As the more than 76 million baby boomers approach retirement, an imminent talent shortage is affecting the workforce and many US companies will be challenged with a significant loss of experienced workers.

This talent drain can be partially alleviated if companies entice older workers to remain in

the workforce longer, according to Joan Strewler-Carter and Stephen Carter,

co-founders of the Life Options Institute, an organization dedicated to helping people

plan for life after age 50.

"The coming talent shortage may force employers to overcome their age

bias and introduce new opportunities with which to utilize this powerful

asset," adds Mrs. Strewler-Carter.

More significant than the talent shortage is the looming "brain drain."

"Few companies have solved the knowledge-transfer problem," says Mrs.

Strewler-Carter. Retaining older workers, even part-time, gives them the

opportunity to teach younger workers what they know. Mentoring and

action-learning teams are techniques that have helped some organizations

succeed in transferring knowledge.

Many experts are predicting a shortage of 10 million workers by the

year 2010. By 2014, nearly 20 percent of the workforce will be comprised of

people age 65+. This increase will make mature workers the faster-growing

workforce segment, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to the Merrill Lynch New Retirement Study published in 2006,

71 percent of baby boomers say they will work after retirement. The new

retirement for people 60+ won't involve withdrawing from working life.

Instead, boomers want to find a new life balance that includes some form of

employment, notes Mr. Carter.

A New Employment Paradigm

Retirement for baby boomers will blend work with leisure activities.

The boundaries between work and play will no longer be so firm. Flexible

work will become the rule. The boomer generation will demand more autonomy,

flexibility and satisfaction on the job, cites Mr. Carter.

"To be more precise, the upcoming working retirees want to work on

their own terms," stresses Mr. Carter.

Phased Retirement

An option to be considered is "phased retirement," the gradual tapering

off of working hours and responsibilities, culminating in a final break

from the company. This period of phased employment can extend for years,

describes Mrs. Strewler-Carter.

Although workers age 50+ want to work, many don't want full-time

employment. Some corporate trendsetters are experimenting with phased

retirement -- continuing to work for the same employer but with reduced

hours, cites Mrs. Strewler-Carter.

According to Mrs. Strewler-Carter there are several companies that have

already developed cutting edge programs. For example, Procter & Gamble

developed their own job site, http://www.YourEncore.com, as a way to attract their

retired employees. General Electric allows retired employees to work up to

1,000 hours per year.

IBM has designed several programs to leverage the knowledge and

expertise of retiring baby boomers. The company maintains a pool of

retirees who mentor and transfer knowledge to younger workers.

San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare has its older employees determine

their preferred work schedule.

Home Depot allows employees to set their work hours. In addition, it

has trained managers in how to deal effectively with older workers.

The Boomerang Year

"A variation on phased retirement is the "boomerang year" in which

people take off a year or two before transitioning into a period of their

lives when they may mix part-time work with leisure activities," advises

Mr. Carter.

According to Mr. Carter some corporations have already developed

programs that adapt to the boomerang concept. Traveler's Group allows older

employees who have taken a year or more off the ability to return on a

part-time basis without adversely affecting their pensions.

Polaroid offers older employees the opportunity to take a leave of

absence for up to six months and either return to their job or to a

part-time version.

Monsanto allows employees to retire for a few months up to a few years,

and then return to the company in a part-time capacity.

Innovation is not tied to younger workers. More mature workers can

innovate as well. The challenge for employers will be to create cultures

that engage people and motivate performance. Companies that are successful

in renewing their human capital will win.

For additional information please visit http://www.WhatsNextinYourLife.com, a

web site from Life Options Institute that helps people plans for life after

50 and includes helpful information on how to remain or re-enter the

workforce.