AARP.org
Connect with the AARP Community, it's free. Log In Sign Up

Recruitment

Creative Recruiting Entices Experienced Workers

There are dozens of different ways recruiters reach out to various labor markets. So why not do the same to find mature workers?

Many companies visit college campuses to get the first chance with fresh graduates, particularly those who excel in specialized fields. Others participate in activities like community job fairs in search of entry-level workers.

The mature market is a choice hunting ground for recruiters seeking experienced workers. More than 43 million Americans who are either employed or seeking work are at least 50 years of age, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Can you really afford to ignore this vast pool of expertise and knowledge?

Seminars to Schmoozing

There are many recruiting strategies you can use to tap into this market. Just keep in mind that mature workers tend to be concerned about giving back to their communities and about bringing value to an organization, said Kip Hollister, founder and chief executive officer at Hollister Inc., a Boston-based recruiting firm.

  • The Soft Approach
    Some of Hollister’s clients have invited mature professionals to seminars on engaging topics ranging from career advancement to retirement planning. Afterwards, the company has hosted cocktail receptions where attendees can network with each other and with senior executives who soft-peddle career opportunities at their organization.
  • Philanthropy
    Hollister mentioned one biotech company that invited everyone in its community to join its team for a multiple sclerosis walk-a-thon. Besides helping a worthy cause, the weekend event doubled as an ad-hoc job fair. Employees were able to connect with potential job candidates on their walking teams by sharing work-related experiences while promoting their company.
  • Online Communities:
    Trolling Internet-based communities, bulletin boards, or blogs, is also effective, observed J.P. Sakey, president and CEO at Headway Corporate Resources, a staffing and market research firm in Raleigh, N.C. Headway uses the Internet to recruit large numbers of mature workers. Besides being more cost-effective than traditional techniques, such as newspaper ads, Internet recruiting allows the company to be aggressive in building pools of qualified people instead of waiting for candidates to contact the firm, Sakey said.

He recommended that recruiters check out these sites:

When sending an e-mail blast to any online community, Sakey advised that it’s best to use simple messages that people can skim quickly. Include a toll-free phone number or a Web site link your prospects can click on to apply. Then stay connected with applicants, even if they don’t qualify for current openings. You never know—they may be the ideal candidates for a position that pops up next week or even next year.

When sending an e-mail blast to any online community, Sakey advised that it’s best to use simple messages that people can skim quickly. Include a toll-free phone number or a Web site link your prospects can click on to apply. Then stay connected with applicants, even if they don’t qualify for current openings. You never know—they may be the ideal candidates for a position that pops up next week or even next year.

More Creative Recruiting Ideas

  • Employee alumni organizations
    Companies can build huge national networks using Web sites such as LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), reported Paul Beard, president and CEO at the McKinley Group Inc., an executive search firm in Minnetonka, Minn. Anyone can join LinkedIn for free. Use it to send e-mails about job openings, project work, or other career opportunities.
  • Professional groups and associations
    A more traditional tactic, networking with professional groups, is often touted as the most effective way to reach mature professionals. And don’t overlook local groups, added Beard. One very effective networking organization for mature workers, The Smiling & Dialing Club, targets employed executives and seniors undergoing career transitions in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.
  • Employee referral programs
    Offering quality incentives for employee referrals can pay off, remarked William Behn, national director of staffing at SolomonEdwards Group, an Atlanta-based services firm for chief financial officers. Behn’s firm pays $1,000 for every referral who gets hired. He’s seen other companies pay as much as $15,000 or offer a three-year lease on a Porsche for senior-level or hard-to-fill positions. Employees often refer mature individuals, since personal networks aren’t based on people’s ages, but rather on their experiences, interests, and skill levels.
  • Volunteer opportunities
    Sprint, in Albuquerque, N.M., has partnered with the local school district, offering employees as volunteers for its literacy program, explained Becky Strickland, the company’s then-human resources manager. She is now a principal at Human Resource Matters, an HR consulting firm in Colorado Springs, Colo. More than half of the volunteers were mature workers. Sprint pictured some of these workers in company ads featuring testimonials about why the employees enjoyed working at the company. “It [the campaign] highlighted the fact that we were good corporate citizens and a premier employer for older workers,” she explained.
  • Promote customer service
    When Strickland was employed as HR manager at T-Mobile in the Mission-McAllen metro area in Texas, her department was responsible for hiring up to 1,500 people each year for the company’s call center. It introduced a VIP program, in which employees handed out palm cards to people in the community who demonstrated excellent customer-service skills. On each card was a question, such as, “Would you like to be playing on a great team?,” along with a toll-free number inviting prospects to visit the call center at special open houses. Approximately 25 percent of the attendees were at least 50 years of age, says Strickland.

Creative recruiting ideas go a long way in reaching mature workers. Still, for any hiring program to be effective, you must build an age-diverse culture and brand your company as an organization that values the experiences and skills of all individuals. Mature workers will then seek you out as an employer of choice. You will find them exploring ways they can add value to your company and their community.

Resources

Highlights of Winning Strategies: AARP’s Best Employers Program Honorees

AARP recognized these companies in 2007 for developing and implementing exemplary practices to recruit, retain, and manage workers 50+.

AARP Profit from Experience: Perspectives of Employers, Workers and Policymakers in the G7 Countries on the New Demographic Realities

Addresses through best practices and case studies how to develop and implement effective strategies for recruiting and retaining workers 50+.

AARP Age Equity in Employment Checklist for Employers

An online checklist to help employers assess their company’s policies and practices to attract and keep valuable employees, including older workers. Topics include recruitment, policy development, training, and job redesign.

Top of Page