Want to Hire a Silver Worker?
Here Is What You Need to Know
We live longer, and the retirement age is being raised several times, which means we will be employed for a longer time and have to contribute more to society. But what does the labor market look like for ‘Silver Workers’?
There is a significant focus on young people today. How they can contribute to society, but also how they will affect the labor market in the future. They are young, energetic, and ready to contribute but also demand flexibility and a work-life balance.
Read more: Ready for Generation Z?
But what about the Silver Workers? The experienced ones? The workers with a lot of knowledge to bring to the table?
Have we forgotten the Silver Workers?
While we need to adjust and prepare the labor market for young people, we tend to forget that we have a large population that has already adapted to the labor market, is loyal, and wants to contribute more. A population with many qualifications and years of work behind them.
A significant problem experienced by people over 60 is that they find it particularly difficult to return to work after losing their job. Many people apply for several jobs but are getting rejected, which creates big frustration. Some, therefore, consider whether they should withdraw from the labor market earlier than planned and take early retirement.
This is a major waste of resources and a big problem, as society and companies are missing out on employees with many good qualifications and experience.
It seems paradoxical that there is an increasing labor shortage, but at the same time, we reject employees when they have reached a certain age.
Do you reject applicants because of their age?
Even though when you hit the mid-40s, you still have a long time until retirement and several years of working life left, a study by AARP shows that two out of three Americans between 45 to 74 years old have experienced discrimination because of their age.
In Denmark, a new law came into force on 1 July 2022 to ensure that age discrimination does not happen. The law basically made it illegal for companies to ask about an applicant’s age.
Advice on hiring a Silver Worker
The new legislation from last year will contribute to a greater focus on qualifications rather than age, but what can you, as a recruitment manager in a company, do to meet a Silver Worker?
Be open and unbiased
As mentioned, Silver Worker can contribute with many good qualities and loyalty we do not see to the same extent in other generations. Therefore, as a recruiter, staying open-minded and avoiding being prejudiced toward older applicants is relevant.
Understand employee needs
Earlier, we mentioned a great focus on the younger generation, e.g., Gen Z. But it is also relevant to consider the older employee’s values and priorities and how to meet them. Maybe they are easier to fulfill than the younger generations?
Create diversity in the workplace
Although you may be in a company where the average age is young, it is still relevant to be open to recruiting an older employee. It helps to create diversity in the company, which contributes to the potential for development and growth.
When you use HR-ON Recruit as your recruitment platform, you have the best conditions to make sure you ask the right questions and have an unbiased recruitment process.
Book a free call today if you want to know how HR-ON Recruit can optimize your recruitment process. It only takes 5 minutes to determine if HR-ON is the right match for you.
