I met with a human resources director over coffee to talk about hiring trends in her industry and was surprised to hear her thoughts about hiring older workers. “Older” to her was over 50—which shows how much younger “older” is to a new generation of HR professionals. She said that she feels bad when she gets resumes from “older” workers with a lot of experience, because she knows they are qualified but are afraid that they won’t stay in the job very long. I guess she wasn’t aware that retirement age has gone from 62 to 66 years of age, and even older with today’s economy. That got me thinking about this and other myths around about hiring older workers, and how companies are missing out on great opportunities.
1. They won’t stay on the job for very long. Workers over 50 are part of the Baby Boomer generation, and while there are variations in every group, the Boomers are known for their loyalty, hard-work and commitment to their employer. Research shows that younger workers tend to change jobs at least 15 times in a career span. Once a Boomer gets the right job, they are usually in for the long haul.
2. They don’t have the technical skills for the job. While some older workers are still hanging onto their touch-tone princess phones and Daytimers, others are happily embracing technology. With the large available older labor pool, finding a tech-savvy worker is a matter of perseverance. Everyday electronics is forcing everyone to learn how to survive in a digital world. If you can figure out how to check out on the many variations of digital swipe terminals, you can learn how to login to a website and input data.
3. They don’t have the stamina for the job. The over 50 crowd has gotten a bad rap health-wise, mostly from all the advertising of remedies for ailments attributed to their age group. With all the emphasis on fitness and healthier eating, people of all age groups are paying more attention to their weight and general well-being. This is the group that used to “…walk to school two miles in the snow.” They didn’t have air-conditioning or for some, elevators and escalators. Making it this far says something about adaptability and energy.
4. They are too expensive to insure. Here’s where an employer can really get a great return on their investment in older workers. When you hire a worker over 65, they are covered under Medicare. With all the senior discounts for prescriptions, equipment and other health care supplies, an older worker can be less expensive than one with maternity bills or a bunch of kids who spend their weekends in the emergency room with soccer and gymnastics injuries.
5. They just don’t fit in with younger team members. They say it takes a village to raise a child. It takes a village to run a company, too. Whether you sell products or services, every company has a variety of customers, and a mix of older and younger workers is good for business. They will also learn valuable skills from each other. Reverse mentoring – pairing a younger worker with an older one—is a cost-efficient way to train older workers on technology. Older workers can teach soft skills, such as interpersonal communications, phone etiquette, courtesy, customer relations and organization skills to younger workers.
People are people. When applying for a position, the cover letter is a good place to remind a hiring manager of the benefits and added-value you bring to a job because of your business and life experiences. Myths are meant to be broken.
What other myths have you encountered about the job search? Share your experiences in the Comments section below.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for BusinessWorkForce.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients reinvent their careers for today’s job market. You can read more of her blogs at businessworkforceblog.com and view additional job postings on Nexxt.
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