Recruiting 50+ Workers and Retirees Practices of the 2007 AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50
By: AARP.org | Source: AARP.org
- Workplace Accommodations: Practices of the AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50 in 2007
- Employee Benefits Practices of the 2007 AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50
- Support for Caregivers: Practices of the 2007 AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50
- Flexibility and Work Arrangements Practices of the 2007 AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50
- Training and Professional Development: Practices of the 2007 AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50
Older individuals and retirees present employers with potential workers who are highly qualified, experienced, mature, and dedicated. In attempting to fill current and anticipated workforce needs, the 2007 AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50 know how important it is to reach out to age-50+ workers. By creating successful age-50+ worker-recruitment campaigns, these employers let mature workers know they are both wanted and valued in the workplace.
More than 90 percent of the 50 employers recognized as the 2007 AARP Best Employers target mature workers in their recruiting efforts. Examples include:
- Including pictures of age-50+ workers on all job advertising media
- Focusing on the "new worker," people in their second or third careers
- Advertising that includes "retirees welcome" language
- E-cards and direct-mail campaigns specifically targeted to mature and retired populations
- Job fairs held at community groups, libraries, senior communities, and church groups
Some of the AARP Best Employers of 2007 partner with other organizations in these recruiting efforts so that they can reach a larger audience. For example, Massachusetts General Hospital works with Greater Boston's Operation A.B.L.E., or "Ability Based on Long Experience," an organization that provides employment and training to mature workers ages 45 and older.
In addition, the hospital has formed a collaboration with RetirementJobs.com, a Web resource for individuals over age 50. The site identifies companies that are "age friendly" and matches them with mature job seekers. When the relationship with RetirementJobs.com was still in the early stages at the time of the hospital's application in early 2007, nearly 900 users of the site had selected Massachusetts General Hospital as a company from which to seek more information about employment.
Other collaboration opportunities mentioned by the Best Employers of 2007 include:
- Working with local community colleges to run refresher programs for mature workers
- Purchasing mailing lists from associations and other sources that target mature populations
- Collaborating with AARP, Goodwill Industries, and the local Workforce Investment Board
The honorees also recognize that, in cases where workers have been out of the workforce for several years, training may be required. For example, West Virginia University Hospitals in Morgantown, W.V., offers an RN-refresher course designed for Registered Nurses who are ready to return to the clinical nursing practice after having been out of the workforce for some time. The program includes clinical practice and enables participants to become refreshed on new technology along with changes in healthcare.
The Best Employers of 2007 don't just look to hire mature workers; they actively recruit retirees back to the workforce. In fact, nearly 90 percent specifically target retirees in their recruiting materials. Scripps Health, headquartered in San Diego, created the Scripps Alumni Network in 2006 to maintain an ongoing relationship with former employees, including retirees. The Scripps Alumni Network has served as a valuable foundation to recruit retirees and other former employees back to the organization.
First Horizon National Corp., a financial-services company based in Memphis, Tenn., offers retirees a variety of work opportunities, including temporary work assignments, consulting and contract work, telecommuting, and full-, prime-, and part-time work. At Saint Vincent Health System in Erie, Pa., 33 retirees currently work within the health system through its per diem program.
Other examples of approaches that the 2007 Best Employers have taken to recruit retirees include:
- Speaking with retirees at the time they retire about the possibility of returning to work on a part-time basis
- Offering part-time benefits and flexible schedules
- Using retirees to fill temporary-work assignments
- Recruiting retired employees by sending them personal greeting cards
- Inviting retirees to company-sponsored events that include job information
- Hosting open-house events, conducting alumni reach-outs, and providing employee referral bonuses
Mature workers and retirees present significant recruitment pools of experienced, dedicated workers—and they cannot be ignored. By tapping into this pool, employers gain access to workers who are ready to begin contributing with minimal training.
preview