The workforce continues to evolve. That means your approach to hiring practices needs to adapt to those changes. One of those changes should include expanding the age range of your hiring pool. If you are having a hard time filling your job vacancies, look at the older workforce. Older adults can bring a unique value to your company and provide numerous advantages for your business. Discover seven compelling reasons to add older adults to your workforce.
1. Leadership
When you own a business, you need employees who can move into leadership positions. Older adults often bring the leadership skills you need for your business. They have often developed the ability to communicate, problem-solve, and delegate. As a result, when you hire older adults, they are likely ready to step right into those leadership positions you need.
2. Experience
Older adults often have decades of experience in their respective fields. Their extensive knowledge and expertise can be invaluable to your organization. But, older adults also bring a wealth of practical skills and insights. The experience that older adults bring allows them to mentor younger employees. Mentoring helps encourage continued learning and professional growth.
3. Resilience
It is not uncommon for the economy to go through unexpected changes. The US economy has seen a lot of upheaval over the years. Many older adults have dealt with various workplace challenges. These challenges provide resilience that lets them adapt to the changes that occur. This resilience helps older workers navigate the changes that happen in the workplace.
4. Reliability
When staffing your company, you need to ensure dedication and reliability. That is where older workers become beneficial. Older adults have fewer outside obligations that can take them away from the workplace.
Most older adults have already obtained their education. And, they have already raised their children. That gives older adults the ability to dedicate more of their time to a job. Plus, many older adults are working to enhance their retirement benefits. That means older adults can work rotating schedules.
5. Availability
According to Census.gov, about 1 in 6 Americans were 65+ years old. By 2024, about 13 million adults over the age of 65 will be in the workforce. That is a large untapped resource for your organization. When you hire older adults, you can reduce the time it takes to find available workers for your vacancies. That availability increases productivity and reduces delays.
6. Motivation
Older Americans often have a harder time finding entry-level and mid-career job opportunities. Age can put older Americans at a disadvantage when getting hired. In fact, the difficulties begin at about the age of 45. When you increase your hiring pool to include older adults, you gain access to motivated applicants. And, older adults are often motivated to learn new skills to make themselves employable.
7. Diversity
If you are looking for a way to make your workforce more diverse and inclusive, include older adults in your applicant pool. By hiring employees of different ages, you can utilize a variety of ideas, experiences, and perspectives. This type of employee diversity encourages creativity, ingenuity, and problem-solving. These characteristics are beneficial to your organization.
If you are ready to work with a professional staffing agency, add older adults to your list of prospective applicants. Hiring older adults is good for the economy and good for your business, and hiring older adults offers benefits to your organization that you might not have considered. For help filling your vacancies, get in touch. We are here to handle all of your staffing needs and answer any questions or concerns you may have.
