©2003 Whitmell & Associates Succession Planning Strategies for Law Libraries Presented at the 2003 CALL Conference Yasmin Khan Canada. Dept. of Justice Vicki Whitmell Whitmell & Associates

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Succession Planning For all types and sizes of libraries Important for individuals, libraries, the profession

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Presentation Current hiring practices: do they still work? Demographic challenges Boomers v. Gen X

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Presentation Succession Planning for your Library (Start Small, Think Big) – Where is your library going? – What skills do you have now/what will you need –Development of strategies and recruiting –Taking responsibility

©2003 Whitmell & Associates How We Hire Now Little planning Waiting game Why a competitive hiring situation in the offing

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Demographic Challenges Impact of the Baby Boom generation 25% of Canadians 38 to 56 years of age Average age of retirement in public sector is 58 Librarians are older and aging at a faster rate (ARL)

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Demographic Challenges Up to 48% of librarians to retire by 2010 Impact of cost cutting, elimination of middle-management Library school enrollment static with graduates choosing other careers

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Special Challenges Image of the profession/library sectors Specialized qualifications (children’s, cataloguers, bilingual) Smaller/rural locations

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Older workers Interests and goals shift Need to provide flexibility/incentives Stereotypes (less productive, resistance to change, unwilling to learn, sick, accident- prone) But…reliable, honest, trustworthy, loyal, commited

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Strategizing: Start Big or Small Step One: –Where is your library going? –Do you have a formal/informal strategy in place?

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Start Big or Small Step Two: –What are the skills you need to meet your vision of the future?

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Needed Skills Competency Profiles –Useful in identifying needed knowledge, skills, attitudes, work behaviours –Soft skills (fiscal management, interpersonal skills, time-management, innovation) v. hard skills (technical)

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Competency Profiles –Association profiles: AALL, SLA, Cultural Human Resources Council –Do these make sense for younger workers?

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Start Big or Small Step Three: – Set plans in place to find the skills you need –Focus on developing new skills, flexibility –Won’t groom for one position in the future

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Strategies Step Three: –Reward those who mentor, train, support –Provide project opportunities –Fund and support training, learning, education –Capture the knowledge you have now Manuals, s, COP

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Strategies Step Three –Identify key people –Broaden job descriptions –Increase Salaries/Incentives –Loosen Reporting structures –Use evaluations as a tool –Be aware of the hiring environment

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Recruitment Strategies Step Three –Promote your library as a good place to work (website) –Participate in job fairs –Identify and seek out possible hires –Connect lawyers to the profession –Keep in touch with alumni –Create good experiences for students

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Strategies Step Three –Job rotations/Experiences in different types of libraries –Mentoring program –Individual career plans –Communication is key (up and down) –Become an ‘employer of choice’

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Change your Organization Reduce hierarchies Focus on coaching Broaden duties and responsibilities Reduce dead end jobs Shorten hiring process Hire those who are different Create a challenging environment

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Impediments Time Cutbacks/downsizing Imagining anything different Contract hiring Lack of funding to plan Individual library challenges Location, funding, salaries, reputation

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Benefits Trained/interested people when needed Better retention Better morale Development of groups/teams Learn from each other

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Who’s Responsible? Responsibility lies in libraries, in individuals, in the profession Individuals: –Take responsibility for own career development, take advantage of opportunities, take on interesting assignments

©2003 Whitmell & Associates We’re Responsible Each of us: –Take responsibility for getting young people into the profession –Make sure our libraries listen, mentor, provide feedback and training, know where they are going and how to get there

©2003 Whitmell & Associates How to Be Responsible Managers –Look beyond day-to-day concerns Libraries –Recreate themselves –Reduce divisions, create opportunities, listen, respond, follow-through

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Responsibility of Associations Library associations: responsibility for overall growth of profession, recruitment programs, training, flatten structures, help members to get involved, develop commitment develop workshops and events that interest young people, create student chapters

©2003 Whitmell & Associates Effective Plans Big Picture Activity Start Small=Big Results Include everyone