两年前，AwwaRF的研究咨询委员会（RAC）指出 婴儿潮一代已经开始步入退休年龄，他们的后继者 一代人（X世代）大约是它的一半。此外，RAC注意到 担心工程师日益短缺。因此，他们决定资助一项关于 这些问题和相关问题的标题是“未来重要劳动力的继任规划” 信息时代。“不久之后，水环境研究基金会 当选为公司董事- 资助这项研究，并指出这也是废水处理的一个主要问题 公用事业作为该研究的一部分进行的调查证实了RAC的担忧。35% 10年后，现有公用事业公司员工中的30%将有资格退休。目前的自然减员率 7%，预计将上升至8%。因为退休的人是世界上最年长的人 事实上，这些退休将导致严重的“人才流失”。关于类似问题的研究 据电力行业的情况估计，超过80%的电力是有用的 操作知识是“隐性的”——用户知道但不知道的知识 记录在案。 除了这些问题，调查还发现了一些相关问题——公用事业 公司变得越来越复杂，但很难找到有能力的新员工。人力资源经理 抱怨自己处于不利地位，被迫从“最底层”招聘员工 劳动力池。" 然而，这个消息并不全是坏消息。每当有一个重要的世代 变化、机遇都会出现。由于退休而减少的人员编制将允许 公用事业公司的规模要合适，职位和组织结构要合理化。 如果处理得当，这将是一个新的、改进的想法可以通过 减少了来自老守卫的阻力。继任计划研究的一个结论是 每一家公用事业公司都应该实施劳动力计划来妥善管理这一点 过渡人力资源部将在这方面发挥关键和必不可少的作用 制定并实施该计划。包括表格，如图所示。

Two years ago, the Research Advisory Council (RAC) of AwwaRF noted that the early Baby Boomers were starting to reach retirement age and that they were being followed by a generation (Gen X) that was about one half its size. In addition, the RAC noted with concern the increasing shortage of engineers. As a result they decided to fund a study of these and related issues titled, "Succession Planning For A Vital Workforce in the Information Age." Shortly after the award, the Water Environment Research Foundation elected to co-fund the study, noting that this was also a major concern of wastewater utilities. The survey conducted as part of that study confirmed the RAC's concerns. 35% of current utility employees will be eligible to retire in 10 years. Attrition rates, currently at 7%, are expected to rise to 8%. Since the people retiring are the most senior people in the utility, these retirements will result in a serious "brain drain". A study of the similar situation in the electric utility industry estimated that more than 80% of the useful operating knowledge was "tacit" - knowledge that is known by users but not documented. In addition to those problems, the survey also identified some related problems - utilities are becoming more complex, but competent new hires are hard to find. HR managers complained about being at a disadvantage, being forced to hire from "the bottom of the labor pool." The news, however, is not all bad. Whenever there is a period of major generational changes, opportunities are presented. A reduction in staffing due to retirements will allow utilities to become right-sized and to rationalize positions and organizational structures. Properly handled, this will be a time when new, improved ideas can be implemented with less resistance from the old guard. One conclusion of the Succession Planning study is that every utility should implement Workforce Planning to properly manage this transition. The Human Resources Department will have a key and essential role in developing and implementing this plan. Includes tables, figure.