The Right Staff from X to Y:Generational Change and Professional Development in Future Academic Libraries

Richard SayersCAVAL Collaborative SolutionsAustralia

Key Messages

Generational change = critical challenge for future academic libraries

How to attract and keep Gens X and Y? Professional development (PD) provides

one solution It is possible to recruit / retain talented

staff in a fluid labour market!

“If you want happiness for a lifetime - help the next generation.”

- Chinese Proverb

Background

The “talent squeeze” (Cooper, 2005) Challenges:

1. Attracting new staff (recruitment)2. Keeping existing staff (retention)3. Ensuring the ‘right staff’

Key HR themes:1. Workforce planning2. Generational change3. Professional development

HR Challenge for Libraries

Strong economy = low unemployment Low salaries and poor image of libraries Casual-isation of workforce = flexibility / mobility

Competition from… Other professions New careers (eg, gaming) 21st century home-based cottage industries

Rapid technological change

Thus… Libraries not appealing to new generations How do we attract and keep the ‘right staff’!?

Generational Change

Generation / cohort = approx 20 yrs From birth to economic maturity = 20 yrs

1968 – birth1988 – first job2008 – mid career2028 – retirement

Friction common between generations

Generations Defined

“times and tastes” = shared sense of identity (Zemke et al, 2000)

Mindset not chronology Until late 1980s…

Two generations at work Limited vertical mixing of generations Structured interactions between generations Career progression by seniority (experience) Live to work!

Generations Defined

From early 1990s… 3-4 generations at work

Veteran (1922-1943) Baby Boomer (1943-1960) Generation X (1960-1980) Generation Y (1980-2000)

Greater vertical mixing of generations Talent squeeze = competition Career progression by merit Work to live!

Generations in Universities

In Australia, 45% of academic staff aged 50+ yrs (AARE, 2005)

40-60% of librarians will retire in 10-15 yrs (Hutley and Solomons, 2004)

Trickle of library talent to other professions (eg, records management)

Recruitment and retention critical to future!

Why Generations X and Y?

Workers / managers for next 2-3 decades Critical to future success of academic

libraries Competition for talented X’ers and Nexters

is fierce! Professional development a key factor in

recruitment and retention

Professional Development

Increases career potential and flexibility Bargaining point – recruitment and

retention Attractive to Generations X and Y

Gen X = “the more they learn, the more they stay”

Gen Y = “continuous learning is a way of life”

Developing Gen X and Y

Generation X 1960-1980 Xers, Thirty-somethings, Post-Boomers, Me Generation First population to grow up with PCs Social and economic upheavals of 1970s and 1980s Less optimistic but more self-reliant What’s in this for me?

Generation Y 1980-2000 Millennials, Nexters, Net Generation, Dot coms Last population to enter current workforce Most educated, connected and independent generation It’s always about me!

“the current 25-40 year olds will transform themselves through as many as six career changes before they collect their superannuation [retire].”

- Neat, 2005

Profile of CAVAL Training

2005 2006

Courses 54 78Trainers 33 29Public deliveries 133 152In-house deliveries 24 31Online deliveries 1 1Participants 1,399 1,611

Training and consulting in Australia, New Zealand and Asia

CAVAL Training Survey 2006

Online using SurveyMonkey Annual since 2003 Australia, New Zealand, Asia Objectives:

Feedback on current PD needsEmerging training issues and trends

n = 613

Findings

Four questions examined closely:Country of residence / workLibrary sectorType of training preferredEmerging trends

Country of Residence / Work 2006

57%

9%

32%

1%1%

Australia

New Zealand

Singapore

Other

Skipped question

Library Sectors 2006

29%

27%10%

9%

8%

6%

5%3% 3%

Special Libraries

University Libraries

National / State Libraries

Public Libraries

Polytechnic / TAFE Libraries

Archives, Records Management

Other Sector, including KM

School Libraries

Self-employed, Unemployed,Students

Type of Training

Strong interest in online training (n = 487)Public courses 64% In-house / onsite 50%Mediated online 39%Self-paced online 32%

Gens X and Y want…FlexibilityFreedom

Key Decision Criteria

1. Relevance of content 99%

2. Expertise of trainer 77%

3. Value 65%

4. Convenience 61%

5. Price 60%

6. Quality of materials 59%

Practical

Point of need

Pragmatic

Emerging Trends

Q. 15 - top 3 issues / challenges facing libraries to 2010

Test assumptions n = 328 or 53% of survey responses Keyword analysis = 50 separate issues Ranked by significance (# mentions) –

highest to lowest

Top 6 Challenges

1. New / emerging technologies (44)

2. Managing budgets / funding (33)

3. Marketing and promotion (32)

4. Workforce and succession planning (30)

5. Managing e-resources (22)

6. Demonstrating value of libraries (20)

Practical

Practical

Practical

Practical

Practical!!!

Three Strategies…

To attract and keep the right staff!1. Value the individual

2. Provide plentiful PD opportunities

3. Provide access to mentors PD / mentoring = career enhancement The right staff (X to Y) = career

enhancement packaging!

“In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

- Eric Hoffer (1902-1983)

Discussion…

Richard Sayers

Training Manager

CAVAL Collaborative Solutions

richards@caval.edu.au

www.CAVAL.edu.au