Introduction
Anywhere you go in the business world today you're almost certain to hear the buzz about "workforce planning." It's also likely there will be a sense of urgency surrounding the discussions, as phrases such as "baby boomer," "knowledge drain," "competencies," and "gap analysis" are tossed about.
That sense of urgency emanates from taking a look at recent statistics which indicate that 44% of the State's current workforce is over the age of 45. Up to 35%, or more than 70,000 employees, will be eligible to retire in the next five years. Some independent studies have estimated that this number could be much higher, ranging as high as 49%, or as many as 100,000 employees.
Source: State Personnel Board Workforce Data
Definition of "Major positions": In State government an employee may hold more than one position. For example, an employee may have a permanent full-time appointment as an Associate Governmental Program Analyst, and an additional appointment as an Examination Proctor. For purposes of this data, the Associate Governmental Program Analyst appointment would be counted as a "Major position," and the Examination Proctor appointment would not be counted.
In the past, human resource needs of the workplace have largely been met in a reactive mode, position by position, vacancy by vacancy. That approach will no longer suffice as we plan for the huge wave of retirements within the next five years. It is imperative that State departments take a strategic approach to workforce planning, now!
