Would an older workforce improve your company

Would an older workforce improve your company

Generally speaking, when you read about older people in the workplace, the stories are negative in nature. Particularly, we hear complaints being made that, as you get older, the chances of you finding a new job should you find yourself unemployed diminish greatly.

The motivation for employers in seeking out younger employees is obvious. The younger you are the more likely you are to be au-fait with the latest technology, which can be crucial in a world where business is continuously changing and adapting to keep up with hardware and software innovations. Yet, older staff members are often the better option for a number of key reasons. It is well worth considering the potential benefits of an older workforce if you are currently hiring.

Maturity

The comedian Louis CK perhaps put it best when he said: "If you're in an argument with someone older than you, you should listen to them because, even if they're wrong, their wrongness is rooted in more information than you have." Experience is invaluable, particularly in the workplace. While a younger worker might have more up-to-date knowledge or even better qualifications, an older worker is less likely to get rattled when the pressure hits or when things don't go to plan.

Confidence

Where you will often find young employees with so much self-belief that it borders on arrogance, what is less likely to be found is genuine confidence. Confidence is the quality that allows a worker to express their opinion in a manner that is neither bullying, disrespectful nor distracting. Years on the job mean they know when the time is right to share an idea or give somebody advice.

Pride in their work

One thing that there is less and less of amongst new members of the workforce (and this counts for those coming from both school and university) is pride in their work. Unless they are doing their dream job, many younger employees cannot wait to get out of work every day – it doesn't matter how well they've worked or how complete the day's workload is. Older workers will have much more of a sense of responsibility, while taking a greater pride in a job well done.