The Retirement Wave Opportunity

An aging federal workforce combined with rapid technological change have long been considered as challenges to future government performance. The fiscal 2011 budget proposal unveiled by the White House on Monday again poses such issues as pending challenges for government, but it also highlights the potential opportunities they may bring.

"If the government loses top talent, experience and institutional memory through retirements but does not recruit, retain and train talent, government performance will suffer," the budget states. "If the government does not adapt to technological change by updating the way it hires, develops, deploys and engages its personnel, the government will have difficulty meeting 21st Century challenges."

At the same time, however, the two developments create an opportunity for government to bring in new workers who are both excited about government service and have strong technology and problem-solving skills along with fresh perspectives on the problems that government is expected to address, the budget states.

Government clearly will get nowhere without addressing both challenges, as current hiring and personnel procedures will not be enough to attract and retain the younger workforce, and retaining the knowledge of seasoned workers will be key to grooming future workers. I see the issue to be much more of a challenge than opportunity, especially given that seasoned workers have increasingly been shown to drive technological change at agencies. Do you see the retirement wave and rapid technological change in government as a challenge, opportunity, or both? What meaning does this hold for your agency?