04 Oct Age of Experience: Some Reasons Why You Should Hire Workers Over 50
All businesses value employees – retaining good ones and finding new ones. And some attributes apply to all positions — companies want employees who are honest, responsible, dependable, loyal, focused, organized and mature. Companies find that one source of such employees is choosing among older workers, particularly workers over 50. U.S. employers spends millions of man hours each year placing ads, prescreening and interviewing candidates, and hiring and training workers, only to find that some of the employees quit in less than a year, making it an expensive process.
Here are some reasons job experts say employers should make hiring workers over 50 a priority:
Experienced excellence. A common benefit of older workers is the experience and skills they bring to a job. Companies can benefit from someone who can solve problems, possibly immediately.
Some employers have concerns about older workers being behind the curve when it comes to technology, but those concerns are often exaggerated. And, arguably it is equally — if not more difficult — for younger workers to come with the experience gained through 20 or more years spent in industry.
Workers over 50 can also play a vital role in providing skills to younger people in the workplace. They can become teachers and mentors based on their experience and expertise. Rather than reinventing the wheel, a business could bring on people with experience who can share what has been tried in the past and how it can be improved.
Old-style confidence. Another reason for hiring workers over 50 is that older workers can bring more confidence than their younger counterparts. This isn’t meant to imply that younger workers will not have confidence, simply that those who have been in the workplace for decades, made mistakes (and learned from them, hopefully) might generally question themselves less.
Older workers have years of experience developing relationships and strategies for dealing with higher management. Some positions are best suited for those possessing a mix of confidence and expertise that comes more easily to those with more reps behind them.
Reliable for the age(s). Customer service is one area where mature workers tend to be highly successful. Workers over 50 are often recruited to fill customer service positions because they are dependable and are more experienced in decision-making. Surveys have asked HR professionals what they considered the top advantages of older workers. Experience was No. 1 on the list at 77 percent, followed closely by maturity/professionalism and a stronger work ethic.
Workers over 50 are reliable, experienced – and might be really happy.
Employees who are older may be more loyal and grateful to get a job. Some studies show older workers love their jobs more than younger ones. Studies found 9 in 10 workers older than age 50 are somewhat or very satisfied with their jobs. Meanwhile, only 3 in 10 workers younger than age 25 could say the same.
