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Throughout the 20th century, declining fertility and increasing life expectancy dramatically raised both the median age of our populations and the number of workers who are retirement-bound. Projections indicate that nearly 25 percent of the United States population will be eligible for retirement by 2025; for Canada, the percentage is 28 percent; and for many European countries, it is more than 30 percent.
Moreover, the people who turned 60 in 2006 belong to the front ranks of the Baby Boomers. Yet the workforce coming up behind them, Generation X, will number only about 58 percent of the presently available work pool. As the Baby Boomers retire, fewer people will be available to work.
The demographics of a shrinking workforce are expected to alter employment practices significantly. One adaptation already underway is the abolition of mandatory retirement to keep mature men and women in the workforce longer. The U.S. retirement age has been raised to 67 for those born after 1960, and is expected to be raised again.
In December 2005, Ontario, Canada, joined the majority of the country's 13 provinces and territories legally enacting a partial or complete ban on mandatory retirement. By this year, all 15 European Union member countries will be required to introduce legislation prohibiting employment discrimination on the grounds of age.
The best older workers possess refinements, including adaptive techniques, people skills, and a level of emotional stability that require years to develop.
While at this point in history, necessity may be driving the workplace toward greater balance in the age of employees, it has actually always been in the workplace's best interest to retain its mature workers, while cultivating the job skills of the younger generation.
Respect Experience
Incredibly, age bias is still prevalent enough that too many consultants suggest that their older job candidates remove all but the last 10 or 15 years of experience from their résumés. Supposedly, this dubious tactic fools employers into thinking applicants are younger, and therefore grants interviews and a shot at offsetting any age concerns by extolling their potential contributions. Does anyone think the interviewer is not going to notice the candidate's mature appearance in the first 30 seconds and potentially feel duped?
Other staffing firms advocate a complete and inclusive résumé, because it reveals mature candidates' hard-earned depth of experience and professional credibility. It also does not screen candidates for specific positions on the basis age—but rather on qualifications, experience, and total fit for a job and company. In every case, the primary concern should be to help clients hire the best person for their requirements.
You Can Count on Me
Many hiring managers are increasingly aware of the benefits of mature workers. Studies show that their assets include equal productivity to younger workers, superior experience, a stronger work ethic, and reliability—both in terms of taking less time off for emergencies common to young families, and of less frequent turnover.
Additionally, older employees are less likely to job hop. They are more likely to stay in a position for the balance of the years they wish to work. Younger employees, on the other hand, are looking for career advancement, and unless your company can provide it, they will likely move on in the very short term.
As worker shortages escalate, governments and companies are increasingly expected to adjust their retention, recruitment, and management policies and practices to include older workers. Already, business leaders are devising strategies such as phased retirement and retirees on call that allow their companies to retain employees who are past retirement age. Such programs allow mature workers to continue contributing their invaluable experience and coaching expertise to the economy.
Arnold Kahn is president of PrintLink, North America's leading professional placement firm specializing in the graphic communications industry. Contact him at (800) 867-3463, send an e-mail to printlink@printlink.com, or visit www.printlink.com.
author: By Arnold Kahn