The world of work can be a messy place. People can feel disengaged at work for a number of reasons; at times, it has everything to do with how people treat them at work. Today’s workforce is youthful, agile, and eager to leave their mark on their respective industries or organizations. The messiness of work is that people do not live in isolation; rather, they live and work with people from all walks of life. As a professional, success is predicated by the ability to collaborate and learn from all colleagues.
Older colleagues are a great source of ‘wisdom’ for their younger colleagues. Unfortunately, younger colleagues can have preconceived thoughts and prejudices about their older colleagues. Below are different ‘myths’ that exist about older employees that need to be debunked immediately in order to progress as an organization (and even as a society!)
Older Employees are Counting their Days
Retirement is exciting – everyone can look forward to it! That being said, retirement is far from the only motivation people have when coming to work. There’s no doubt that some colleagues are ‘burnt out’ – yet there’s no reason to believe that being ‘burnt out’ is correlated with being older. Personalities don’t suddenly shift because of someone’s age.
Older employees are often just as engaged with their work as their younger counterparts. It’s important for organizations to nurture those employees and engage them! There’s a wealth of wisdom that they can offer to grow within their organizations.
Older Employees are ‘Overqualified’
There’s a misconception that older employees can be ‘stubborn’ and unwilling to change. That is often why employers don’t hire candidates who are ‘overqualified’ for their openings. But neglecting these candidates can be detrimental to your organization.
If you think that a candidate is ‘overqualified’, yet you still like their profile, it’s better to err on the side of caution and contact the candidate than not to. Learning about why a candidate has applied to an opening, and why they feel certain of their value to the role, will give you great insight as a hiring manager. Moreover, adding ‘wisdom’ to a job opening means less training required for the candidate to be productive on the job! It’s a win-win!
Older Colleagues Lack Modern Skills
Today’s economy is largely driven by innovation. In order to innovate, all your staff need to place learning new skills at a premium. There’s a preconception that older staff, due to their ‘stubborn’ nature, have no desire to advance their skillset. Research from Indeed suggests that older employees are more than willing to engage in new technology. Moreover, their years of experience within their specific vocation allows organizations to better integrate new technologies to assist in the efficient use of new and innovative technologies.
Older employees can add a legitimate boost to the quality of the work your organization does. Their subject matter expertise, maturity, and desire for success are vital to any organization’s growth strategy. When scaling your business for success, don’t be afraid to work with seasoned experts.
At ITS Global, we invest in business growth by effectively implementing talent acquisition programs that allow companies to scale their growth and be a success. Let’s meet to discuss further – coffees on us! You can reach out to us at 416-689-4653 or email Ross Cadastre at [email protected] to schedule a confidential free meeting today