Knowledge Transfer and HR effect

Posted on July 24, 2007
Filed Under Older Worker, Best Practices |

With the retiring of the baby boomers, comes a problem very few have prepared for - the transfer of knowledge. Many are worried about workforce preparedness, but what about the intimate knowledge that only those that have a long history with the company have?

This “knowledge” is not just standard operational procedures that one would find in an employee manual or a departmental procedures book. This is the knowledge behind why those processes are in place or the lessons previously learned that led to the implementation of those processes. This knowledge also includes the strategic partnerships and relationships with internal providers and outside vendors.

This type of ‘knowledge’ is difficult to transfer without a well thought out transition plan. Many organizations neglect to grow their internal staff for a promotion and promote from either a different department department or hire from the outside when a tenured executive leaves. With very little transition time planned, this intimate knowledge is never transferred and lost forever.

Transitions are always a challenge. Most of it is caused by staff’s reluctance to change. But when the transfer of knowledge fails, transition (and change) is always more difficult.