Brain drain: many legislative staffers are due to retire soon--taking with them a ton of experience.

When it comes to legislative proposals, Eddye McClure and her counterparts in Montana Legal Services have seen it all.

"Don't try to reinvent the wheel," McClure tells rookie bill drafters. "There are no new ideas that haven't already been drafted in some form--ask one of us."

But what happens when wise veterans of a decade or more of legislative sessions lay down their codebooks, turn in their nametags, and saunter off to places where nobody cheers when somebody says "sine die?"

As baby boomers eye their golden years, employers across the nation face the prospect of losing folks who know how things work and why. The problem may be even more acute, however, in the relatively small world of legislative employment. Most of the positions are highly specialized, may appeal to only a few, and can take years to learn. The hours can be long, stressful and irregular. And many of the jobs rely heavily on relationships built over the years with lawmakers.

Why does it matter? While lawmakers make the big decisions, staffers do everything to make sure the giant machines known as state legislatures run as smoothly as possible. They provide research and context, write bill drafts in the proper style, explain budget information and dispense legal advice. They are versed in parliamentary procedure and rules. And those are only the most visible staffers; thousands of others make sure computer systems hum along and documents actually make it into print.

"It's a unique world, so experience helps," says Legislative Counsel of California Diane Boyer-Vine.

But like other leaders of legislative staff across the country, Boyer-Vine sees many of her employees nearing the end of their careers. Nationwide, almost half of legislative staffers are more than 50 years old, according to a recent survey by the National Conference of State Legislatures. About one out of every three staffers surveyed has spent two decades or more working for a legislature.

"You have a lot of experience walking out the door," Boyer-Vine says.

Possible solutions range from convincing potential retirees to hang on a bit longer to establishing formal mentoring programs and succession plans. The pending glut of retirements also presents a chance to evaluate and possibly change the traditional structure of legislative organizations.

"We can bemoan it, but that's not going to stop them from retiring," says Susan Fox, a 15-year veteran of Montana Legislative Services recently hired as executive director. "This is opportunity knocking."

A LONG TIME COMING

How the boomer generation came to be more prevalent in the public sector than in the private world is complicated.

About 46 percent of government workers at all levels are more than 45 years old, according to a 2002 study by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. Among state workers, the figure is 45 percent. But less than one-third of private sector workers have seen their 45th birthday.

There are a number of factors contributing to the difference between the private and public sector, according to a 2003 report by The Center for Organizational Research in Massachusetts. Reasons cited in the report include:

* In the 1960s and '70s, government went on a hiring spree. Many of the employees hired during those years are approaching retirement.

* In the 1980s and '90s, governments did a lot of belt tightening. Positions likely to be filled by younger workers were left vacant and layoffs targeted newer employees. Reductions in training and development budgets didn't allow younger employees to gain skills needed to ascend into leadership positions.

* Public service as a career hasn't been cool for a while, especially compared to the private sector where pay scales can be more flexible, promotions more attainable and applications less cumbersome.

* Retirement polices in governments may be rigid, not allowing for phased retirements.

Some say there also are generational differences at work. For baby boomers, a steady job with good benefits and a secure retirement were reasons enough to become a lifer.

"Boomers were easy," says Fox, herself a member of that generation. "They planted themselves."

The study by the Center for Organizational Research concluded that the situation isn't completely dire. Boomers may continue working past retirement age, the job security and benefits of government jobs may once again be appealing to those burned by the private sector, and after the terrorist attacks of 2001, there may be a resurgence in the nobility of a career in public service.

Still, the fact remains that legislative leaders across the country seem to be realizing that their staffs are graying. In California, Boyer-Vine sees most of her supervisors nearing retirement age. In Connecticut, it is estimated that by 2011, almost 60 percent of the current staff could be retired. Until recently, the "rookie" attorney in Montana's Legislative Services was a veteran of 17 years.

Connecticut has a formal succession-planning program, and California is just starting one. In Montana, Fox has been on the job only a few months, but dealing with an aging staff is at the top of her list of things to address. Already, she has put out a call for mentors to help train new researchers.

SLOW TO RESPOND

Although other legislative agencies may be aware of the retirement problem, few are addressing it. "There's really no concerted effort out there in most legislatures to deal formally with this issue of baby boomers getting ready to bail out," says Brian Weberg of NCSL, who headed a task force on succession planning in 2005.

Successfully implementing plans often requires an inside champion, such as a human resources director and few legislatures have such a person, Weberg says.

An exception is Jim Tamburro. As the training and staff development coordinator for the Connecticut General Assembly, part of his job is to make sure people are ready to do their jobs.

A component of the agency's succession management plan is to identify and train future leaders. Anyone who thinks they may want to take a leadership role is free to enter the program.

Tamburro admits he was afraid the program would attract some for whom leadership may not be the best career option, while better candidates would stay away. But that hasn't happened. The program is intensive and only those who really want to be leaders stick with it.

