Your employees are more than just a cog in the wheel, you could argue, that they are the wheel itself. Unfortunately honest, responsible, loyal and invested employees are not easy to hold onto. Most employers spend millions of dollars and hours hiring and training new workers, only for them to stay on board for a few months before trying out newer opportunities. They take away with them all that precious time which was spent grooming them and use their new found skills benefitting someone else.
Their attempts at climbing up the corporate ladder can’t really be blamed but it’s your bottom line which ends up biting the dust. The millennials simply can’t stop at one place, their analogy is that of a sightseer, they will move on when something better catches the eye. So it begs the question. What is a better way of acquiring talented staff which won’t move on?
The answer is – older workers. Those who have passed the generally accepted age at which fresh employment is acquired.
While this might be a little difficult for corporate to absorb, the idea is definitely true and tested.
Below are a few reasons why HR should focus on hiring older workers instead
1) Increased dedication
They appreciate the trust you place on them. With age comes wisdom, and with that, comes commitment and dediaction. Most of them also have experience with the job and don’t really require much in the way of training and on boarding. Simple introductory sessions can get the job done.
2) Above average experience
What they lack in tech savviness, they more than make up for in their experience. Acquired after years of service elsewhere, they have now entrusted that experience to your firm. This is truer for technical sectors such as process refineries and water treatment plants where textbook engineering knowledge simply won’t account for small details. Older workers know their way around the equipment better than fresh graduates straight out of college.
3) They have excellent communication skills
This generation comes from a time when there was no such thing as the email or social media. They primarily relied on face to face communication. An important trait in the business world, and something which youngsters are shown to struggle.
4) Increased commitment to your company
While youngsters are always looking for the next opportunity, such as a higher salary, or a more senior position elsewhere, older workers are shown to be a lot more stable. It has to do with human psychology, they simply grow too attached to their current company and avoid hopping here and there.
5) No attitude problem
The young upstarts are often too confident about their skills, why they don’t necessarily possess, the result is rebellion, crass behavior and insubordination. Something which can cripple your business, because those disciplinary tactics will only serve to delay your company goals and deadlines. Seniors have shown to be extremely ethical however, and are known to respect the work culture. One can argue that this is the primary difference between them and younger employees. This sets a good precedent for the rest of the workforce.
