I was reading an article in Workforce Magazine titled, “Meeting the New Faces Who are Shaping Employee Retirement”. It’s an interesting read you might want to check out. My takeaway from the article is that employees thinking about a phased retirement strategy need to start thinking about the skills that they will need to make this transition. So, I decided to come up with a list.
This list isn’t just for individuals. Organizations looking to build a phased retirement strategy and encourage employees to transition from full-time to part-time could use this list to develop a training program that will help employees get those skills.
- Financial wellness: Let’s face it, money is a consideration when we’re talking about any employee transitioning from full-time to part-time. Budgeting is an important skill. In addition, there are opportunities to educate workers on retirement programs, government programs, and the timing of benefits so employees maximize their earning potential.
- Time management: One of the reasons that organizations are becoming more open to phased retirement strategies is because they need employees. Which means they need productive workers. Employees need to be prepared to be productive in a part-time status. That involves managing your time well. If employees haven’t had to worry about deadlines and project plans for a while, it might be time to get some training in that area.
- Wellness and well-being: Another moment of reality we must face is that as we get older, we must think about our health. Possibly more than we did when we were younger. Both organizations and individuals should think about the opportunities available to educate about being proactive with our health – exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, etc. We will be able to work longer if we’re physically and mentally capable.
- Technology: You knew technology would be on the list. But I’m not talking about “how to learn Facebook” type of technology, although that’s important. Employees considering phased retirement could be asked (or make the request) to do remote work. This means employees need to know about computer security, basic troubleshooting, logging into networks, etc.
- Mentoring: Employees need to be realistic and realize that at some point they won’t be working anymore. And that the organization would like for your knowledge to be passed along to another worker. One way to do that is through a mentoring relationship. But being a good mentor takes some skills – good communication, patience, etc. It would be a win for everyone to teach employees how to be good mentors.
Phased retirement strategies – whether they’re initiated by the organization or the individual – need preparation. They will be successful because employees are prepared for the reduced income, schedule change, new responsibilities, and more. Learning and development programs can help employees get ready.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby in Las Vegas, NV
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