Although most employed workers say they expect to work well into retirement or never completely retire, they do hope their jobs will conform better to their lifestyle. Seniors are looking for flexibility, support and satisfaction to stay in jobs. That means employers need to adjust to those expectations if they are to retain these experienced workers as the labor force shrinks. Retaining and getting the most out of senior employees requires:
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Know the law on work hours
Even though workers are clamoring for flexible or compressed work hours, state and federal labor laws still apply.
I recommend: Consult the
U.S. Department of Labor-Flexible Schedules before you agree to a particular schedule. Also, the
Families and Work Institute has materials that show the benefits of workplace flexibility.
Set consistent policies and practices
Seniors are drawn to options such as flexible schedules, job sharing and compressing their work week into fewer, longer days.
I recommend: Visit the
Families and Work Institute for a variety of tools to help you set up
flexibility options for all workers and avoid being accused of discriminating by channeling senior workers to part-time and nontraditional schedules.
Retain valuable senior employees
It’s easier to keep senior workers before they leave by allowing for phased retirement and taking advantage of their knowledge and experience while they are on your team.
I recommend: Set up a
retention program that includes helping hiring managers talk to employees nearing retirement age in a way that avoids the risk of age discrimination problems. Keeping senior workers means
maximizing them.
Set up mentoring programs
You can leverage the skills of seasoned workers and pass them onto younger workers, who share their comfort with cutting edge technical skills.
I recommend: Set up a peer
mentoring program but not before you carefully define your goals and instruct the participants in how to constructively approach the arrangement. You need to also periodically evaluate how the program is working.
PeerMentoring.com and
AdvanceMentoring.com also have a host of resources available about mentoring.
Provide ongoing skill training
Workers of all ages need to update and develop their skills, but training is crucial for senior workers.
I recommend: Provide regular training in various forms from formal classroom instruction to job rotation and individual tutoring. You can also consult
Experience Works, a national nonprofit that trains older workers, or
Senior Community Service Employment.
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