Chief Executive Magazine in April posed an interesting question about a workforce that many of the organizations that Knowledge Infusion is working with are starting to call upon, HOBBYISTS. What is a hobbyist?
Someone who doesn't need to work but is bored with retirement* Someone who wants to continue to work but was bored with their career job* Real example: A widow who had nothing to do once their spouse passed* Usually over 55 years old* Usually not working for money* Usually not working for benefits* Almost always working for someone younger than them
How do we manage this type of workforce? What types of HR and talent management technologies make sense? What if we manage them in the same way we manage a lot of our workforce today?
You didn't do a good job today: THEY WILL LEAVE AND NOT COME BACK IN SOME CASES* You will get a 3% increase if you do a good job: REMEMBER, THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT MONEY* You need to complete your goals online using a portal and employee self-service: WHAT? I DONT KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE
In the words of the CEO of one of our large retail organizations to me last week:
"I would rather have a hobbyist and figure out how to manage and motivate them then a punk 18 year old who wont stop texting his friend"
This is a VERY important part of the workforce that all organizations will need to think about in their audience demographic when creating and deploying a HR strategy along with technology to support that strategy over the next 10-15 years. Read about the HOBBYISTS below. Will you be one? Do you know one? Ask them how they feel and what they expect. Ask them what motivates them. Is it a yearly performance appraisal? Is it a 3% increase?
Another infusion of knowledge...
