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

1. The Right Staff from X to Y:Generational Change and Professional Development in Future Academic Libraries Richard Sayers CAVAL Collaborative Solutions Australia

3. 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!

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

5. Background • The “talent squeeze” (Cooper, 2005) • Challenges: • Attracting new staff (recruitment) • Keeping existing staff (retention) • Ensuring the ‘right staff’ • Key HR themes: • Workforce planning • Generational change • Professional development

6. 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’!?

7. Generational Change • Generation / cohort = approx 20 yrs • From birth to economic maturity = 20 yrs • 1968 – birth • 1988 – first job • 2008 – mid career • 2028 – retirement • Friction common between generations

8. 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!

9. 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!

10. 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!

11. 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

12. 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”

13. 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!

14. “the current 25-40 year olds will transform themselves through as many as six career changes before they collect their superannuation [retire].” - Neat, 2005

15. Profile of CAVAL Training 2005 2006 Courses 54 78 Trainers 33 29 Public deliveries 133 152 In-house deliveries 24 31 Online deliveries 1 1 Participants 1,399 1,611 Training and consulting in Australia, New Zealand and Asia

16. CAVAL Training Survey 2006 • Online using SurveyMonkey • Annual since 2003 • Australia, New Zealand, Asia • Objectives: • Feedback on current PD needs • Emerging training issues and trends • n = 613

17. Findings • Four questions examined closely: • Country of residence / work • Library sector • Type of training preferred • Emerging trends

20. 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… • Flexibility • Freedom

21. Key Decision Criteria • Relevance of content 99% • Expertise of trainer 77% • Value 65% • Convenience 61% • Price 60% • Quality of materials 59% Pragmatic Practical Point of need

22. 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

23. Top 6 Challenges Practical • New / emerging technologies (44) • Managing budgets / funding (33) • Marketing and promotion (32) • Workforce and succession planning (30) • Managing e-resources (22) • Demonstrating value of libraries (20) Practical Practical!!! Practical Practical

24. Three Strategies… • To attract and keep the right staff! • Value the individual • Provide plentiful PD opportunities • Provide access to mentors • PD / mentoring = career enhancement • The right staff (X to Y) = career enhancement packaging!

25. “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)

26. Discussion… Richard Sayers Training Manager CAVAL Collaborative Solutions richards@caval.edu.au www.CAVAL.edu.au