Ageing and onboarding: this is how housing associations retain knowledge and strength

Housing corporations face a dual challenge: on the one hand, an increasing outflow of experienced employees due to an aging population, and on the other hand, an influx of young professionals with different working styles and expectations. According to the AEDES Personnel and Organization Monitor, at the end of 2024, almost a thousand more people worked at housing associations than the year before — a sign that the sector is growing but also changing.

In this article, you can read what these developments mean for housing associations, and how they can respond to these changes with smart solutions for knowledge assurance, digital onboarding and remote support. We show how organizations retain valuable knowledge, make new employees independent faster and effectively facilitate hybrid working — including a practical example from housing association De Woonplaats.

The challenge of ageing: valuable knowledge is in danger of being lost

The knowledge and experience of older employees is of great value. They know how processes run, know systems inside and out and are often the source of information within their team. But when this group retires soon, that knowledge is in danger of being lost — unless it is recorded in time.

Many housing associations recognize this problem. Work processes are not always well documented. Instructions for software applications or exceptional situations are often still “in the heads” of employees. When they leave, their knowledge also disappears. By recording important steps and processes in clear instructions and manuals, knowledge is secured and transferred.

The rise of young employees: different working styles and expectations

At the same time, more and more young professionals are coming in. The 25-35 group is growing, and so is the need for a different way of working and learning. This generation is digitally savvy, but expects clear support. Especially in the first months within an organization, effective onboarding is still important.

In addition, hybrid working is now a matter of course. New employees are not always physically present in the office, and can therefore miss important explanations or guidance. That is why it is important that they have access to clear, practical instructions at any time and in any location that help them do their job properly.

Knowledge assurance and onboarding in practice: how do you go about it?

How can housing associations properly supervise this generational transition and the new way of working? A few practical recommendations:

• Capture the knowledge of experienced employees.
  Think of step-by-step plans for software use, process descriptions or instructions for specific actions.
• Make this information centrally and contextually available.
  Using a digital tool, you can link knowledge to the right software application or work environment so that employees can find it when they need it.
• Provide onboarding that is in line with hybrid working.
  New employees want to work independently quickly. Digital onboarding with visual or interactive instructions helps them to be up and running quickly, even if they work partly from home.
• Keep your knowledge up to date.
  Encourage teams to take joint responsibility for updating instructions and sharing knowledge.

Practical example

SelfGuide has been supporting housing associations such as The Hometown in safeguarding knowledge and setting up effective onboarding. From that experience, we know exactly which bottlenecks arise during generational changes and hybrid working.

A good example of this is how this corporation uses SelfGuide to structurally safeguard knowledge and processes around their applications. By making work instructions centrally available, they ensure that employees always have access to up-to-date and clear explanations. This is not only valuable when onboarding new colleagues, but also helps experienced employees work smarter and more consistently. This approach shows how digitization contributes to sustainable knowledge sharing and effective support for employees — regardless of their location or experience.

Building a future-proof housing association

The figures from the AEDES monitor show that housing associations are constantly changing. This movement also requires smart support from employees — young and old. By capturing knowledge, making it accessible and using it for effective onboarding, the organization becomes more agile and future-proof.

This way, valuable experience is preserved, new employees can work independently more quickly, and digitization contributes to smooth cooperation between generations. With this approach, housing associations create a powerful organization that is ready for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Getting started with knowledge assurance and onboarding?

‍Does your housing association also want to safeguard valuable knowledge and allow new employees to start quickly and effectively, no matter where they work? Take contact join us for an informal conversation or discover how SelfGuide can help digitize knowledge and improve onboarding processes. Together, we make your organization future-proof.

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