 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Money is a factor for many people over 65. They have not saved enough or underestimated their financial needs to live the life they had envisioned. Also, inflation and medical inflation have increased rapidly so that the “dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to.” A Fidelity estimate is that a married couple, currently retired at 65, needs $200,000 available for medical costs in retirement. Added to that, we are living longer and our retirement savings need to be spread over a much longer period of time than many people expected. For example, a healthy 60-year-old may live another 30 years which is a long time to fund a retirement with Social Security, pension and retirement savings. Social contacts are important at every phase of life. You hear people say “I don’t miss the work but I do miss the people.” This is not to suggest that mature workers want to chat all day in lieu of productivity, but they enjoy a sense of inclusion as well as their colleagues. And they do enjoy their younger co-workers. A sense of purpose draws many people back to the work force, but in a different capacity. Many people want to step back from executive or management positions and “give something back to the community.” They look for positions which match their civic or philanthropic interests. Also, people are drawn to do “do something they always wanted to do”, to try something different, or pursue a passion that had been shelved for many years. Most of us dread the image of spending 20 years sitting on the porch with an afghan over our lap (Note that despite the fact that most homes no longer have porches, our nightmare retains this visual image). At any age we want to be stimulated, respected and fulfilled. In the September 2006 issue Entrepreneur.com Stephen Bastien lists 12 reasons older workers meet the needs of employers for “employees who are honest, responsible, dependable, loyal, focused, organized and mature.” He reports that older workers are (1) dedicated, (2) punctual, (3) honest, (4) detail-oriented, (5) good listeners, (6) take pride in a job well done, (7) organized, (8) efficient and confident, (9) mature, (10) set an example for other employees, (11) communicate well, and (12) reduce labor costs, since many already have insurance plans from prior employers or have an additional sources of income and are willing to take a little less to get the job they want. This positive view of older workers is supported by Nancy Smyth, executive director of the Rochester Presbyterian Home: “We greatly value older employees. Their years of experience make them a valuable resource for our staff, as well as mentors to our younger workers. As a matter of fact, 40% of our 103 employees are over the age of 50 and our oldest employee is 73.” Myths about Older Workers Despite myths to the contrary, older workers are as productive as younger workers. The ability to perform physical tasks can decline slightly as they relate to reaction time and energy expenditure but do you want to lift bags of cement at age 75? New research suggests that our cognitive abilities, memory and intelligence, do not decline until we reach our 80s and 90s. Of course, this varies from individual and there are things we all can do to keep our memories and minds sharp including physical activity, cross word puzzles and eating the right foods. Older workers can and do learn new skills. It may take a little longer for an older person, but once the information is learned, older employees do as well as their younger co-workers. Old thinking assumed that mature workers are not as flexible and adaptable as younger workers. But it’s not true. Older adults have had more experience in adapting to change in the workplace, and life in general, than their younger counterparts. So, have we established that older workers are wonderful? Yes. In our next issue we will explore how to put “wonderful” on your resume and in an interview. Please share your positive and negative experiences and your tips
for success by writing to me, Lynette Loomis at: The Marketing Strategists,
PO Box 663, Mendon, N.Y. 14506; or contact me here. |
