Q: I’m trying to convince my business partner that it’s a good idea to hire a Boomer or two in our company. Even though we’ve had a shortage of applicants in certain hard-to-fill positions my partner has been reluctant to consider older workers who apply. We’re aware we shouldn’t factor-in age when hiring but we find other excuses not to consider them (I’m being honest). Now, I’m eager to have a fully staffed team, and I’m ready to give older workers a try, how do I overcome my partners apprehension?
A: Well, you are correct (and honest) in acknowledging that you should not consider age as a factor. In fact, if you have more than 15 employees it’s actually unlawful. But I’m not naïve, in the real world ageism is quite common even when we try to rationalize why we do it (so that it doesn’t feel like discrimination). So when you mention your partner’s “apprehension” or “reluctance” regarding older workers, we are probably talking about misconceptions most of us share about older workers.
So let’s list them, shall we?
They are set in their ways. They’re slow. They’re physically frail. And –the elephant in the room- they’re in cognitive decline.
But, according to Dr. Laura Carstensen at Stanford University “empirical evidence shows these liabilities are exaggerated, while other strengths are generally unacknowledged”. In her report “The power of an older workforce” , she says that today’s older workforce is better educated, healthier and more knowledgeable than their counterparts in earlier generations.
She concedes that, sure, younger workers are more technically savvy, and learn new tasks faster; they’re energetic, enthusiastic and competitive, which are all attractive worker traits.
But older workers compare favorably:
They have more realistic expectations and are more likely to be satisfied with their job. They have less interest in advancing so they hang around longer. They are also more skilled at dealing with social conflict and sticky emotional situations, and are better at sharing information and building team cohesion. She says older workers’ “emotional stability enhances workplace environments”. And the kicker: they take less sick-time off.
Perhaps sharing some of this info with your partner will help you both see how older workers can bring lots of valuable human capital to the table.
To close on a hopeful note, the report cites some preliminary research suggesting that intergenerational teams (“mixing young workers’ energy and speed with the wisdom and experience of age”) can outperform same-generation teams -be they old or young. Hope this helps you overcome your apprehension and reluctance.
©Copyright Eva Del Rio
Eva Del Rio is creator of HR Box™ – tools for small businesses and startups. Send questions to Eva@evadelrio.com
