1. Knowledge Transfer
Perform a “knowledge loss risk assessment” of all personnel in your department:
Retirement or High Turnover (Engineers with years)
Retirement Factor (1 – 5, with 5 being the highest: likely to retire in the next two years.

2. Knowledge Transfer
4. Turnover Factor (1 – 5, with 5 being the highest: Engineers with 6 – 8 years of tenure, or Technicians likely to leave in the next two years. Lesser risk will have ratings 4 – 1).

3. Knowledge Transfer
5. Position Risk

4. Knowledge Transfer 6. Total Attrition Factor =
“Retirement Factor” or “Turnover Factor” x “Position Risk”
7. Our focus was on individuals with a Position Risk of 4+, and/or a Total Attrition Factor of 15+.

5. Knowledge Transfer
Ask each individual identified as “at risk” to provide a list of their of the unique skills or valuable knowledge.
Make a final list of individuals or skills based on this feedback.
For each individual, develop a knowledge retention plan. The plan will include a one sentence explanation of the skill, and the steps to be taken.
Steps usually include:
Written documentation of the knowledge or skill
Request peer(s) for show and tell demonstration of skill

6. Knowledge Transfer
Since an individual can only do a few of these per year, the items in the action plan may have due dates that cover several years.
Completion of the documentation for knowledge retention plans is very important, so individual progress is tracked monthly, and is reported as a Key Performance Measure for the department.
All completed documentation is stored in a common repository on the department website.
Action Plans: 2010 – 21, 2011 – 13, 2012 – 51,

7. Job Rotation For Engineers and Engineering Technologists.
The purpose is to move newer employees to a different job assignment every years to broaden their experience, and avoid getting them burned out in one area.
The job moves are worked out by the department directors for the benefit of all parties.
The Engineers and Technologists appreciate the fact that interest and attention is being paid to them.
This makes the employees more valuable in the long run.

8. Orientation Program
For Associate Engineers, which are new graduates, and new engineers that have been hired in from other companies.
The purpose is to familiarize the individual with other sections in the department or related departments.
Visits are planned and structured, with time allotted to specific subjects.
Visits to a section can range from 1 to 2 days.
This program is important to the company. Progress is tracked monthly, and is reported as a Key Performance Measure for the department.