When Robert G. Potter, a senior vice president at Monsanto Inc.'s chemical division, had his secretary take off for a much-needed vacation, he figured to replace her with a temp. But a frustrated Potter soon found that he was spending all his time training the temp. Then he had a brainstorm: He contacted his former secretary who had retired several years before and asked if she would be interested in filling in. The retired secretary found the offer attractive and came in to work again, where she found herself able to handle all the needs of the office from day one. Realizing he had stumbled onto a good thing, Potter brought the idea to the company's attention, and Monsanto's Resource Re-entry Center was born.

Now, after over a decade of operation, the RRC boasts a list of 300 Monsanto retirees–everyone from secretaries to engineers to finance department accountants. At any given time, according to Monsanto spokesman Ben Kampelman, some 200 of these retirees can be found working on projects ranging in duration from a week to a year. "It's good for them–they are able to stay in touch with friends while earning extra income," says Kampelman. "It's also good for us. We're able to maintain relationships with people who bring valuable skills and knowledge to the company."

Then and today, the RRC may seem a clever, little project for some human resources executive to shepherd. But in the not-so-distant future, as the largest generation to ever enter the U.S. workforce prepares to retire, this enterprising idea–along with countless others that no doubt will be hatched–could become more a matter of corporate survival than corporate convenience. "We're heading into the eye of this hurricane," says Dave Johnson, national practice leader in executive compensation at Ernst & Young, "and until the wind starts blowing, most companies won't know it's coming."