Companies That Hire 50-Plus Professionals

New job opportunities will present themselves in the years to come, especially for those able to meet the challenge of change. Education and knowledge will open doors into specialized occupations and new jobs that have not yet been created. The author's research into the status of the 50-plus job seeker in relation to company hiring confirms that skilled mature professionals are in the midst of these changes and trends, and will be needed to fill vacancies, particularly in technological and service industries. Our research shows that most progressive major companies have a positive attitude; they hire and appreciate mature employees.

Change Brings Problems

Technological growth has created problems for both employer and employee. Prospective employers often have difficulty finding workers to meet their technical needs, while new entrants to the job market lack preparation for available jobs. This "skills gap" cited in the Report of the Secretary of Labor (1989), notes that young people entering the job market are deficient in such basic skills as writing and mathematics as well as in specialized technical skills. The mismatch between jobs and employees available has focused national concern on problems of education.



Employers’ Concerns

A common complaint of employers is that the current crop of entry-level employees lacks basic skills and attitudes that make for productivity: self-direction, initiative, and effective work habits. Some companies have formed a liaison with schools for improving educational preparation, whereas others are increasing their in-house training.

Technological developments have reduced the need for manual labor and increased the number of jobs that require skill and experience, making 50-plus professionals appropriate candidates for current employment needs. As changes in the workplace continue, the necessity for retraining of workers will increase. This is true of older workers as well.

The Carnegie Corporation Project on Aging has advocated education and retraining throughout a worker's lifetime. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act requires equal opportunity in training for employees of all ages. According to a study by B. Rosen and T.H. Jerdee (“Investing in the Older Worker” Personnel Administrator, 70 [Apr. 1989], pp. 70-74), self-paced and practical on-the-job training has worked best for companies that have implemented training programs for older as well as younger workers. Increased productivity, higher morale, and cost benefits are company advantages accruing to those who have adopted training programs. In their search for competent employees, some companies have turned to their own retirees, whereas others are seeking out older workers who are experienced in their fields. More and more companies are hiring 50-plus professionals to solve their labor problems.

Dr. Ken Dychtwald, author of "Age Wave; The Challenges and Opportunities of an Aging America" in Training and Development Journal, envisions the aging population as affecting company systems and changing workers' lives. No longer will retirement be routine at age 65. With increasingly better health and vitality among the new young, life spans extending into the eighties and nineties will be divided into several careers, with intermittent periods of schooling and sabbatical leaves. In the manner of universities, Wells Fargo since 1977 has provided "personal growth" sabbaticals to its employees of 10 years or more. The trend is for employers themselves to provide education in their specialties. International Business Machines asks its managers to take 40 hours of training per year; Bell Labs offers workshops and courses, not necessarily job-connected, to its employees. Baptist Medical Centers, a $300 million corporation, retrains and uses its older employees as mentors.

Importance of Education

The drop in manufacturing and increase in service industries calls for a higher level of skills - for computer systems analysts, scientists, and health professionals - and for a frequent change in skills as companies strive to compete with new technologies. Professional and managerial jobs are projected to rise by 6.7 million; in contrast, operative and laborer jobs will rise by much less, 450,000, according to the Department of Labor (1989). A greater percentage of jobs will require higher learning. For the employee to be successful in the labor market, this means learning technical skills, adjusting social skills, and revising both as new situations arise. Higher levels of math, language, and reasoning skills will be needed.

Enjoy Your Work Life

Job satisfaction has become more important to employees, whatever their age. Dr. David L. Birch, president of Cognetics Inc., has observed that for recent college graduates, control over their own lives and careers is paramount. This is also true for older workers: the chance to be of service, feel useful, is most important. In the analysis of the basic needs of working people by the cognitive psychologist Abraham Maslow, a hierarchy of needs emerges.

They begin with the most basic: a person's physiological need for security and freedom from anxiety, to a need to belong, to have the friendship of others, to gain their respect and esteem, and finally to achieve what Maslow called "self-actualization," the realization of one’s maximum potential. In terms of employment conditions, the salary provides the basic physiological necessities and more, whereas the workplace provides a sense of order, of belonging, of social acceptance, self-respect, and the chance to use one's abilities. These elements in a prospective job, then, should match fairly closely the job seeker's expectations of reward for work. For example:

1. The salary should satisfy the worker's needs and life style; working conditions should be safe and pleasant.
   
   
2. The climate of the company, its organizational tone and method of operating, should be one in which the employee can function comfortably.
   
   
3. The employee's associates, immediate superior, and peers and subordinates, should be people with whom he or she can cooperate in a friendly yet businesslike way.
   
   
4. The tasks on the job should provide a sense of self-respect, the opportunity for self-expression, and a feeling of accomplishment.
   

Realistically, most workers achieve these levels of satisfaction to some degree. Usually, the first two are met and given no further thought; the need to socialize successfully, except where there is strong conflict within a department, is often achieved. But the last, self-actualization, is the most difficult and constantly sought-after goal. As people develop and gain knowledge and experience in their careers, however, the goal of professional achievement becomes increasingly important.

To many retirees returning to the employment market, a sense of challenge and satisfaction can be the most important job element they seek. Corporate organizations also strive for their goals of profitability and success. A close fit of company and employee renders mutual satisfaction.