Preparing for The Aging Workforce
More and more seniors are staying in the the workforce, and this means companies need to understand how to best utilize and protect them.
Over the past 20 years, the number of working Americans in their 70s has increased from under 10 percent to nearly 15 percent, the US Census Bureau data reveals. Thanks to a combination of people living longer, healthier lives and financial necessity, this number is only set to increase. The benefits of hiring older workers are numerous: they have more knowledge and experience than younger workers and also tend to be more reliable and loyal.
Hiring older workers have other considerations, though. Although they’re less likely to injure themselves than younger workers, injuries sustained by older workers are typically more severe and take longer to heal. Still, this does not discount the value older workers have on the workforce regarding skills, attitude, and knowledge.
Basically, older workers are critical to companies, but they also require certain safeguards. Organizations should take action to help protect older workers.
Training Requirements
While older workers are very capable of learning new skills and performing new tasks, health and safety managers may need to adjust training requirements to optimize learning efficiency. For example, you may need to extend the training period to allow older workers extra time to absorb the material. Self-paced learning schedules may be even more effective. Focus on providing practical training, which helps reinforce learning.
Make sure older workers have the opportunity to practice using equipment or technology relevant to the job. Help and assistance should be readily available. While older workers may take longer to train than younger workers, they’re just as productive in the long run. In fact, 70 percent of HR managers cited stronger work ethic as one of the main benefits of hiring older workers.
