approach and consider the health aspects of people- “The Ageing workforce: separating fact from fiction”, Australian report in 2005 indicated that “Contrary to common assumption about the ageing workforce, workers compensation statistics to not suggest that injury, disease and their associated claims increase with age”. The report, prepared from Insurance Australia Groups claims data suggested that a number of initiatives could assist organisations minimise the risks associated with ageing including:

• The establishment of OHS Risk Management and Injury Management strategies which focus on ageing issues.
• The establishment of Health and Wellbeing Programs which aim to promote and maintain health, minimise risk factors and slow down the changes associated with the ageing process. E.g. health assessments, access to employee assistance programs, assistance to quit smoking, rehabilitation for non-work related injuries, flu shots and so on.
• Task Design- Areas to consider include reducing physical loads, assessing visibility and lighting, speed, posture, noise, shift patterns and work design, slip trip and falls hazards, exercise, training and education.

Baby boomers also need to play a part in working with their managers and teams and self assessing the impact of ageing on their own health and safety and job satisfaction in the workplace. Changing the way you work (work design) or the adoption of flexible or alternative work practices may assist you to better manage ageing, provide you with more job satisfaction, delay retirement and help you to work longer.

With a decline in birth rates all over the world, the impacts of retirement will be felt in the workplace and wider society. The current level of people entering the work force from generation X and Y will not be able to replenish the departure rates of baby boomers alone. While we can't stop people getting older, the key to retaining the knowledge and experience of this wiser generation in the workplace will be to work together to look at ways to delay retirement and to tailor solutions to more effectively support the needs of baby boomers.

Bibliography

• Aging Population- CCH Daily Alerts: March 2005.
• The ageing workforce: separating fact from fiction- CCH Daily Alerts: April 2005.
• ABS- Labour Force Projections.
• Managing the New Generation- Kathleen Dunn-Cane, Joan Gonzalez, Hildegrade Stewart. AORN Journal: May 1999:69.
• Baby Boomer Culture Gets it Comeuppance- Bernard Salt, Review-Institute of Public Affairs: June 2006:55.
• Generation X and the Boomers: Organizational Myths and Literary Realities. Steven H Appelbaum, Maria Serena, Barbara T Shapiro: Management Research New: 2004:27.