The Advantages of an Older Workforce

Employees are the one resource of all companies that isn't expendable. Every business, even small businesses eventually, have a need for employees who are hard-working, responsible, and honest both to their employers and their customers. As a result, employers expend a tremendous amount of energy and money each year in recruitment campaigns, advertising and interviews just to find employees who turn out not to be as motivated as they claimed to be, or who decide they want something better and try to climb the ranks of the corporate kingdom. This causes frustration for the employer, who wonders where they can find a reliable employee who's happy to be where they are and have no future plans of rising in the corporate world. But where would such an employee exist, and how can the company cut costs while recruiting them?

The answer may lie in the direction of the "silver-collar" employee.

Older workers frequently have no plans to advance their careers and are content living a productive life as your employee. They can often be more dedicated to their work than your average college grad, which will save you both time and money several times over that you would have spent correcting the laziness of a younger employee. They also take more pride in their work, which is a disappearing trait in the younger workforce; whereas the new entry-level recruit might just clock in, do their time and leave, older employees will sometimes stay later to get the work finished because their pride is riding on the outcome.

If you need your workers to be on time, you have a far better chance of that with an older employee. Since they're going to work because they want to, not because they have to, they're more likely to come to work on time than the twenty-something who went to an all-night party and went to bed at five in the morning.

When time is a precious commodity to you, you might also appreciate the silver-collar employee's tendency to be more focused on their work and organized in their approach to it. They're frequently easier to train since they probably already have an idea of what you want them to do, and when you give them instructions you don't need to repeat yourself. They also probably know some tips and tricks on how to make the workplace more efficient by organizing things in a better manner, so you may want to ask for their input.

Their maturity is an invaluable trait you can't buy or instill in others, so make as much use of it as you can. You can benefit from years, sometimes decades' worth of experience and an understanding of how the employee's job could be done more efficiently if you listen to their recommendations. The fact they've most likely either dealt with management before or were in management themselves at one time (not to mention the fact they're older than you by quite a margin) means they'll feel more open to discuss these issues with you than a younger, newly-hired employee. You'll often find a refreshing level of honesty that you just can't find elsewhere in your workforce; the diplomatic skills in giving their boss ideas that they've undoubtedly learned over the years also make them excellent communicators.

Older workers also make for excellent mentors or role models in the workplace, someone other employees can learn from and imitate. This reduces the number of careless errors, making it a valuable asset that you can appreciate and benefit from.
Finally, the reduced cost of labor that comes with hiring older workers can be of immense benefit. Insurance won't be an issue if they already have a plan from a previous employer or already have a steady income and don't mind accepting less for the job they're seeking. Working is often about more than a weekly paycheck, and they're the most likely employees to understand this.

The potential cost reduction and added benefits to your business by hiring a silver-collar employee make considering the option worthwhile. In the long run it would save your business from the high turnover rate other companies suffer as a result of hiring mostly younger employees. The decision to hire older employees could greatly benefit both you and them for a long time to come.