Knowledge

Knowledge economy

The countries where the issue of mass retirement occurs are often those with a knowledge economy. A knowledge economy is characterized by innovation, complex technology, and a highly educated working population. The loss of valuable knowledge in companies can thus impact the economic position of an entire country.

A large decorative hourglass filled with blue sand, with gears and books inside, set in a modern office with computers and bookshelves.

Types of knowledge

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a form of intelligence that consists of various skills such as interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, adaptability, stress management, self-awareness, social skills, empathy, and motivation. Emotional knowledge can be defined as “the ability to recognize emotions in others and correctly identify the type of emotions in various situations” (Knopp, 2023).

Intergenerational knowledge transfer refers to both tacit and explicit knowledge . Tacit knowledge is very personal and difficult to express in words, making it hard to share with others. This type of knowledge includes subjective insights, intuition, and gut feelings. Explicit knowledge consists of two components: a technical component and a cognitive component. The technical component reflects the know-how of professional activities, while the cognitive component includes the employee's mental models, values, and perceptions (Lefter et al., 2011). Explicit knowledge can be easily shared through language and mathematical models. It encompasses the knowledge of what, how, why, and who.

Among 21st-century skills, the three Cs—creativity, communication, and collaboration, which many older adults possess—are not replaceable by AI, and years of work experience help develop these skills. Add another “C” to the list to represent crystallized intelligence—the ability to apply previously acquired knowledge to new situations, which strengthens with age. Roles applying these skills can enable older workers to thrive and uniquely contribute to workplaces. This knowledge is very important to capture and transfer.

Capture knowledge

There are two main ways to capture knowledge:

  • Depth-interview

    During this interview the employee that holds knowledge is asked questions about different work- and social-related situations. Their answers can offer insight to new employees.

  • Storytelling

    In this type of interview the knowledge holder tells a story about a particular situation they have experienced during the execution of their job. These specific situations can teach new employees, social skills and thus improving their emotional intelligence

Knowledge transfer

To begin with, it is important to clarify what we mean by intergenerational knowledge transfer. We use this term to describe the range of individual behaviors related to sharing "work-related knowledge and expertise with other members within the organization" (Kuyken & Costanza, 2024).

The best way to transfer knowledge today is video. Two types of video are particularly helpful. The first type is a combination of different perspectives (third person and POV). These two angles create an immersive experience, because the person performing the action in the video also explains real-time what they do and why they do it. This type of video is especially helpful for industrial jobs. The second type is linked to microlearning. These videos are short (5-10 minutes) and learn the employee one skill in a short time. The short videos are best used as support during a full training.