Be the first to get access to vast amounts of untapped talent that is older workers. Just like with fine wine, age and character makes perfection.
Most of the applicants over 50 are looking for employment because of relocation, the sale of a business or returning to work after a long holiday. That being said, here are just four reasons to give them a shot.
Older Workers are More Focused
Research shows that 54% of workers older than 65 are still employed because they want to be. Even with a slightly younger demographic in the 50+ range, older workers tend to have found their career path. They know what they are good at and, assuming that they are in a role that is a fit with this and are treated decently by their employer, tend to stay focused on doing their job well vs. looking for the next opportunity. The key to capitalizing on this improved potential for focus on the work vs. climbing the corporate ladder is to make sure that you are hiring the older worker for a role that is in alignment with their strengths and passions.
Older Workers Are Loyal
With this in mind, older workers also tend to be more loyal for longer periods. The older the worker is when they start the job, the longer they tend to stay. While the known difficulties of finding a new job over 50 might be a deterrent for them to change jobs, research also shows that older workers are almost twice as satisfied with their jobs as younger workers.
Older Workers Work Ethic
The work ethic of Millenials is widely lamented by leaders and echoed loudly in the media. Research shows that not only do more older respondents report that being ethical is important to workplace culture, but 75% of those surveyed perceived that older workers did indeed have a better work ethic. Work ethic is a difficult thing to quantify, but in general older workers tend to have been raised in an age that demanded longer attention spans and more delayed gratification. The video game generation is more prone to require constant stimulus, immediate feedback, and quick results.
Older Workers Have Strong Networks
A huge bonus of hiring older workers is that they come with big networks. They can draw on these networks to sell your product, develop their team, and develop their own skill and knowledge gaps that might be getting in the way of achieving the results they desire in their role. While a younger person might depend on the benevolence of others to mentor them, older workers have long standing relationships of reciprocity and are able to call in favors or seek support with far less effort. Think of it this way. Even with hundreds of facebook friends, the depth and breadth of an older worker’s relationship network makes it a far more likely source of tangible value.
Older Workers Have Leadership Skills
This is perhaps one of the most important reasons to hire older workers. Even if they are not in an official leadership position, older workers have had far more time to cultivate the communication, conflict resolution, critical thinking, and problem solving skills that enable them to take leadership of themselves and the achievement of their results. While it can be a bit tricky to hire an older employee to work under a boss who is younger than them, if both parties are open-minded and a relationship of trust can be built, then the manager will also tend to benefit from the leadership experience of the older worker.
The bottom line – older workers come with many more benefits than baggage. Think twice before ruling out a candidate who is in the later stage of their career.
Check out the link below for more details on the research that highlights these advantages.
[Source] http://www.businessinsider.com/5-good-reasons-to-hire-older-workers-2013-7
