December 2004/January
2005
Volume 03, Issue
8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 2004/January
2005 |
|
|||
|
|
||||
Volume 03, Issue
8 |
|
||||
| |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Special Features |
|
The age of experience Boeing is curbing brain drain in a new experiment, recruiting retired engineers for urgent and complex technical projects BY KATHERINE SOPRANOS
But for Boeing, which relies on the technical skills of its scientists and engineers, it can mean a serious loss to the business. The retirement of valued experts represents a drain of brain power, experience and knowledge that is sometimes hard to replace. Moreover, the loss of an experienced employee often means the loss of a mentor to guide less seasoned workers. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Science Foundation warn of a critical labor shortage in the next decade in the science and engineering fields as Baby Boomers near retirement age and a smaller number of students choose those careers. To help curb brain drain and drive innovation, Boeing recently partnered with YourEncore Inc., an Indianapolis-based firm that provides member companies with a seasoned network of retired scientists, engineers and product developers to hire on a part-time, consulting basis for complex, urgent projects without having to go through an exhaustive and costly search to find them. "People with critical, specific skills are difficult to find. They may already be employed or aren't available for short-term projects, like a retiree might," said Brad Lawson, YourEncore president and chief executive officer. For Boeing, YourEncore will provide a new source for program managers, engineers and technologists when faced with highly technical or other challenging projects.
"This is another innovation experiment by Boeing Phantom Works to ensure that Boeing can tap into a diversity of technical talent that will bring fresh, imaginative ideas into the Boeing enterprise and complement our internal expertise," said Dick Paul, Phantom Works vice president of Strategic Development and Analysis. "Having these experts aboard can help provide a new approach or a solution to an old problem." Created by Procter and Gamble and Eli Lilly, YourEncore was launched in October 2003 to fill this niche. YourEncore's part-time retiree workforce has experience gained at major corporations such as Abbott Laboratories, AT&T, DuPont, Goodyear and Pfizer. Boeing's pilot YourEncore project is Phantom Works' Technical Fellowship Advisory Board Study on High-risk Research and Development Programs. Its aim is to strengthen the capability of Phantom Works teams to plan and execute programs involving high levels of technical risk. "Since the nature of the study required noncompany viewpoints to create change, YourEncore was a good fit for this study," said Jeff Erickson, Boeing Phantom Works senior technical fellow. He leads the TFAB team, which includes Boeing fellowship members and senior engineering staff, as well as four YourEncore employees who previously worked for Dow Chemical and Procter and Gamble.
Why would Boeing look externally for retired talent instead of tapping into in-house expertise? "It's not a question of Boeing not having the requisite experience; it's a question of getting outside perspectives from highly competent experts with the necessary skills to match our needs on extremely short notice," said Paul. "Most of us have had the experience where a fresh set of eyes can result in an 'Aha!' moment. That's the essence of YourEncore for Boeing." Paul added that Boeing envisions using YourEncore across all sites and business units so everyone can take advantage of a unique resource for important projects, such as solving time-sensitive technical problems in research, design or manufacturing, or participating in "red teams" and non-advocate reviews where outside perspectives are critical. After 34 years with Boeing, Bill Bozich retired in March 2004 as a Phantom Works senior technical fellow based in Huntington Beach, Calif. Now, he's found a new career on the business side of YourEncore, serving as a scientific advisor and liaison to match retirees to Boeing's projects. "YourEncore is a one-stop shop for Boeing, where we can quickly match appropriate retirees with projects to immediately meet proposal specifics," said Bozich. "Boeing may have peaks and valleys in project work loads, so YourEncore is a cost-effective way to fill needs when warranted. It's a win for Boeing and a win for the retiree who wants to stay active in the field." Since his expertise was a perfect match, Bozich, whose technical passion hasn't waned since retirement, also pitches in to help on the TFAB study. Having the brain trust return home to Boeing also is a winning situation. FOR MORE INFORMATION Boeing technical managers: Boeing retirees:
|
| Contact Us | Site Map| Site Terms | Privacy | Copyright | ||||||
| Copyright© Boeing. All rights reserved. |
When
the clock strikes "retirement," it may be a joyous time for the retiree.
Jerry
Toomer, a Dow Chemical retiree, joined the YourEncore network
in March 2004 and currently is working at Boeing on Phantom
Works' Technical Fellowship Advisory Board Study on High-risk
Research and Development Programs with three other YourEncore
expert advisors, as well as Boeing employees. Toomer, who
lives in Indianapolis, shared with Challenge magazine his
perspective of YourEncore and how it helps him keep active
in his discipline.