Experience, stability and diversity are just some of the clear qualities that older employees bring to the table.
But if that’s the case, why do so many organisations shy away from recruiting over-50s?
This is the question that Grainne Moss, managing director of Bupa Care Services New Zealand, has posed. Like many leaders, she believes that a “diverse and mixed workforce will produce better results” than a team comprised of similar people, which is why she’s a big believer in hiring older employees.
“Businesses do potentially suffer by not having an older workforce, because it can be too easy as a leader of a business to think everybody is like the people around me,” Moss told the
NZ Herald.
With the number of over-65s expected to hit one million in 2020, it’s crucial that businesses understand the shifting needs of that increasingly important demographic, Moss added – and employing them is one way to work out what makes them ‘tick’.
According to
The Great Generational Shift, a review of more than 28,000 professionals globally, Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) have much to offer employers, including a “predilection towards decisive and strategic thinking”.
The report, prepared by international recruitment firm Hudson, also pointed to Boomers’ unique ability to share, teach and mentor.
“For corporations to change successfully and compete in an ever-expanding and changing market, Boomer traits like leadership, motivational ability and decisiveness remain essential. There is much that they can give, and hand over to, younger generations,” the report said.
Moss clearly agreed, adding, “I think there's some fantastic opportunities [with older employers] and I think if we don't harness those opportunities, then we'll miss a huge trick.”
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