We have written quite a bit about the ways companies can attract the cream of the millennial crop by providing employees with easy access to video conferencing and collaboration tools, but new arrivals to the workforce aren’t the only ones for whom video tools are an enticement. With more and more retirees reentering the workforce, companies would do well to think about the ways video conferencing and collaboration solutions can bring unretired employees into the fold.
Although the majority of unretired people looking for work are doing so due to financial need, a healthy 44% of senior Americans who return to the workforce are simply looking for something to do. It is a way for them to stay engaged. But no matter the reason for the uptick in retiring seniors seeking work, they seem to be especially well-suited to remote work.
According to a recent report by the Bureau of Economic Research, older workers are more likely than their younger colleagues to embrace “alternative work arrangements” like remote employment. And when we consider the fact that more than 30% of American workers who rely on the “gig economy” were born before 1965, a picture emerges of a large and diverse population of older employees who are just as plugged in as their millennial counterparts.
Businesses are understandably focused on recruiting young talent and nurturing the growth of the next generation, but older (and recently retired) employees have a depth and breadth of knowledge that can only be acquired over decades. Finding a place at the table for these invaluable contributors would be well worth any company’s time.
For many retired people, reentering the workforce involves taking up a mentoring position, thereby sharing what they know with the younger folks who have inherited their roles. With video conferencing and collaboration solutions, these newly minted mentors can conduct seminars and informal meetings with anyone who might benefit from their guidance, and they need not visit the office to do so. Travel can become difficult with age, so the ability to assume such a role from a home office will only deepen the pool of knowledge from which companies can draw.
Unretired employees need not be limited to a few meetings a month. For those who must continue to work full time due to financial need, the simplicity and convenience of modern-day video conferencing solutions clears any barriers to entry, as these solutions don’t require users to have advanced knowledge of new technology or a natural facility with video systems. And anyway, seniors are already using video conferencing apps to stay connected to their families and friends. They would need as much or as little training as you offer to younger hires.
You never know who your company’s new star might be. Give as many people as possible the chance to shine.
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