Leveraging the Labour Force - Mature Workers

As the population ages, and the impending wave of baby boomers move into retirement- age range, there are ways to utilize the wealth of knowledge accumulated by these individuals. Not only are baby boomers still in a capacity to work, but the generation of people before them may still be capable as well, which is referred to as the silent generation. Both groups are living longer, healthier lives and can still greatly contribute to many organizations in a variety of ways.

If your organization has identified a need to hire individuals who may be able to act as mentors to other employees in the organization and are committed to working, then you may want to look at the age group of 50+. To tap into the value of this group of people, you must cater to their interests, needs, and preferences, but be conscious of potential physical limitations.

Similar to looking at any other group of applicants, factors such as education, experience and communication skills will be determining factors as to the suitability of a mature candidate.

With the removal of mandatory retirement, you may want to consider developing a clause in the employment contract of the older worker that the contract will be renewable annually or at the end of the period.

As also outlined in the other Leveraging the Labour Force resources, it is important that your efforts to attract mature workers and the unique traits they bring with them do not create a discriminatory effect with regard to other categories of candidates. This information is offered only to assist you in ensuring your recruitment efforts are reaching this segment of the labour force as well.

Attracting Mature Workers:

Studies have shown that there are two major reasons why mature workers want to remain in the workforce: One, personal satisfaction or two, financial reasons, they may just require adjustments to their current position or move to a different organization that can provide these adjustments. Potential workers aged 50+ may desire more personal time at home or to look after grandchildren, which means a reduction in time spent at work.

Recruitment Do’s

 Advertise on the internet, on your company website. Mature workers are becoming more technologically savvy; therefore, advertise on the Internet to access a wider scope of people. Create links on your company website specifically attracting this group of people. For example, place a link in the careers/employment section titled “Mature Workers”. You can also use a phrase such as “Age-Friendly Employer”, when describing your organization in a more general capacity.

 Advertise on a website such at the Canadian Association of Retired People (CARP) (www.carp.ca), for individuals above 50 years of age for potential workers. People who are of retirement age typically like to socialize with their peers, which is why these types of sites are an excellent location to advertise. Another site, Prime50 (www.prime50.com) is a website that provides access to potential employees aged 50+. Tools available to the 50+ group on this site include articles, press coverage, and upcoming events. These benefit you as an employer, by providing access to your target group and advertise exclusively to them. Other options for similar sites are www.50plus.com, www.zoomers.ca, and www.seniors.ca.

 Consider this group of individuals if the positions in which you are looking to fill are less physical in nature. Further, when positions have more flexibility in shifts and stress levels are lower, you can target mature workers more easily as these factors are aligned with their lifestyle.

 Include networking as another source to find more quality people to hire. People you know may be working in their own companies and may be aware of mature individuals who are looking to move on to a different organization. Let everyone you know be conscious of what openings you are currently looking to fill, and even potential openings in the future.

Recruitment Don’ts:

 Exclude employment agencies. They are a relatively good source for potential employees because they may have skill assessments already completed on their applicants as well as quick availability of mature workers. Some agencies may even specialize in mature workers because of the well-known fact of an increase in the aging population. For example, a company such as Accountemps can be a good source for mature individuals who may have a great amount of experience in Accounting, but may want to work less.

 Eliminate web sites used as a place for social networking for this group of individuals. Although you may not be able to post a job directly on these sites, you may still be capable of advertising your company. An advertisement could include a phrase such as “age-friendly employer”.

Retaining Mature Workers:

Once the mature worker is in your company, retaining them is in your best interest and draw upon their knowledge, skills, and abilities to prolong their career and provide support for future generations. This will, in turn, support your organization by sharing the wealth of knowledge with the team. Begin transferring their knowledge to others within the organization while letting the mature worker know they are not teaching themselves out of a job. This keeps motivation higher and enriches your organization with deeper, more extensive knowledge to go forward.

Ask mature workers what interests them and what will give them the most satisfaction, the most enjoyment, and/or less stress. This may seem like a simple idea, but assumptions made in the media cannot completely cover all the needs mature individuals may have. Asking what works will truly give them a sense of personal pride and value to the organization, leading to a positive experience for both parties. Retention Do’s:

 Provide opportunities for mentoring and coaching. Either when a new mature worker arrives at your company, or while these individuals are still in the organization, you can create an environment where these individuals can coach and mentor their younger peers. There is a transfer of knowledge from the mature worker which can help the younger worker understand why they are doing something, or how to do it better. A more extensive tool on how to mentor is available on Mentoring in the Training and Development section of this website.

