Organizational Approaches for Managing Mid-Career Personnel

Abstract

There is a growing concern about the ramifications of significant restructuring of the workforce in the next century. While there has been considerable attention given to the education, training, and motivation of new workers, less attention has been given to parts of the existing workforce, particularly mid-career personnel. As the average age of the workforce steadily increases and attrition reduces the number of qualified workers, there will be a growing need for innovative methods of keeping experienced and knowledgeable personnel productive. This resource can be invaluable for maintaining organizational productivity as well as meeting the challenges of the next century. Characteristics of the mid-career worker and possible organization strategies for managing this resource are presented. In the end, it is realized that the solution to this personnel management issue will require multiple approaches.