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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!
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)
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