Among CFOs who are worried about losing baby boomers to retirement, executives most commonly cited leadership (39 percent) and legacy knowledge (23 percent) as the greatest potential losses to their organization.
The survey was developed by Robert Half, the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on interviews with more than 2,100 CFOs from a random sample of companies in more than 20 of the largest U.S. markets.
CFOs were asked, "How concerned are you about losing employees from the baby boomer generation to retirement in the next two years?" Their responses:
| Not at all concerned |
42% |
| Somewhat unconcerned |
21% |
| Somewhat concerned |
25% |
| Very concerned |
6% |
| Don't know/no answer |
6% |
| Total |
100% |
| Leadership |
39% |
| Legacy knowledge |
23% |
| Functional skills |
15% |
| Nontechnical attributes (e.g., soft skills) |
15% |
| Contacts outside the organization |
5% |
| Other |
1% |
| Don't know/no answer |
3% |
| Total |
101%* |
| *Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding. |
|
"Although losing baby boomers to retirement may not be a universal concern yet, employers, as a best practice, should prepare themselves for the exit of experienced professionals from the workforce," said Paul McDonald, Robert Half senior executive director. "Mentorship and succession plans can be effective means of passing on legacy knowledge, and retaining and developing a company's next generation of leaders."
McDonald added that businesses of all sizes can benefit by implementing programs that allow professionals to transition into retirement and remain engaged with the firm. "Even as they move closer to retirement, many people want to continue contributing their skills and expertise," he added. "Companies can take advantage of working with these employees on a consulting basis, who can in turn train other staff members on both the needed technical and nontechnical attributes."
