Knowledge management and transfer – successfully managing the generational handover

The reality is that virtually every country is currently facing massive retirements in the public sector, which – given that the average age is often high (1) – will become even more pronounced in the coming years. While this situation makes it possible to accommodate a few staff reductions, if nothing is done, a large amount of acquired knowledge, which is essential for maintaining continuity, will be lost.

Countries differ in their cultural approach to the generational shift and in their appreciation of the need to pass on knowledge, but some have decided to make it a priority, as they are convinced of the need to act.

Finland has chosen to promote the employment of older people. Drawing on several studies on health, the working environment and a person's skills at the end of his or her career, the country has introduced an action plan that includes adapting jobs and transferring knowledge, managing age within teams and non-discrimination. This incentive policy has already significantly reduced the number of early retirements.

In Germany, the government is determined to formalise the transfer of skills between generations. With its "Jedes Alter zählt" (Every Age Counts) programme, it has defined a set of standardised and structured recommendations that must be implemented in the eighteen months preceding the end of each employee's activity, so as to capitalise on and optimise all the experience he or she has acquired and, in particular, the memory of those practices that have proved to be effective as well as those that have not had the desired effects.

In the United States, federal government departments have a comprehensive strategy and prepare for departures by systematically analysing the risks involved. In order to draw up handover profiles, a number of points are reviewed during interviews with the incumbents (existence of documentation on the functions performed, collection of prerequisites and/or training to be followed). Managers and HR offices are involved in organising the handover.

Responding to the specific expectations of staff at the end of their careers by usefully combining their desire for a gradual transition and the return of greater availability is proving to be the most effective way of making this exercise a success. In this respect, well-being at work plays an essential role: in Sweden, a range of services (interactive workshops, a dedicated team) is provided to prevent and limit any risk of maladjustment, or even burnout. Similar schemes exist in the Netherlands ("sustainable employability"), the United Kingdom ("fuller working life") and Switzerland ("transition management").

Relying on a tutoring solution (as is done in Portugal) or mentoring, which can extend into retirement (an option recently introduced in Lithuania), is an alternative that has proved its worth, as it allows a personalised link to be established in the renewal process.

Because it is one of the most affected countries (50% of departures by 2030), Spain has decided to react: it has just launched its transformation and talent capture plan, fully involving the civil servants who will soon be leaving. Italy, which is also heavily impacted by the high proportion of senior citizens in its workforce (the average age is 51 and 17% are over 60), has included this dimension in its plan to revive the administration by devoting one of its four components to 'human capital'.

¹ According to several studies (OECD, Eurofound), the difference with the private sector is due to the difficulty and/or decrease or absence of recruitment for several years.