Knowledge Retention

While the economy is slowly recovering, we all still hear of companies going through layoffs (Boeing slashed 1,100 jobs in January; Continental Airlines to cut 500 jobs). Couple that with the boomers reaching retirement age, people are leaving the workforce. A single individual in an organization may hold vital knowledge in his/her head. If he/she leaves, the knowledge is at risk of leaving as well. Most companies have data backup and disaster recovery plans in place in the event computers, servers, etc. break down. But how many organizations have plans in place to capture the knowledge of the departing employee? Is the departing employee a low risk (knowledge is not vital, is well documented or held by other people) or high risk (sole knowledge holder) to the organization?

“Releasing employees is very effective to reduce the spend side. . . . each person out the door takes expertise with them that is lost to the company. After a while, the company may not even have enough knowledge internally to understand that their boat has holes in it and that patching isn’t happening.” I don’t remember where I read that quote (*oops*) but I feel that it eloquently addresses the impact of employee departures on the knowledge base of an organization. This isn’t a new problem. The consequence of the loss of the crucial skills and knowledge may lead to “corporate incompetence.”

As an organization, there are some questions you need to ask before the employee steps out the door:

• Does the work continue?
• Will the work be required in the future?
• Is the knowledge critical?
• Is the knowledge documented?
• Does anyone else have the knowledge?

If the knowledge is critical, let’s talk about a couple of retention processes and what tools can be used to better retain employee knowledge. (When you have a finished product, please always consider the confidentiality aspects of the material.)

1. Exit Interviews: Oftentimes questions are inadequate to capture all of the intricacies of a particular position. To be successful, identify a broad range of areas of success or challenge in the role. As the employee answers, make a list of the factors and then probe for detail and advice. Also, who are their contacts? Why and how do they interact with these individuals? What sources do they use for research or data? Timeline key activities, important meetings, etc. Identify critical information areas and concentrate on these to ensure a higher quality of knowledge is captured.

2. Documentation: Thoroughly document every process in a position. Create a “master manual” or “guide” for other individuals to access.

3. Networking: Facilitate knowledge networking thereby allowing the knowledge to be naturally disseminated across the organization. This would allow the information to be captured in a timelier manner and not at the employees’ departure. The information, and the transfer of the information, is created and shared.

4. Access: Retain the knowledge via retaining access to the people. Are the departing employees available for part-time work? As a consultant? Are they available to mentor and/or provide advice?

Each organization places important on different aspects of knowledge. Take the time to share ideas and best practices. Never overlook the importance of context and dialog.

In closing, knowledge retention is going to take time, resources and skill. Build a network to enable conversation. And remember, validating the quality of the knowledge transfer can be very difficult.