Let’s be honest, most CHRO groups out there are bad. They are expensive, filled with vendor pitches, and loaded with “fluff” resources that are outdated by the time they are published. That’s why I put together Future of Work Leaders. A CHRO group for people leaders who are moving beyond traditional HR to focus on the future of work and employee experience. No pitches, no selling, no fluff.
The community is focused on discussions, candid Q&A sessions, and sharing of resources and insights. Members include Lego, Novartis, PwC, Saks Global, and dozens of others. I’m just in the process of planning our annual in-person forum which will be at the end of March. if you want to learn more and request an invite go to Future of Work Leaders or email me directly Jacob[at]thefutureorganization[dot]com.
Imagine waking up to find that one-fourth of your most experienced workers are ready to retire. This is not a guess; it is a real trend called “Peak 65,” where over 11,000 people turn 65 every single day. For many companies, this means years of institutional knowledge could walk out the door, leaving a massive hole in the talent pipeline. If these workers leave without a plan, the US economy could shrink by 7.3 percent by 2030.
In this episode, Robin Benoit, CHRO of FM (a 190-year-old insurance giant), shares how leaders can protect their teams during this big shift. By focusing on intentional knowledge transfer, balancing new technology with human interaction, and creating more ways for people to grow, we can build a stronger future of work.
Listen to the episode here on Apple Podcast & leave a review!
Solving the Knowledge Drain with Dedicated Mentors
How do you keep decades of wisdom from walking out the door? Most companies treat mentorship like a side project. They ask busy experts to teach while still doing their normal jobs. This does not work. Robin shares that at FM, they developed a unique strategy, treating knowledge transfer as a major capital investment and a way to de-risk the entire company.
FM launched a program called AKA, or Accelerating Knowledge Advancement. The company made a bold move. Instead of asking experts to mentor others while doing their regular jobs, they pulled 50 experts out of their daily work to be full-time mentors.
Because of this dedicated focus, new employees reached a seven-year skill level in just three years. They learned the small details that books cannot teach. For example, field engineers learned the “tricks of the trade,” like spotting a dial that was shifted the wrong way or checking specific water settings to prevent a fire.
Knowledge is a Database, but Wisdom is Human
Much of the best information in a company is “unconscious competence.” Experts know exactly what to do, but they have never written it down. They don’t even know they know it. Robin Benoit calls the solution “boring but basic.” People must put pen to paper.
Documentation is the only way to feed future AI tools. However, technology has limits. Much of professional learning happens through osmosis. This comes from simply “bumping into each other” in the office and sharing stories. Digital tools cannot yet replace the value of being in the same room. Without human connection, that hidden wisdom stays hidden.
Protecting the Learning Path from Too Much AI
Many companies are currently “AI washing.” They use the buzz around artificial intelligence as an excuse for layoffs. While everyone is talking about AI optimization, Robin warns that we must be careful not to automate the “grunt work” that helps people learn. She is an AI optimist, but she worries that if we replace all entry-level jobs with technology, we might “kill off” the beginning of the talent pipeline.
Robin believes that doing the “crummy jobs” is how she learned the skills needed to become a leader. For CHROs, the lesson is to use AI to work “better, smarter, and faster” without taking away the hands-on experiences that turn new hires into future experts. A visionary company uses AI to help humans, not to skip the learning process.
Listen to the episode here on Apple Podcast & leave a review!
Building a Career Lattice for Real Growth
The modern workforce follows the “Law of Grow or Go.” If employees do not see a path forward, they will leave. FM uses a “career lattice” instead of a ladder. This allows workers to move across the world or into different types of jobs to stay fresh.
Keeping employee engagement high requires a change in how we think about promotions. That’s why FM is giving employees the chance to move laterally to different departments or even different countries to keep them learning.
Robin emphasizes that leaders must move beyond “scorecards” and engagement surveys to truly know the human being. When you know what makes your people tick, you can help them find new roles that keep them loyal to the company for decades.
Having Honest Talks About Retirement
Succession planning works best when it is based on transparent, human conversations, not just on data and engagement surveys. Real leadership requires knowing workers as humans. Technology often becomes a “crutch” to avoid hard but necessary human conversations. But Robin suggests that instead of guessing when someone might retire, leaders should simply ask them what energizes them and what their plans are.
At FM, they often transition people who are nearing retirement into coaching roles. This allows them to go out on a “positive note” by passing their legacy to the next generation before they leave. By having these honest talks, you ensure that older workers don’t “block” the path for younger talent while still keeping their wisdom in the building.
Conclusion: The Future of the Human-AI Hybrid
The workforce is shifting faster than most leaders realize. At FM, the number of Boomers dropped from 20 percent to 9 percent between 2021 and 2026. During that same time, the Gen Z population grew from 5 percent to 14 percent.
This change is happening in every office. Every leader should ask one question today: If your top expert retired tomorrow, how much of their wisdom would stay in the building?
In the future of work, everyone can be a teacher, and everyone can be a student. If you embed this culture of reverse mentorship in your organization, you ensure the company stays fast and flexible even as the workforce ages. Start documenting your past while investing in your future people.
To hear more about these strategies and how to prepare your team for the shifting workforce, check out the full episode at the link below:
Organizations around the world have lost their way. It’s time to get back to basics and focus on what really drives people and performance. This is why I’m so very excited to share that after 2 years of research and writing, my new book The 8 Laws of Employee Experience: How to Build a Future-Ready Organization is finally available. Grab a copy at 8exlaws.com
