Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Succeeding With Older Employees

There isn't a networking event that I go to where a fellow business owner doesn't come up to me and complain about employees. Either he or she can't hold onto them, can't find them, wants to kill them, etc., etc...
Lately, since the stock market had tanked and health insurance continues to skyrocket, I've been thinking about all of these employees in their mid-50s through mid-60s. These folks probably aren't as eager to retire and sip cocktails by the pool as they may have been 5 years ago.
So, the question is, who is going to hire them?
How come employers don't value the experience and work ethic of a 55 or 60 year old? I mean, if you hire someone at 60 and he or she works until 70, that's 10 solid years. Research shows 20-30 year olds only stay at one company for two years.
These older generation workers are going to be looking for jobs in the coming years. The companies that can figure out a way to get these folks in their companies are going to be adding years of knowledge and experience to their teams.
--Ron Ameln, SBM