Aging worker; what you need to know in 2021
You may think that aging people retire after a specific time. However, that’s not the whole truth. There are millions of aging workers around the world. The aging worker is still capable of accomplishing the projects spotlessly.
In this blog, we intend to summarize the features, jeopardies, and public opinion of the aging workers, recommending some tips to improve efficiency.
Who is an aging worker?
A worker who is forty or more is recognized as an aging employee.
Workers in their mid to late 40s happen to experience ageism at some level. This may even affect their job opportunities and impact their emotional well-being. They may even be inappropriately called “over the hills.”
However, with the development of technologies, various physical deeds known only by youngsters are eliminated. This fact will increase the adaptability for all the generations at work, including aging employees.
What people think about aging workers
Some employers prefer to hire young employees. They care about a few features in their young employees. For example;
- Know more about technologies
- Hold years of practical experience
- Are more dynamic and eager to learn
- Innovative and creative
Some other employers care about talent, knowledge, and profitability, ageism crossed. These people know the elements they are looking for in every workforce and try to find an employee with the mentioned characteristics.
What does data say?
Benjamin Jones has investigated the relationship between aging and outstanding achievements. He has used data gathered for more than a century. Considering both Noble prize winners and great technological inventors ( a sum of 830 people), he reached an average age of 39.
Although age is a crucial element, it can barely describe the actual profitability in society.
Statistics time
According to the Bureau of labor statistics, the number of aging forces has increased in the past 20 years. What do you think may have caused that?
Baby boomers vs. baby bust
Speaking of aging workers, we should know about the so-called baby boomers. This term is utilized for people who were born between 1946 and 1964. The baby boomers make up a considerable portion of the world’s population, particularly in developed countries.
In 2019, the estimated population was 72.1 million in the US, which is a high number. Since the retirement age of a baby boomer lies between 61 and 65, it may bring some severe catastrophe to the world’s workforce situation. If a high amount of baby boomers retire, who is going to substitute?
The baby bust is the next generation after the baby boomers. They were born between 1965 and 1976. They were expected to make up for baby boomers. However, their population is too minor, and there is no way they can substitute the baby boomers.
As we have mentioned before, aging employees are people who are 40 years old or more. Considering the high number of baby boomers, the average is 65 years now, so we are willing to count the average baby boomers instead of workers 40+. This way, every one worker out of 4 will qualify as an aging worker in the US.
Why do some aging workers avoid retirement?
Many reasons could lead aging people to postpone retirement. Of which we can enumerate personal reasons, economic calamities, and mental fulfillment. Some of the most important ones are as follows:
The lack of a pension plan
Some aging employees tend to continue their job as they are not ready to have enough savings to live on. The fallout of 2008 caused many of them to undergo some debts.
Life expectancy
As you know, the quality of life has increased, with the aging population living a healthier life. As a result, life expectancy has increased, so aging people find themselves eager to work.
The sense of productivity
As we age, we try to avoid the things that remind us of ageism, including unemployment. Every human being prefers productivity over the contrary. It gives meaning to life and grows life expectancy.
The benefits of aging workers
Some employers prefer to hire an aging worker, mentioning the following reasons:
Stability
The employers who are fans of aging employees think that various companies spend too much time and energy monitoring, hiring, and training young employees. In the end, the young employees jump to another job as they get a better opportunity. Some businesses in Chicago have been ghosted until now, meaning the employees have left their jobs without even notifying the employer.
However, the aging workers are more likely to remain in their current job. Most of them have passed through all the passion and anxiety of youth. They are aware that moving from jobs has a bad impression on their resume. The employees can end up learning nothing.
Critical thinking skills
Aging employees, more than anything, have experience and expertise in the job. They can make quick functional decisions in critical situations. Management is a skill they have learned and practiced through hard work over time. It is a situation that a young employee without experience may find confusing and loses track of everything.
Cognitive capacity
As living and going through life, you gain more good personality and constructive habits. Sympathy, leadership skills, and communication skills grow. When a more excellent idea comes up, the aging workers can recognize if it is beneficial for the occupation or not. They know what has failed and succeeded in the work-related projects.
Concentration on the field
Aging employees are positive and proactive. They have passed through the challenges of life with more peace of mind. This way, you find them more focused on their jobs as they have fewer challenges to think about. They have learned the importance of “Deep Work” and can practice it.
Collaboration with everyone
The aging workers value teamwork and tend to get on well with different people. Their ego days have passed. Most of them understand how to be a giver rather than a taker. Adam Grant explains it well in his book “Give & Take”.
On the contrary, they prefer to perform highly efficiently and make a difference in the whole company. They take the colleague’s success as productive for everyone. It moves the company forward.
Mentoring
Older people play a vital role in training young employees. This way, the learning process happens both ways. As a result, each generation keeps reciprocating respect which creates a more professional environment in the company.
Aging workers challenges
Like any other worker, aging workers experience problematic situations. These challenges could include:
Health
Aging employees usually are more conscientious in their work to suffer from a more negligible occupation effect. Although they take much more time to recover if they get injured, that is the companies’ concern. Aging workers might be unwilling to take the necessary tests for occupational health and safety.
Non-attendance
Multiple reasons may cause Non-attendance:
- Health issues
- Lack of motivation
- Personal reasons
You can make them keen by arranging amusing programs and extending the rival area.
Retirement put off
You want to hire a young workforce, but you need the aging force to train them too. So, what can you do to make them both eager and willing to cooperate? You may need to ask the aging workforce to postpone their retirement. You can ask their ideas both to get the most efficient result.
What could be a better solution?
Maybe a better remedy to avoid work inefficiency and aging challenges is to hire a young and aging workforce and put them together. The combination of new and old could end up:
- Transferring experience
- Better Insight
- Creativity
- Flexibility
- Cooperation
Sum up
Even though aging workers have numerous benefits for the company, some employers are against that. Hiring an aging employee or not depends on the project and the type of company.
The article embraced all the details about aging workers. It explained benefits, challenges, and the fact that they might be necessary for the company clock to operate more functionally.
Aging workers can make decisions with the insight of a lifetime; that is the blessing that can not be achieved without a hitch.
Hiring a young or an aging worker is up to you and your company policy. Yet, one point is essential when it comes to productivity among staff; security and safety. An occupational health center could help you achieve it.
Southern Nevada Occupational Health Center (SNOHC) has been offering health and safety tests and services to companies in Las Vegas for 15+ years. Give us a call at (702) 874-4769 or go through the menu of the website for further information.
