The Reverse Retirement Wave

Thirty percent of the federal workforce is eligible to retire by 2017, but many of those employees don’t seem to be in a hurry to leave. Federal News Radio’s “In Depth with Francis Rose” radio show examines the federal government’s maturity challenges in an exclusive special report, “The Reverse Retirement Wave: Planning for a Workforce That’s Aging in Place.” What factors impact employee decisions to leave or stay in government? How are agencies preparing to transfer knowledge from today’s leaders to those of tomorrow?

  • The retirement tsunami has long been the "boogeyman" of federal HR managers -- that baby boomers would be leaving the civil service in droves as they became eligible for retirement. An exclusive Federal News Radio survey reveals that something else may be going on. In part 1 of our special report, The Reverse Retirement Wave, we explore why federal employees are opting to stay on the job longer even though they are eligible to retire.

  • Agencies' succession and next-generation training plans are unfocused, thanks to hiring freezes and budget cuts. Mission critical projects pop up, but departments lack the workforce expertise to see them through when long-time federal employees retire. In part 2 of our special report, The Reverse Retirement Wave, we examine how some agencies are turning to reemployed annuitants for help navigating the rough waters.

  • When young federal employees reach the mid-to-upper echelons of their government careers quickly, they often question whether there is room to move up. As part of our special report, The Reverse Retirement Wave, Federal News Radio examines a mentoring program created by Young Government Leaders and the Senior Executives Association to help aspiring leaders develop long-term federal careers.

  • Part 4: Feds ride the money, benefits wave longer than expected

    For many federal employees, retiring well after they become eligible makes more sense than retiring the minute they reach that benchmark. As part of Federal News Radio's special report, The Reverse Retirement Wave, Kim Weaver, the director of External Affairs for the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, explains her decision to hold off on jumping straight into life after federal service.

  • A reverse retirement wave is challenging chief human capital officers to rethink how they plan their workforces in FY 2020 and beyond. As part of Federal News Radio's special report, The Reverse Retirement Wave, two agencies describe how to find success in one of the most important parts of that planning process: building and maintaining a fluid pipeline of incoming and outgoing career employees.

  • Retired Navy Adm. John Harvey, a former commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command and currently the secretary of of Veterans and Defense Affairs for the Commonwealth of Virginia, said too much civilian workforce planning is left to chance. A more structured approach and funding would make a huge difference, he said.

  • While statistics show that baby boomers within the federal government are in no hurry to retire now, eventually that day will come. And the new leaders who will take their place want to work for a government that is nimble and uses technology to its advantage. In the final part of Federal News Radio's special report, The Reverse Retirement Wave, we take a look towards the future. What will the workforce of 2025 look like? We asked six government leaders today where they see the greatest opportunities for growth and what's working now that could be replicated on a larger scale.

  • The so-called "retirement wave" isn't coming. But a dramatically different workforce challenge is coming fast, says In Depth Francis Rose in a new commentary