 Consider alternate work options. Time constraints, decreased work time, or flexible work arrangements are more attractive options for mature workers. You can offer flexible, contemporary work options such as; opportunities for part time and seasonal work, opportunities for flex time shifts, and options for telecommuting. For part time and flex time shifts, there may be an option to have multiple mature individuals covering one position, keeping your shifts covered but allowing flexibility for the workers.

 Allow for telecommuting if there are mature workers knowledgeable in the world of technology and perhaps do not want to encounter traffic jams or poor driving conditions in inclement weather. Projects can still be completed via computer and telephone which means they can function almost anywhere in the world.

 Train managers on creating alternative work arrangements and teams. Managers may not be aware that they are permitted to do so or even realize there are other options than 7 am - 3 pm, Monday to Friday. Demonstrating production can continue with creative shift schedules or switching days will make a huge difference in leveraging a mature worker or two, or three.

 Train and support managers on what the employee wants. Overall, provide managers the direction needed to understand and work with the individuals to reach a better arrangement in many areas, such as work life balance or how the employees work is completed.

 Offer paid sabbaticals for current mature workers to allow the opportunity to “recharge” may be the perfect solution for certain people. This could be an extremely enticing option if the sabbatical is offered for the time period between completing regular work and beginning their “retired”-type work

Retention Don’ts:

 Assume mature workers are done learning. Provide opportunities for training and development within your company. Some workers may be looking to only earn a bit more spending money or just want to fill their day, whereas others may be interested in training and education opportunities. Again, with more technology, jobs are more efficient and in many cases, less physical in nature. This advancement leads to a longer and healthier lifespan for more individuals.

 Disregard a periodic review of health care benefits within your organization. The aging population may be staying healthier longer and extending a good quality of life; however, there is still an increased likelihood that health care will be a major factor in retaining mature workers. This may include an increase in medical coverage, or even take more of a proactive approach and provide health club reimbursement.

 Exclude low or no cost health options such as yoga and Tai Chi on lunch breaks. Health and wellness are becoming bigger topics for those aged 50+. The benefits of eating healthier and exercising, as well as enjoying a happier life are increasingly realized in society. Yoga and Tai Chi are simple options that get all workers moving, but have a lower impact for individuals who may have some joint issues or cannot participate in activities with jumping.

 Expect that a mature worker knows what or how to transfer their knowledge to their protégé. Sometimes, the individual just needs some direction and structure to guide them to developing what and how they want to teach.

 Presume an individual 50+ years of age does not want to be recognized for their efforts. Something that is special and out of the ordinary is always appropriate when positively recognizing an employees’ solid performance. Make sure the recognition and praise is done immediately and is meaningful. Examples of recognition are:

o Company email or letter o An award given out at a banquet o A plaque or service pin o Providing gift certificates to dinner o Tickets to a professional sports game o Personally commend them for a job well done

Accommodating the Mature Worker:

In some cases, mature workers would like to continue working but the capacity in which they can work may not be what it used to be. Stress levels of previous job may be too much, or even the lighting could be less than optimal for them to effectively complete their job. There are a variety of ways to accommodate mature workers who have developed a disability, or cannot fulfill their working obligations without some adjustment to their work area.

Be aware that after the age of 65, Workers Compensation does not cover employees.

Adjustment to Work Area and Functions:

Provide chairs with arms to make it easier for employees to steady themselves when rising from their seat. This option also makes sitting for longer periods more comfortable because they can lean on the arms.

When faced with a disability of loss of hearing, provide options of vibrating phones, phones with text messaging, or a pager for any type of necessary signal that is usually heard. This can be especially helpful when the mature worker is in a factory setting and needs to hear when a phone call comes in, or when an alarm is triggered.

When faced with an individual who cannot read regular type font, computer software applications are readily available with larger font. This is also a simple accommodation because many programs are available with this function. Further, many websites provide the option of switching to a larger font with the click of a button. There are even products existing that can enlarge what is on the computer screen by acting as a magnifying glass.