Wiser Worker Blog

It seems that the 55 and older group has taken to the keypad for communication. Researchers at Sprint report that 20% of adults ages 55-64 send text messages, and LIKE to communicate this way.  Of that group 76% report that they use this method of communication to send messages to their children. Texting has become a fast and efficient way for parents to stay in touch with their children who often live far away.

Why the sudden texting craze?  Couple of reasons first of all it’s easy, quick and accessible, the message sender you can get the message across without any interruptions hassle, when you get a text you don’t have to call anywhere to get the message its right at your fingertips.  Guess what studies show that people are 4 times more likely to respond to a text than they are a voicemail.    I remember when voicemail was a luxury now for me it’s a hassle.

As a manager I use texting as a method of communication because it’s a quick non intrusive way to get my message across and they can look at the message at their pace when they have time and respond at their own pace.   In addition to texting  WiserWorker.com has made it easier to look for a job. For now you can enjoy all the great articles from that contribute to this site is an easy to read and navigate mobile version. Now you can enjoy the WW Blog on the train, the bus, at the doctor, in the park or anywhere that life takes you.

How do I get this information on my cell phone you are require to have internet access on your cell phone’s plan. Please consult with your mobile carrier if you are unsure.

1. On your mobile web browser, head on over to http://wiserworkerblog.mofuse.mobi/
2. Follow the instructions!

Texting makes it easy to communicate with those you need to and stay in touch with your world.

Everyday businesses across the United States make decisions, some tough and some are easy. Hiring new employees are one of the most difficult decisions managers have to make. Why? Well if you hire the wrong candidate you run the risk of actual hurting your business.  When you hire someone you are actually hiring people to represent you and your business. Still need convincing?  Here are the obvious outcomes of hiring the wrong candidate:

1. Conflict:  How much of your time is spent trying to get employees to communicate more effectively with you or their co-workers. 

2. Poor Productivity: This is the number one business issue today.  

3. Errors: Some people have the competencies to be trained quickly, continue processing new information and multi-task. Others don’t and create the costly errors that their teammates are forced to solve.

4. Lost Customers & Sales:  You know when you’re business is experiencing conflict, apathy, low motivation and errors. So do your customers; and they won’t put up with it.

If you really care about YOUR customers that keep you in business, stop hiring the wrong people and stop losing clients to your competitors.  The topic at hand is WHY should employers hire older workers?  Today I learned a pretty amazing statistic about the older jobseeker.

The turnover rate for employees under 30 is six times greater than that of employees that are over 50.

Do you need any more proof you need older workers for your business?  Email me I will help you, in your mission to hire older workers.

The NPD Group, reported recently that Baby Boomers were taking the internet by storm…watch out teenagers your parents are surfing the web. 61% of Baby Boomers have viewed and downloaded video.  Videos give you a big impression in a bite size format and leave you wanting for more. This gets the baby boomer generation thinking and researching for more and that’s more information.  Guess what? The Older Worker Generation is spending 87% of their time surfing the internet, or about 123 minutes online daily.

Not only have that 41% of Baby Boomers been taking in the social networks sites, they are interacting.  That’s right they are taking advantage of the social features and meeting people. You might run into your parents on Facebook so you better be nice! These sites are no longer for the teeny boppers. 

On average the typical Boomer will experience two major life events surrounding career, family, finance or health each year. These events can and will have a major impact on attitudes, life goals and consumer behavior.  You bet they will turn to the internet to find solutions from finding a job to seeking advice and WiserWorker.com will be here to help.

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

Do you consider yourself an older worker?

You’re not alone if you do, if you fall into this category you are over the age of 65 and you’re the vast majority of the population. It also means that you are the most valuable and sought out jobseeker out there. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment within the over 65 market rose by 101% and if that doesn’t catch your attention this will: people aged 16 to 64 only rose 59%. It doesn’t stop there, these numbers don’t include the Baby Boomer generation, the first baby boomer won’t turn 65 until 2011. Yes, you guessed it, the older worker demographic will increase dramatically in the years to come.

So what type of jobs are the typical “older worker” seeking?

