Best Practices

Finding employees with reliable work habits, loyalty, experience and stability is an immense challenge for today's employers. The answer: older workers. Older workers possess all of these sought-after qualities and are ready and willing to work if given an opportunity that fits their lifestyle.

Older workers are not different from any other workers. Do not assume that they are “short-timers” or treat them differently. What attracts and retains older workers will likely attract and retain younger workers. And, older workers need the same attention as the rest of the workforce:

Below are suggested solutions for hiring, keeping and bringing back older workers. Each of these solutions will need to be evaluated on a business and position level. What works for one business may not work for another business; and within the same company, one position may have requirements that limit flexibility and another that is open to flexibility.

Assess Your Situation

Employers should document their turnover rates for the past five years and what's projected – look particularly at which departments and skill sets will be most impacted by turnover; measure job satisfaction rates; record the results and assign people to take responsibility to implement change where it's needed.

Solicit Applications from Older Workers

In your advertisement for the job, advertise the benefits of the position that will attract the older worker demographic. And, advertise in sections of the newspaper that are read by older workers (the Community Section for example).

Offer them the Job

Many older workers are looking for a less strenuous job than the one they previously held. Do not skip over a resume because you think the applicant earned too much in a previous job or because you think he or she is overqualified. The applicant may be at a point in his or her life in which salary is not as important as flexible hours, benefits or staying active physically and socially. Offer them the job and let them know your expectations to see if they are in fact interested.

Ask them to Stay

Sometimes workers retire because they are not challenged enough in their current position or simply want a change. When they bring up the idea of retirement, ask them if they would be interested in staying with the company in a different capacity, even if it means allowing them to take an extended vacation first.

Offer Flexible Work Arrangements

Home-based work, flextime, part-time work, job sharing and project-based work are desirable benefits for an aging workforce. These arrangements allow mature workers to choose flexible hours and delay their retirement. Employers need to look at their current work arrangement policies and see if they can make adjustments to suit older workers. Obviously, not all jobs can be made flexible, but it's surprisingly easy to accommodate flextime requests. Employers also need to train their managers to be proactive in dealing with individual needs.

Offer a Relaxed Culture to Fit a Relaxed Lifestyle

This generation of older workers has been through the “80-hour work week, coat and tie on a daily basis, loyalty-to-the-business-forget-my-other-needs” lifestyle. They are ready for a more relaxed lifestyle and will be attracted to employers who will offer them a relaxed culture. Examine your current culture, including overtime and dress code requirements and the fun activities you offer to your employees. After the examination, pull together a group of older, middle-aged and younger workers and ask them what would attract them to the company of make them more likely to stay and then implement their ideas.

Offer Employee Assistance and Work-Life Programs

To be fully productive, older workers need access to services that can assist them with personal and work-related issues. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and work-life services, especially eldercare and child care resource and referral, are critical to this segment of the workforce. Employees can use these services for themselves or any family member, saving them considerable time and greatly reducing their stress levels. In addition, employers should encourage them to make healthy life choices by encouraging a focus on other important areas of their lives such as family, friends and hobbies.

Offer Opportunities for Giving Back

Older workers are looking for interesting and challenging opportunities to make an impact in their communities and give back. Giving back, whether through volunteering or paid work, enhances the health and overall well-being of older adults and creates societal value. It is important to expand flexible engagement opportunities for older adults so they have more choices for work, paid or un-paid, formal of informal volunteering, or family care giving.

Offer Care Management

Care Management is a relatively new approach and can be offered to employees as a voluntary paid benefit. It provides access to a network of geriatric care managers who visit an elderly person's home and conduct in-depth assessments of the individual's activities of daily living and related social, safety, health and financial issues. The manager develops a care plan that outlines all the issues facing the individual and proposes possible solutions, including a list of local resources. The care manager can coordinate services and conduct ongoing monitoring, if desired.

Providing eldercare assessment services enables older workers to better focus on their jobs. As workers age, their loved ones do so as well. Eldercare services provide peace of mind and reduce employee stress levels, especially in long-distance care giving situations. Eldercare will be one of the most critical workplace issues in the 21st century. Approaches that are responsive to these and other needs of aging workers will allow employers to remain competitive and be well-positioned to provide a full suite of services to their employees. Showing that you are knowledgeable about these issues will help solidify your relationship with employees and give you a competitive edge.

Offer Long-Term Care Insurance

Many employers offer group long-term care insurance to their employees. These programs provide coverage for elderly people who need to be admitted to a nursing home or assisted living facility. Buying into these plans earlier in life is more cost-efficient than buying into them later; so many employees are considering them for both themselves and their parents. The employee pays the cost of the insurance, but access to a group plan can save both time and money. The Families and Work Institute reported in 2001 that nine percent of U.S. employers with more than 100 employees offered Long-Term Care Insurance, and this percentage will certainly increase as the population ages.

Offer Training and Internet Resources

Providing continuous training targeted towards older workers will keep them motivated and make them move valuable to the company. Employees can access these programs by attending onsite training programs or enrolling in workshops offered by outside vendors. Employers can also expand their intranets with information specifically geared to older workers.

It is very important that you enhance your management training programs to focus on helping supervisors effectively lead older workers.

Offer Extended Leaves of Absence

Older workers are more likely to need or want to take a leave of absence longer than their younger colleagues. The extended absence can be due to care giving responsibilities or a death in the family, or simply a desire to travel to see friends and family. Accommodating these requests will help solidify the relationship between employer and employee and makes good business sense - the cost of keeping a current employee far outweighs the cost of hiring and training a new one (it is estimated to cost one and a half times and individuals salary to replace him/her).

Offer Onsite Services

Seminars on eldercare topics or retirement planning, eldercare fairs and support groups are all low-cost alternatives that can help support older employees. Providing video tapes, audiotapes, books and other materials on aging workforce issues educate employees and help them become better able to make effective decisions. Another option is to provide onsite eldercare consultants and coaches who can assist employees with their personal and professional issues.

With an older workforce, financial and retirement issues are critical. Benefits could include access to financial planners, onsite workshops and career counseling/development opportunities.

Offer a More Pleasant Work Environment

Tasks that require a great amount of muscular strength can be facilitated with lifting devices or other special equipment. Consider switching an older worker to a job with less demanding physical requirements. Special lighting can alleviate or counteract age-related sight problems, particularly for those who work at a computer all day. Older workers typically feel increased sensitivity to noise disturbances that can make it feel more difficult to perform regular tasks. This can lead to increased stress, poorer concentration, mistakes and possible accidents. A healthy sound environment with low background noise is desirable.

Benchmarks

Following is a menu of benchmarks and measurements that your business could use to help define what is important in meeting your workforce needs and the direction you want to take:

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