Why Businesses Love to Hire Seniors: A Growing Trend

More seniors and retiring the term 'retirement" and working well past 65. Sometimes it's out of need: some simply cannot afford to stop working. Others seek out work as a means of feeling fulfilled and engaged in life. Age discrimination is always a concern for many seniors, but that fear is fading. With more and more seniors continuing to work or transition into "semi-retirement," many hiring managers are recognizing the opportunity to bring some wisdom and maturity to their ranks.

With 70% of baby boomers expecting to work past retirement age, there should be plenty of opportunity to hire capable candidates in many fields. The workforce itself will actually grow as baby boomers opt to continue working. In America 2 million people turn 65 each year. Even if only half of them decide to continue working, that's 1 million more workers in the labor pool than anticipated. Smart employers will recognize the opportunity here-being able to hire an older workforce will bring experience, flexibility, and a motivated workers onto their team. According to AARP, the best employers are often in the Healthcare, Higher Education, and Non-Profit/Government sectors. These employers are already taking advantage of a motivated, skilled workforce in older workers, which is the right approach to take.

As a retail manager with nearly 20 years of experience, I find older workers to be much more reliable, conscientious, and grounded than many of the younger workers I employ. In my business I know that ultimately it comes down to the individual qualities any worker brings that decides whether or not they get hired. However, with the children grown and the house paid for, many of my 55 plus workers have the flexibility I need to run a retail business with extended hours. Having a relatively open schedule helps my business tremendously, allowing me to schedule people to be on hand when my customers are shopping.

Conversely, I find that a disproportionate number of younger workers have an unrealistic sense of entitlement when it comes to their job privileges and their responsibility to work when they are scheduled to work. Dealing with an employee's constant call-outs or shift swapping to an active social life or a sudden term paper or final exam grows very tiresome, very quickly. I find that my 50+ staff rarely over commit themselves to a schedule they are not willing or able to work, and frequently are called in to help out during a staffing crisis. As the manager of a busy retail business with over 50 employees, I am grateful to have baby boomers and retirees on my staff.