Redefining senior workforce management: challenges, opportunities and strategic pathways

Purpose This study aims to identify and analyse the emerging challenges that will shape the development of senior talent in the coming years and, crucially, to provide a multi-level and context-sensitive framework for interpreting these challenges responsibly. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a qualitative–computational design combining collective artificial intelligence (CAI) with a two-stage analytical process involving 306 Spanish management staff. A theoretical framework integrates structural, organisational and individual perspectives (theory of ageism, human capital theory, theory of social capital, theory of cognitive ageing and a variety of psychosocial approaches). CAI algorithms (conceptual stratification, semantic clustering, hybridisation and pairwise comparison) enable the aggregation, synthesis and prioritisation of expert judgements. Findings The findings reveal two main areas of challenge: (1) ensuring that senior employees adapt and remain essential in organisational transformation – addressing issues of strategy, motivation, roles, digitalisation and humility – and (2) enabling them to feel valued and to pass on their legacy, which involves addressing knowledge transfer, recognition, ageism, rewards and work–life balance. This study highlights the most widely supported initiatives and the differences found based on gender, age and professional profile. It also offers a set of winning strategies and key proposals for effective management of senior talent. Originality/value This study identifies emerging, system-level patterns that cut across structural, organisational and individual domains, offering a forward-looking understanding of the challenges shaping senior talent development. The use of CAI enhances analytical depth by integrating diverse perspectives, generating consensus-based insights and revealing complex challenges that traditional qualitative or Delphi-based methods may overlook. By combining this methodological innovation with a multi-level theoretical framework, this study provides organisations with a theoretically grounded and context-sensitive roadmap for transforming senior-related challenges into strategic opportunities.