Tuesday, 21 July 2026
German companies are increasingly taking steps to retain critical knowledge as large numbers of baby boomers approach retirement, although one in five businesses still lacks a structured strategy to preserve employees’ expertise, according to a new survey by trade credit insurer Atradius.
Around 13.4 million people from Germany’s baby boomer generation are expected to reach or exceed the statutory retirement age of 67 by 2039. Atradius warns that the departure of experienced employees risks accelerating knowledge loss at a time when many sectors continue to face skilled labour shortages.
The survey found that 61% of companies rely on structured handovers, allowing retiring employees to train their successors over a period of six to twelve months. Around 55% document processes and practical know-how in internal systems, while 36% retain former employees as external consultants or part-time advisers for specialist issues.
“The continued involvement of retiring employees creates benefits for both sides. Companies retain valuable expertise while retirees remain connected to the organisation,” said Frank Liebold, Country Director Germany at Atradius.
Other knowledge-transfer measures include cross-generational mentoring, structured exit interviews and employee-produced instructional videos. Despite growing interest in artificial intelligence, only 3% of companies currently use AI tools to automatically capture organisational knowledge from documents and email communications. Meanwhile, 20% of businesses have no systematic approach to preserving institutional knowledge.
The survey also examined employee retention strategies. Team events were the most frequently cited measure, adopted by nearly 32% of companies, followed by performance-related bonuses (31%). Remote working options and fitness benefits were each offered by around 29% of respondents, while 24% provide training budgets. Company-funded health insurance, inflation-related bonuses and public transport subsidies were less common, and only about 6% of businesses use a four-day working week as a retention tool.
Automation was found to play only a limited role in addressing labour shortages. More than half of surveyed companies said automation has little or no significance in compensating for unfilled positions, while only 18% reported that automation plays a major role in managing workforce vacancies.
The survey was conducted in May and June 2026 among more than 330 German companies from sectors including automotive, construction, chemicals, financial services, IT, manufacturing, consumer goods, transport and agriculture. Respondents ranged from businesses with annual revenues below €5 million to companies generating more than €1 billion, employing between fewer than 100 and more than 1,500 people.
