Would you Develop or Replace?

Question

62 year old with 36 years of service with the company. Has technical job, but has not kept pace with technical advances. This employee is not inclined to take courses but will if forced.

You are this persons new manager with a vision to further advance the output of this position. Do you develop the talent you have (force a training program) or find a replacement?

Or do you have other suggestions?

This employee does not want to retire for 5 more years.

His technology is reliability "engineering".

Answer 1

Respect needs to be given for his tenure / seniority. During the five years he has left he is not as inclined to learn more about the field he is in and will likely not be excited about the opportunity to advance his learning. Put yourself in his shoes because hopefully one day you will be in his shoes. How would you want to be treated? A black and white philosophy about what to do is not likely the best option. Try working with the man. Asign an apprentice to him with the technological skills you are seeking yet needs further training. They will then adapt better to their job through the experience of the 62 year old. You will have a well rounded employee in 5 years and a 67 year old that feels treated with the respect they deserve after 41 years of service.

Answer 2

Is your employee just waiting to retire? What is his output? Technology is, to me a broad thing. He isn't up-to-date, but is his knowledge relavent? Is he a good trainer of 'older' technology? Your 'vision' will not happen with this worker. He's a different 'speed' a different generation. That doesn't mean that he is not valuable.
What is his plan for retirement? How much longer is he expecting to work? With that many years in the company, he must know everyone... so it would make sense to see what the HR policy is on retirement.

My belief is that you won't 'train' him. In a perfect world, there should be 6 months where he documents everything that is in his head... tips/tricks/workarounds/gotchas Pull him out of the regular responsibility line, and if the budget allows, bring in a new person (not as a 'replacement' but as a new worker)

Answer 3

I think it would be a bad thing to replace someone with 36 years of service. Is there some type of incentive you can come up with that might interest the employee? If not, just sit the person down and talk to them about why it's necessary to take the training. Tell them they are valued as a longtime employee and that this training will only enhance their employment. Being honest and straightforward goes a long, long way.

Answer 4

Dear Supervisor: The issue you raise is one that will follow you for the rest of your career...how to motivate, engage, and nurture your workforce. From the scenario described, think about the following:
- Is the fact this individual is 62 years old with 36 years in the company bothering you?
- is the lack of continuing education this employee's responsibility?
- How does he/she fits in your vision for the department?

Clearly, you are correct in expecting employee accountability ONCE you have set clear goals and objectives for the individual. Looks to me that you need to decide which role this individual is going to play that leverages his/her strengths and experience gained in the last 36 years. Maybe his / her strengths are not technical but more into building relationships with your client base, working well across business lines, or something else unique to your industry.

Unless the individual is truly incompetent (which I doubt), it is your duty as the supervisor, as Jim Collins will say, to find his /her proper place in your company bus. From the information you provided it appears that you also have a lot to learn concerning the execution of your supervisory job. But do not despair...the fact that you are asking the question is a positive sign of your potential to perform at this level.

Good luck.