My Case for the Older Worker

I had a client of mine last week inform me that, “I am not paying you a search fee to find me a gray hair that is older than me.”  The candidate in question is someone who is very dynamic, highly qualified, and not even 60 years old.

I found this very distasteful and wrong on so many levels.

I immediately expressed my concerns to this hiring authority and, after the dust settled, and to their credit, they will interview this candidate and others no matter what age group they are in. Kudos for doing so.

Hey, I totally get it: everyone is looking for that slick young talent to groom into their next superstar.  But I have a news bulletin for you: Workers over 50 years old stay in their jobs longer than those under the age of 35.  It’s a fact.  They crave stability.  They also don’t come with the drama either.

On top of all this, the WDC insurance job market is the tightest it has been in 20 years.

Young talent is not growing on trees.  And they come at a premium.  The talented ones (the ones we recruit) know they are in high demand and, in turn, they demand big raises to make a move to another firm.

Cost/benefit must be carefully examined.

The job market for “older workers” has changed considerably post-pandemic.  A recent Korn Ferry article reported that, “12 percent of retirees plan to return to the workforce this year, of those, more than 40% are returning to their former industry.” That’s a lot of talent.

This same report reported that two-thirds of workers would like to continue working even into their retirement years.

Can the WDC insurance community really afford to exclude this incredible human resource?

Really?

The 50+ worker still has a lot to offer.  In many cases, because of their vast experience and knowledge, they can run circles around their younger counterparts. Most have a work ethic, that honestly, many young people simply do not have anymore.

Heck, I’m 65 years old now and my wife tells me that I’m quicker, faster, funnier, and more clever than I have ever been!

Moreover, many older workers will offer to work on a short-term contract basis as well.  I have many clients who are continually searching for these types of workers to fill gaps when account managers are out on short-term leave or to surge in on a big project.

It makes no sense to ignore this incredible resource of talented “older generational workers.”

And those that do?  Shame on you.