Retirement and knowledge transfer

By Redaktion techport.ai, HR-Beratung · Last updated on 21 August 2026

According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office from June 2026, around 13.3 million people in employment will reach the statutory retirement age by 2040, representing 30 percent of all people currently available to the labour market. In industrial companies, the proportion in key technical functions is often higher, as the workforce there is older than average. The knowledge these individuals take with them is not in any manual: how the old system reacts, which supplier is reliable, why the design looks the way it does.

The retirement wave is the most predictable personnel risk there is. The date of birth is in the system. Nevertheless, in most companies, it is treated as an isolated case when the pension application arrives.

How you will notice it

The age structure is known but not evaluated per department and role.
Knowledge transfer begins in the last four weeks before departure, if at all.
Transition models are negotiated individually. Some receive partial retirement, others do not, without a discernible rule.
Return after retirement as a consultant or part-time employee is improvised.

Why this happens

Retirement is far in the future for every individual, until it isn't. No one is responsible for looking at the bigger picture. And knowledge transfer is work without immediate return, which gets lost in day-to-day business unless someone plans and pays for it.

How we proceed

Evaluate age structure. From the HR system, we extract the age distribution per department, job family, and critical role, with a forecast for five and ten years. The picture is usually clearer than expected.
Identify knowledge holders. Together with the departments, we identify roles and individuals whose knowledge is undocumented and irreplaceable. There are simple criteria for this: How long does it take for someone else to master the task?
Plan transfer. For each of these roles, knowledge transfer begins two to three years before the expected departure: tandems, documentation of decision logic, daily accompaniment, case studies. Time for this is planned, not merely hoped for.
Regulate transitions. We define models for transition: partial retirement, reduced working hours, continued employment beyond the standard retirement age, return as a specialist on demand. With clear prerequisites, so they do not need to be negotiated.

What you gain from this

No key knowledge leaves the company unannounced.
Older employees stay longer because the transition suits them.
Succession planning has a time horizon that enables development.

From our projects

The age structure analysis per critical role is, in our projects, the evaluation that most frequently triggers a management board meeting. The figures were in the system, but no one had sliced them by role. Knowledge transfer that begins earlier than two years before departure almost always succeeds, in our experience. Transfer that takes place in the last three months becomes documentation that no one reads.

Good to know

The figures for the age structure of the working population are published annually by Destatis. Continued employment after reaching the standard retirement age is legally straightforward under employment law if agreed before the end of the employment relationship, which § 41 SGB VI (German Social Code Book VI) explicitly permits. Since 2010, there has been no funding for partial retirement from the Federal Employment Agency, but the model remains possible and is regulated in many collective agreements.

Frequently asked questions

How do you document experiential knowledge that cannot be written down?

Through accompaniment, not through manuals. Tandems, where the successor works alongside for a year, case discussions where decisions are explained, and short videos on typical situations achieve more than any documentation.

When should we talk to employees about retirement?

From around 58 years of age in every development discussion, openly and without pressure. Many want to stay longer if asked and if the conditions are right. Knowing this is the most important planning factor.

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