William Novelli on Valuing Older Workers
By: William D. Novelli; Source: AARP Bulletin Date Posted: 2006-01-13 10:29:00-05:00
Someone once asked eminent journalist H.L. Mencken why he kept on working. Mencken said, "I go on working for the same reason that a hen goes on laying eggs. There is in every living creature a ... powerful impulse to active functioning. Life demands to be lived."
That impulse seems just as powerful today. Two important trends are having a dramatic impact on the American work force. First, more and more people are expressing a desire to continue working later in life, past the traditional age of retirement. Second, with the pending retirement of the baby boomers—the first of them turn 60 this month—many analysts are predicting labor shortages in some industries. In fact, some sectors face that problem now.
And it's not just a labor shortage. It's a knowledge drain. Often, the institutional knowledge that retiring workers take with them is irreplaceable.
By 2012 nearly 20 percent of the U.S. work force will be age 55 or older, up from 14 percent in 2002. As the proportion of younger workers further declines, attracting and retaining mature workers will become increasingly critical for employers to keep a competitive advantage.
At AARP we play an important role as a catalyst for bringing government, employers and employees together to help and encourage workers to stay on the job. Our Best Employers for Workers Over 50 program—in its fifth year—honors companies and other organizations whose best practices and policies are road maps for addressing the work force issues of tomorrow. By recognizing these employers, we help others understand the value of older workers. We have also launched our AARP Workforce Initiative to raise the visibility of and appreciation for older workers, to engage America's employers and to help employees get career counseling and retraining.
A key part of this is our Featured Employers program. We're working with 25 forward-looking companies that are committed to recruiting and retaining older employees by matching qualified workers with job opportunities.
Many employers have been slow to adapt to the aging work force. There has not been a strong business case for hiring and keeping older workers. Nor, until now, has it seemed urgent to do so. So AARP conducted (with Towers Perrin, a human resources consulting firm) a landmark study, "Planning for Tomorrow's Talent Needs in Today's Competitive Environment: The Business Case for Workers Age 50+," which was published in December. The research demonstrates that companies should view older employees as a solution to their work force needs. It also describes through documented best practices and case studies—including some of our Featured Employers—how to develop effective strategies for appealing to older workers.
The mature work force is one of our greatest national assets. Engaging these workers should be one of our highest priorities. Of AARP's 36 million members, 22 million are working. Our research shows that nearly 40 percent of those 50 and older either plan to continue working past age 65 or already are. Moreover, for many employers—and for a number of jobs in almost every organization—older workers offer a potentially attractive solution to both short- and long-term staffing challenges. Making use of this growing pool of talent, of the collective experience and knowledge of veteran workers, is sound business—a plus for employers and employees alike.
Additional Related Links
John Challenger: Rethinking the Workplace (January 2006)
Selling Yourself: Tips on Preparing Your Resume (January 2006)
preview