You might be surprised that the field is wide open. The Employment Guide is an older worker friendly company we have a wide variety of employees who fall into this category. From sales managers to circulation drivers we employ a host of older workers. As a company we find that they add value to our product and our customers. A perfect job for someone who falls into this age category might be a job that compliments their skills and lifestyle. Maybe you are looking for a part-time job half the year in one part of the county and the other half across the county. Employers such as Home Depot like to work with older workers to accommodate their lifestyles and skill sets.

What does the future of the recruitment hold?

Well the “grey” wave as they are calling it is going to be hanging on BLS experts reports: “With the baby-boom generation about to start joining the ranks of those age 65 and over, the graying of the American workforce is only just beginning.”

I was reading an article the other day that focused on the realization that Baby Boomers and older workers would contribute huge numbers of qualified workers as we enter the period of time that aligns with the declining numbers of “younger workers” in the labor pool around years 2010-2015. You can read the full article here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4916661/

What got my attention was the discussion about the specific experience one older job seeker had while applying for a job.

She was clearly qualified, clearly enthusiastic about the opportunity, and seemed to appear, on paper, like a promising candidate for the position. However, once she got to the in-person interview, the hiring manager seemed turned off by her age.

I was disappointed.

Despite the progress we have made in America over the last 30 years concerning equality; issues like this may still be prevalent. Of course, the article was written four years ago and thanks to organizations like the AARP and the Department of Labor, we have come further, still. Awareness of mature workers’ value is becoming very well known. Companies of all sizes are being proactive in getting their employment opportunities in front of highly qualified, loyal employees who have a history demonstrating the best work ethic in older workers years of experience. Resources are sprouting all over the Internet for older candidates to find “Boomer-Friendly” employers and fast-track their applications to hiring managers for immediate consideration without the fear of discrimination.

Here are just some of the companies you can find on WiserWorker.com:

ADT Security Gate Gourmet

Aflac, Inc. Guardsmark

Bob Evans H&R Block

CBRE HMS Host

Cracker Barrel Intercontinental Hotel Group

Dollar General Stores Internal Revenue Service

Embassy Suites Jani-King

First Cash Harris Teeter

First Student And Many More….

(This guest post was written by Jeff Lebel, The General Sales Manager for the Washington D.C. Employment Guide.)

(Top Photo by criggchef)

The Supreme Court has shifted the burden of proof over to companies who are under claims of age discrimination especially in the event of lay offs or downsizing.

By a 7-1 vote, the court ruled that when a company asserts layoffs of older workers were based on factors other than the workers’ age, the company has the burden of proving those factors are valid.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which handles age complaints, reports that age claims have increased steadily over the past decade. About 19,000 are filed annually.

Lawyers who represent employees cheered the decision, as business groups termed it a disappointment. “

… Employers can defend themselves by showing that the lopsided impact was based on “reasonable factors” other than age, such as performance criteria or needed skills.

Read: High court aids older workers who claim bias, USA Today

The article in USA Today goes on to explain that trying to provide proof of reasonable factors is difficult for them to do and will probably lead to more costly lawsuits.  On one hand the representative interviewed from the AARP says that if the ruling swung the other way, it’d be nearly impossible for the defendent.  The ruling is said to help to protect the older workers who seem to bear the brunt of age discrimination or an unfair disadvantage in downsizing decisions.

Advocates for older workers, including AARP, hailed the decision. They said it would strengthen the rights of laid-off workers to challenge supposedly “neutral” corporate policies that fall heavily on the older employees.

… The burden “is now squarely on the shoulders of employers,” said Sheryl Willert, a lawyer in Seattle. She cautioned employers who rely on subjective factors for deciding on layoffs: “It is more imperative than ever that employers engage in very clear evaluation and analysis and remove as much subjectivity as possible from business decisions.”

Read: Court protects workers against age bias, Seattle Times

I read this and was thinking that while this is great, what kind of help does that offer to people facing discrimination issues now.  Or for individuals who are in the midst of a job search.  I received an email from someone just this morning asking for more information on resources that were available for someone who was in their 60’s looking for work.  This individual was frustrated with being 2nd runner up for a job, seemingly only because of their age. 

So I did some research and found this article on the AARP website called: What You Can and Can’t Do About Age Bias.  Bob Skladany offers some good advice for dealing with age bias while on the job hunt.  It includes answers about what you can and can’t do about an employer and their decisions about hiring and firing. 

Photo by dbking