Much has been written about the challenges my generation, millennials (ages 20–34), pose to organizations. Some say we have, what my elementary school principal dubbed, “inflated self-worth.” Some say we feel entitled. Some say we have the attention span of a fly. Regardless of the validity of these viewpoints, one thing is certain: Very soon we will be in leadership positions. Organizations need millennials to step up to the challenge, and millennials need organizations to engage them.

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The Baby Boomers are retiring, and will continue to retire en mass for the next 15 years, so organizations are beginning to invest in Knowledge Transfer Initiatives. These initiatives are helping organizations maintain a continuity of service while helping the younger members of these organizations develop their institutional knowledge. Many of these initiatives are focusing on transferring the retiring Boomers’ knowledge to Generation X and Generation Y, the Millennials. Oddly, one of the most widely accepted generational stereotypes of Millennials is their transient approach to their careers. This being the case, organizations are also heavily investing in curbing this trend by trying to find ways to engage Millennials in their work. Given Millennials’ transient nature and Boomers’ rising retiring rates, organizations are smart to be investing in retaining both their human capital and their organizational knowledge. But do these two initiatives have to live in isolation? 

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