Recruit and Retain Boomers
Thursday, June 19th, 2008By 2010, about 64 million workers in the U.S. will be ready for retirement. That’s 40% of our workforce. Forty percent by 2010!
Thankfully, many of those workers won’t actually retire, just because they’re “of-age.“ According to an August 2007 survey of 50- to 65-year-old workers, approximately 29% of 55- to 59-year-olds plan to work beyond 65.
Cool. Now the job is to convince those employees to come work for you. Right? We’re all busy talking about boomer recruitment and flex time policies and temporary executive programs, aren’t we?
No, sadly, many of us aren’t. According to the Wall State Journal, older employees are still getting an uneasy welcome some places. And Working Longer, a new book from the Brookings Institute suggests why: Employers fear older workers “cost too much, lack current skills and don’t stick around long.”
Scot Herrick has a few interviewing tips for boomers over at the Cube Rules blog. Herrick suggest workers over come those negative perceptions by emphasizing skills, past job performance, and—above all—a willingness to learn. Whatever you do, you must not appear set in your ways.
So let me ask you this: Are employers willing to learn too? How about some tips to recruit and retain boomers? Here’s a start:
- Flexible scheduling and job sharing
- Telecommuting
- Contract or project work
- Phased retirement plans
- Cafeteria style benefit plans that include part-time workers
- Eldercare benefits
- Training to eliminate age-bias within company
- Company retiree network
For more ideas, download this 2008 report from the U.S. Department of Labor with Current Strategies to Employ and Retain Older Workers. Lots of great ideas including a snowbird program at CVS which transfers older workers south for the winter (along with plenty of customers). How innovative is that?!
Posted by Jaime