Strategic Workforce Age Analysis

The Client 

Our client, a regional cooperative bank focused on retail banking with a four-digit number of employees, is one of Germany's most established financial institutions. Known for its strong member-oriented approach, the organization emphasizes sustainable financial solutions and community engagement. With a long-standing history in cooperative banking, it serves private clients with products ranging from savings accounts and loans to modern digital banking services. The institution is deeply committed to social responsibility, aligning with environmental and ethical standards to foster trust and sustainable growth.

The Challenge 

Alpine One was approached by Boyden Search Partner Dr. Robert Winterhalter to support his client. The client sought a rapid assessment of the organization's workforce demographics to gain clarity on the current age structure, identify employees nearing retirement, and understand the urgency of addressing the challenges posed by an aging workforce. Due to constraints, such as limited available data, the inability to collect additional information, and no direct employee surveys, the task required a creative yet thorough approach. Despite these challenges, the goal was to provide a comprehensive overview and actionable insights into the company's age-related dynamics.

The Solution

The first step involved reviewing all available demographic data, analysing it down to the team level. This allowed a clear understanding of the actual age distribution and the identification of critical teams. Next, previously conducted employee surveys were reassessed with a specific focus on age-related perspectives. Where relevant, the aspect of multigenerational collaboration was also considered. Additionally, all policies, guidelines, and processes related to age—such as employee appraisals, training programs, and knowledge retention initiatives—were analysed. These findings were examined for patterns and used to derive initial hypotheses.

The Results 

The project resulted in a comprehensive overview of the organization’s current age-related dynamics. Potential areas of concern were identified, offering a clear sense of the company’s status quo. Based on this, preliminary hypotheses for actionable recommendations were developed. These hypotheses can be further validated and expanded upon through a company-wide extensive employee survey in the next phase. Based on this, a comprehensive age strategy can then be derived, which offers the company decisive advantages in cushioning the effects of an ageing workforce and leads to competitive advantages.