Link: http://www.hcamag.com/hca_aus/index_email.cfm?articleID=942

Baby Boomer retirement, lower fertility rates, brain drain, sea changers - Australia is facing major demographic upheavals and the impact is rumbling through the workplace. Iain Hopkins of Human Capital magazine investigates why the workforce is shrinking and what can be done about it

In his white paper New Generations at Work, Mark McCrindle, social researcher and director of McCrindle Research, uses a metaphor to describe the futility of fighting against the inevitability of generational and cultural change. He suggests taking a look at a 'How to surf' book: there will be many pages outlining how to pick a wave, catch a wave and turn on a wave - but barely a sentence on how to create a wave or change a wave. Quite simply this is because we can't - a higher power makes the waves and surfers catch them.

In the same way, we can't change the learning styles, work patterns, or employment attitudes of an entire generation - but organisations can position themselves to understand and so better engage with each new generation. Given the massive changes in store, this knowledge and understanding of the Australian workforce will be critical for business success.

Are you ready?...