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

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 planning 2. Generational change 3. 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)  21 st 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 – birth  1988 – first job  2008 – mid career  2028 – 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 ( ) Baby Boomer ( ) Generation X ( ) Generation Y ( )  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 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 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 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 year olds will transform themselves through as many as six career changes before they collect their superannuation [retire].” - Neat, 2005

Profile of CAVAL Training Courses5478 Trainers3329 Public deliveries In-house deliveries2431 Online deliveries11 Participants1,3991,611 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 needs  Emerging training issues and trends n = 613

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

Type of Training Strong interest in online training (n = 487)  Public courses64%  In-house / onsite50%  Mediated online39%  Self-paced online32% Gens X and Y want…  Flexibility  Freedom

Key Decision Criteria 1. Relevance of content99% 2. Expertise of trainer77% 3. Value65% 4. Convenience61% 5. Price60% 6. Quality of materials59% Practical Point of need Pragmatic

Emerging Trends Q 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!!!

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 ( )

Discussion… Richard Sayers Training Manager CAVAL Collaborative Solutions