Stay Ahead of the Silver Tsunami

Here at Hennepin County – Minnesota’s most populous county – we’re preparing for the silver tsunami. Almost 43% of our 8,000 employees are preparing to retire in the next five years. When Baby Boomers leave, we will lose not only valued employees but also the skills they have honed over their careers. We are working to prepare a talented new wave of county employees. 

Planning for the future

Our home-grown Management Institute is designed for entry- to mid-level managers; this 10-month program focuses on skills required of today’s managers, with training on practical tools and techniques, discussion with county administration and peer coaching. The Leadership Academy targets upper-level managers and directors to offer leadership training, networking, and broad exposure to county issues beyond their own lines of business. Through networking internal programs, employees have access to more than 300 talented alumni across the county.

In addition, employees have opportunities to transfer knowledge across the organization and to explore and stretch their abilities with temporary assignments in other departments. 

Keeping good employees

Starting with new employee orientation and going forward, the county’s message to employees is that they are valued and appreciated. We know that highly engaged employees are more likely to stay with the organization, take pride in their work, and think and act creatively and effectively. We offer training and promotional opportunities, a competitive benefits package that includes as much as $5,250 annually in tuition reimbursement per student-employee; paid parental leave; creative health and wellness promotions; and discounts for transportation options that include bus, light rail and the region’s bike-sharing program.

Starting in 2016, every job at Hennepin County will pay at least $15 an hour. 

Growing our workforce

Even with our efforts to keep our employees, we know we still must grow our workforce. Hennepin County is partnering with local community-based organizations and colleges to develop training programs that prepare employees to work across a spectrum of Hennepin’s job classifications including human services, technology, public works, customer service, and health care. Our Career Connections program works with people who are now county clients and help them attain the skills to get a good job with the county that can provide for their families. That benefits all of us.

In anticipation of our future needs, we also have asked some commonsense but difficult questions:

• What barriers exist in our hiring practices and how can we remove them?
• What jobs require a college degree and what jobs don’t?
• What kind of credentialing programs provide qualified candidates with the skills we need?
• Can untraditional work experiences and internships count toward qualifications?
• How can we help part-time workers transition to full-time employment?
• Are we paying interns enough to be able to focus on a potential new position with Hennepin County?
• Who else is working through these issues, and what can we learn from them?
• What are we doing to increase the diversity of our workforce? 

Connecting thinkers and doers

We’ve convened community leaders to help us develop workforce solutions for both Hennepin County and the region’s private businesses. This Workforce Leadership Council consists of Hennepin County, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Metropolitan State University, Minneapolis Downtown Council, the Minneapolis Area Chamber of Commerce, and some of the largest public and private employers in our region.  The bright people at MCTC have introduced us to a great tool that can connect job openings to people with the right skills.

Think of the ways we can increase our region’s economic competitiveness when people and jobs are connected.