Companies Must Focus On The Benefits Of Hiring Employees 50+
December 11, 2021
by Michael Yublosky
Prospect Magazine in the U.K. ran an article late last month that attracted our attention and excitement here at xBound. The title of the peace itself was appealing: “We must utilise the experience older people can offer the workplace”. The sub-title was also a pleasure to read: “It’s time to set aside ageist stereotypes and learn from the older generations”.
The article heralded some of the same principles that form the basis of our own mission statement here at xBound. It starts by raising the question as to how global economies are to pay for the rapidly aging population and the approaching collapse of social security.
In major economies across the globe the population of older people is rapidly increasing while the population of younger workers is decreasing. Birth rates are declining while men and women are retiring and leaving the workforce at an alarming rate. Immigration policies act to stifle the inflow of younger workers.
I am positive that COVID has also acted to magnify this trend through untimely deaths and forced retirements.
The author, Sarah Harper, suggests reaching out and enabling senior adults 50+ wishing to remain in or to re-enter the workforce. However, she realistically points out that this risky dependency arises mainly “…from discrimination against older workers” (50+) that present barriers to both “attaining and retaining employment.”
However, she takes too much space and time listing some erroneous stereotypes, myths and misconceptions. These have been previously discussed on this site as well as in many other publications. I will not bother to reiterate them here.
Positive Benefits Of Hiring 50+ Year Old Experienced Worker
In my opinion Harper should have better discussed more positive means companies can recognize the benefits and advantages of recruiting, hiring and retaining experience workers 50+. Sarah does manage to make some limited suggestions about how companies can change their policies to address ageism. She also urges governments to join in the discussion.
I feel that those points should have been the main focus of the article, not her long repetition of the myths and stereotypes we all have heard repeatedly.
We senior adults 50+ know that we can bring a tremendous amount of value to the workplace. I realize that it will take accommodations and negotiations between both the companies as well as the senior adults. But when will companies and NFPs looking for volunteers come to the same realization that it is mutually beneficial and start to come together and discuss?
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