May is Older Americans Month, set aside to honor the contributions of older Americans to our nation. Is your agency looking for employees who will provide a high level of experience, performance, attendance, flexibility, and problem-solving skills? You may want to implement age-friendly recruitment strategies to include older workers.

Here are some tips to help you get started.

• Create senior-friendly job postings that focus on experience and skills.
• Ensure that you have mature recruitment staff or those who can relate to a mature audience. People tend to feel more comfortable dealing with others their own age.
• Advertise available positions with associations and career sites that are designed to reach seniors.
• Post job openings in locations frequented by seniors (churches, libraries, community centers, etc.).
• Collaborate with community partners such as the local Office on Aging or the Senior Center to build a pool of potential candidates.
• Show employees of all ages in your collateral materials. This can help mature job seekers better relate to the information presented.
• Offer flexible work arrangements and benefits.

In an AARP article Stefano Scarpetta, director of employment, labor and social affairs for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said that older workers “are vital because they have a lot of experience. They’ve been contributing to the economy and their own work. They’re living longer in good [health]. They have great potential. And this notion that beyond a certain fixed age, they are no longer productive, that they can no longer contribute to society, is nonsense.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that the “labor force participation rate, is expected to increase fastest for the oldest segments of the population—most notably, people ages 65 to 74 and 75 and older—through 2024.” Some employers see older workers as key to meeting workforce gaps created by the retirement of baby boomers. They actively encourage older workers — who are nearing retirement and may exclude themselves from applying for promotions because they feel they won’t be selected – to stay in the running for advanced positions.

Does your agency have a plan for reaching out to older workers? Drop us a line; we’d love to hear your strategies and success stories at info@mynpsj.com.