Employer Spotlight: Vocation Depot

1. A flexible work environment. As a veteran-focused organization, Vocation Depot intricately weaves a growth mindset and flexibility into the tapestry of its workplace. The company offers work arrangements for employees who have caregiving and other life demands outside traditional work hours. Farinella says Vocation Depot embraces a get-your-work-done mentality to drive results, and he believes that biases in favor of workers who are visible in the office during business hours can be counterintuitive to productivity. He says employers should focus on workers’ results.

2. Mentorship. The presence of older adults in the workplace can have a positive ripple effect for workers of all ages and in the workforce at-large. Mentorship and reverse mentorship can be natural byproducts of intergenerational collaboration. When pairing mixed-aged teams, Vocation Depot has noticed a spillover of not only technical skills but also soft skills, including maturity, stability and critical thinking.

3. Upskilling and reskilling. With a shortage of candidates entering the labor force and many people retiring, business leaders can’t afford high employee turnover rates. Vocation Depot, similar to many Pledge Signers, prioritizes age-inclusive training opportunities as a way to retain its employees. All employment specialists receive ongoing training and support to receive necessary state certifications for their personal and professional development.

4. Online onboarding. Vocation Depot invests thoughtfully in new approaches to support its multigenerational workforce. One such method includes moving its onboarding process online to offer accessibility and flexibility to its employees who are juggling work and caregiving demands.

Vocation Depot’s advice to job seekers

Farinella is passionate about his line of work and likes to see the same enthusiasm in applicants. He advises job seekers, whether applying to Vocation Depot or another employer, to think outside the box in terms of how they frame relevant skills and experience, especially when changing industries. For example, Farinella notes that many of Depot’s successful hires included their personal experiences caregiving for family members with special needs or an aging parent on their resume. Volunteering is also a promising pathway to gain relevant industry experience.

If you need help refreshing your resume, you can visit AARP Resume Advisor to get started. You may also create a profile and upload your resume to the AARP Job Board to allow age-inclusive employers such as Vocation Depot to search for you directly. Set alerts on the Job Board to stay connected to new job openings, including local and remote opportunities.