The Ongoing Generational Shift in the Service Workforce

Apr 22, 2021 • Features • Digital Transformation • Workforce Managemnet • Aquant • Leadership and Strategy

In the first article of a series of excerpts from a recent white paper published by Aquant, we look at the disruption and the challenges presented by he ongoing generational shift for service organizations of all sizes...

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by Aquant

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How to Close The Skills Gap, Improve Service Outcomes, and Bolster Workforce Morale

Your most seasoned service techs are retiring. Do you have a plan to replace them? And how do you know how to transfer years of experience to junior staff quickly?

Today’s service workforce is undergoing a dramatic generational shift. As Baby Boomers move into retirement and take their hard-earned expertise with them, a wave of younger workers are entering the service industry with a sizable learning curve. The disruption presents ongoing challenges for service organizations of all sizes.

In the midst of this shift, service leaders are also juggling:

A growing skills gap that impacts service cost and quality
An imbalance in workloads between service veterans and less-tenured staff
Employee dissatisfaction and/or high turnover

How can organizations like yours attract, retain, and quickly bring up-to-speed younger workers before your seasoned pros retire? The solutions to these challenges, according to industry experts and leading service leaders, include:

Leveraging the latest digital technologies that empower less experienced employees to succeed by democratizing knowledge
Promoting continuous learning and development on your service teams
Setting your people up for success in a post-pandemic world filled with uncertainty and accelerating change

An Ongoing Generational Shift

The service workforce, for organizations of all sizes and industries, is undergoing a rapid transformation. A large percentage of Baby Boomers (born from 1946 to 1964) have either retired or are transitioning into retirement.

Meanwhile, younger Millennials (aged between 24 and 40) and Gen Z (the newest cohort in today’s workforce, aged 24 and younger) will soon account for the majority of the workforce, according to research from global consultancy PWC.

The impact: the industry is managing a workforce in flux, balancing the demands of attracting the tech-savvy and collaborative younger demographic, while grappling with a service skills gap for the incoming recruits.

What’s at the heart of the skills gap? As Baby Boomers take their institutional knowledge into retirement, the new recruits (Millennials and Gen Z) don’t have the years of experience and practical, on-the-job know-how needed for success in the field. In addition, as the world moves to more complex machinery and advanced technologies, a highly skilled workforce is more important than ever for success.

Look out for the next feature from the white paper "The Service Leader's Guide to Recruiting and Retaining Gen Z & Millennials Employees" next week where we look at two major service challenges to overcome when it comes to the service workforce.