Wiser Worker Blog

Over the last few weeks I have been doing research on the older worker in general, but specifically on the older worker returning to the workplace. We know that our labor market is shrinking and we need the older job seekers to fill the open positions.   That’s what we know but what I didn’t know was how we can get them hired – or simply put get the older worker in front of the hiring managers.

I set out to learn: What the REAL perception of the recruiting manager of the older worker?  What does the term “older worker” mean to recruiters and the population at large?  How does the average younger co-worker interact with their older co-workers?  What is the perceived value of the older worker to a business?  Lot’s questions, since I had them I would imagine that maybe you do as well. So here is what I found out…

What is an “older worker”?  Of course there is not a simple answer but according to researches Gergen and Gergen found that current American perception is that “those between ages 18 and 35 were considered young; those between 35 and 60 were considered middle aged, and those between 65 and 80 were considered old.” Current generations do not think of themselves as “old” until age 80.   And we know that anyone over 40 is protected by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and you are eligible for AARP at the ripe young age of 50. 

One could surmise that a worker starts to be older worker at age forty for hiring purposes.     

Play Nice? We have several different generations in the workplace; each generation has different goals and expectations of the workplace. Even with the different values, attitudes and expectations the different generations   have found a common ground in the workplace and work well together. Its phenomenon has left management with the task of muddling through generational differences that different groups have created; it’s nothing more than a process. 

Traditionalists: Born before 1946

Baby Boomer: 1946-1964

Generation X: 1965-1980

Generation Y: Born since 1980

What do older worker bring to the table? Older workers have a good work ethic, and a good attitude toward work. Employers over the last 15 years have the skills of the older workers highly when it comes to loyalty, dependability, experience, and customer relations.

Workers 55 and older…

…can serve as mentors to younger workers.

…adapt well to new technology.

…are eager for training.

…have great loyalty to the company.

…are flexible.

When all is said and done, I think older workers have come a long way in the mind of the recruiters. Business need to realize that older workers are very positive about themselves and the company they work for. They see themselves as more reliable than younger workers, more productive, and as having great loyalty to the company.

American Specialty Health is the latest company to make a commitment to older workers and join WiserWorker.com in the quest to get older workers hired! I am excited to share what I know about their company and to direct you to their job openings.  They are hiring for lots of different positions from administrative to management, you can check out their job listings online at WiserWorker.com. 

American Specialty Health is one of the nation’s premier personal health improvement organizations, providing specialty benefit programs, fitness programs, health coaching and worksite wellness programs to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds nationwide. Based in beautiful San Diego; they have over 600 employees and cover more than 13.4 million members in specialty benefit, fitness, and coaching programs.

They have both Full time and part time positions available; excellent benefits for all shifts!  

What makes American Specialty Health such a great place to work? I took a look at their website and they have lots of great employee perks too many to mention.  Just to give you a preview here are a few:

·         Exercise Rewards Program (employees receive cash for working out)

·         Eleven paid holidays plus Floating Holiday

·         From our corporate-casual dress code (Jeans & Tennis shoes Monday-Friday!)

I encourage you to take a company tour on their website via video. Then come back to WiserWorker.com!  Let American Specialty Health know you heard about them here! 

Good Luck!

In a time when nearly every news story has to do with the economy I stumbled upon a story today that made me giggle and I thought maybe just maybe you might like a break from the doom and gloom of our economy. So here goes:  today I read that the U.S. Mint will be releasing new pennies depicting the life of our 16^th president Abraham Lincoln. The coins will pay tribute to President Lincoln and I would assume serve as a collector’s item some day.

A couple of times a year I participate in a forum panel for a local community college that has a program for people who are entering the work force after a few years of not having to interview for a job. One of the suggestions I have for the students is to interview the company as they are interviewing you. In todays fast pace world no one seems to have the time to tell you about their company or the details of the job you will be performing.

Before you go for an interview, how much do you know about the company you are interviewing with?

All too often we are so excited that any company called us to come and interview that we don’t take the time to research the company, it products or services and what might possibly be the job we are interviewing for. Too many times I have people who come to interview with me, and when I ask “how much do you know about Comfort Keepers?” I get a blank stare and the proverbial, “not much or nothing.”

Why would anyone want to waste gas money to drive to a place to feel like a nervous wreck and be disappointed to hear that the job they are applying for is something they have no interest in?

Pre-Interview Research

Before you go to the interview learn a little bit about the company and the job you are applying for. If you are not familiar with the industry you might be quite surprised to learn what the job entails. For example I applied for a marketing job that advertised as marketing but when I arrived I was told by the interviewer the job was for the marketing/admissions position. This means that during the interview I was told that I would be responsible for marketing as well as admitting clients. If I had not been in the industry for several years and well aware that most settings have a full time marketing person and a full time admissions person I would not have realized that this particular company was expecting me to do the work of two full time people until after I started. As a result of being in the industry for awhile I also knew that admissions is a 24/7 business, which means that I could have been called to do an admission at 4pm and been stuck with paperwork until late into the evening.

If you are not familiar with the job you are applying for you should ask some basic questions such as:

How long on average does the task take?

How many hours am I expected to be here on site and is overtime required or voluntary?

What is the reason the person who had the position I am interviewing for is no longer here?

Some individuals might say asking such questions will guarantee you are not hired. Well if you are hired and you didn’t ask the questions you will be miserable and quit. Companies would rather you ask the questions and know what the responsibilities are before they spend the money to hire, train and orient you. Again in our fast paced world people are always in a hurry and may not explain everything about the job to you. Nowadays companies are not scared of the fact that you have children or may need to leave to get to the babysitter. They are more focused on their bottom line and how many individuals they hire and cannot retain.

This blog written by Melody McHugh of Comfort Keepers, an international provider of assisted living services in the private home to anyone over the age of 18 who is sick, disabled or elderly. Comfort Keepers serves many seniors in their homes and is an equal opportunity employer. Many retired nurses, teachers and other retired individuals work for this non-medical in-home provider. For more information, go to our website www.comfortkeepers.com