Participants undergo an evaluation not only by supervisors, but also by peers and others. They take a personality test to identify communication and leadership style. And they must complete an individual plan that shows where they want to go in their job. Participants also receive office-specific training and are given some higher-visibility tasks or projects.

Even with the training, Tamburro says legislative agencies are still relatively flat organizations. There are just not many leadership positions available. However, creating more leadership opportunities may be part of an agency's goal. And obtaining leadership skills is valuable for any employee.

OTHER OPTIONS

There are other ways--short term and long term--to deal with the retirement bubble.

Postponing retirement is one option. In Idaho, the veteran director of legislative services, Carl Bianchi, announced his intent to retire before the 2006 session. That prompted House Speaker Bruce Newcomb and Senate President Pro-Tern Bob Geddes to plead for a bit more time. Geddes jokes that they sought permission from Bianchi's wife for one more session.

"Carl had a lot of experience we hated to lose," Geddes says. "We felt like we needed a bit more time to find and groom a person to replace him."

Bianchi retired later in 2006 after the Legislature passed a resolution in his honor. He was replaced by Jeff Youtz, himself a 29-year veteran of the state's Legislative Services Office. Youtz, who has no definite plans for his retirement date, says Idaho's staff has a good age mix, but there are several key baby boomers in leadership positions.

Youtz says succession planning is always on his mind. "I try to hire people who I envision one day might be doing my job," he says.

Ohio also has used stopgap measures. Karen Burkey, the personnel officer for the Legislative Services Commission, says about a half dozen attorneys and researchers have retired and then returned.

"We'd like to keep those people who know how things work," Burkey says. "So far, we've been able to handle it with people coming back."

BEYOND BAND AIDS

Encouraging valuable employees to stick around and revising policies to allow for phased retirements and part-time employment are really only band aids.

Devising a plan to deal with retirements does not have to be a behemoth effort, according to a report from the NCSL Task Force on Succession Planning. It is really just an attempt to keep the organization focused on its mission as it undergoes major personnel changes. It should be viewed as a chance to review job descriptions, delegate responsibilities and change the organization to make it run more efficiently.

"This just sounds so tedious, but it gives you this place to become flexible and change as you need to," Fox says. "I see succession planning as opportunity. It's all about change, and change is what people don't like. When somebody leaves, you institute the change for that new person who doesn't know any better."

Evaluating the organization's need and the roles veterans play is key to tackling succession planning, according to the NCSL report and a study by the Center for Organizational Research. Providing opportunities for leadership training, mentoring and higher-profile assignments also is important, the studies say.

Recruiting new employees also must change. "Some generations are apt to move and not make this a lifelong career," says Boyer-Vine. But she and others say agencies should emphasize the benefits of legislative work and also provide some of the perks younger workers crave.

Although there may be long hours involved during the sessions, legislative employees often enjoy accumulated compensation time. The work is intense, but hardly dull. Schedules can be flexible, which is conducive to telecommuting, engaging in other interests, or taking college classes.

And whether it's dealing with current employees looking to move into management or training new recruits, Tamburro says veterans should be included in ensuring the institution continues to thrive long after they are gone.

"We have a lot of people who have been here a long time. These people basically built this place," Tamburro says. "Veterans need to be asked, 'How do you want to leave it? What's your legacy going to be?'"

How to Deal with Retirements

While legislative agencies may be realizing that the baby boomer age bubble has the potential to deplete their staffs and result in a loss of institutional knowledge, leaders may not really know what to do about it.

The National Conference of State Legislatures' Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee established the Legislative Institution Task Force to examine the problem and come up with solutions. Its report, "Succession Planning in the Legislative Workplace--A Guide for State Legislatures" gives this advice:

* Understand the current situation within your organization. Examine the staff and identify the key roles that only a few people perform. Estimate who may be retiring in the next two to five years and what roles they play. Try to gauge the level of commitment younger workers may have.

* Work with staff to anticipate transition. Key parts of this include enlisting cooperation in succession planning, identifying the in-depth knowledge and tasks that need to be passed on, developing a resource notebook or manual for critical positions and devising a mentor program for younger staffers to learn aspects of other jobs.

* Prepare the organization to change as needed during transition. This includes assigning responsibilities for succession planning oversight and leadership development and also developing a plan that identifies hiring and training needs. Before making decisions about new staff appointments, consider organizational changes. It's also important to keep employees informed about general plans and directions.

* Work with emerging leaders to prepare them to assume critical roles. First, figure out a way to identify potential leaders. This may be done by current leaders or asking for volunteers. It's important that current leaders support the idea of succession planning as well as training and mentoring programs.

* Guide emerging leaders toward new responsibilities. Some legislatures may not have formal succession planning programs. But employees who may inherit duties when co-workers retire can take steps to prepare themselves. That includes soliciting feedback from supervisors as well as peers on leadership potential, finding a mentor, participating in available training, asking questions of current managers and developing an individual career development plan.

Joe Kolman is a former newspaper journalist who now works as a non-partisan researcher for the Montana Legislature.