Nearly 70% of the 5 million people who left the workforce during the pandemic are older than 55, and many of them are not looking to return to the office.
Companies are working to address the Great Resignation of older workers by understanding the reasons for seniors’ departures, retaining the older workers they do have and recruiting potentially available older workers—including those who they previously employed.
There is a compelling case for companies to employ workers ages 55 and older: Their job experience and ability to serve as mentors has proved invaluable at most employers because these are traits that must be accrued over time and for which younger employees cannot be trained.
Genesis10 CEO Harley Lippman addressed the issue in an article, “Companies Renew Efforts to Retain, Hire Older Workers,” posted on SHRM.org, the website of the Society for Human Resource Management.
When trying to retain employees, Lippman said that employers should focus on the fundamentals. "Listening to what employees want is particularly necessary,” he said. “Overall, upper management in many firms tends not to engage employees in these types of dialogues. You have to check in on your employees and make sure they feel they are not taken for granted."
Harley Lippman is recognized as one of the Best CEOs in the U.S. and Genesis10 is one of the Best Places to Work in the New York Metropolitan Area as reported by Business Insider. Staffing Industry Analysts consistently names Genesis10 a Top Staffing Firm in the U.S.