For years, it has seemed as though the only job available for a person of a certain age was being a greeter at Wal-Mart. Unfairly, the workplace—hiring managers, in particular—has long viewed older people as being slower, less energetic, and further behind in the computer and technology knowledge. However, as of late, employers are starting realize that older employees have more going for them than most people think.
David Mintz, who is 82 years old and the chief executive officer of the dairy-free products maker Tofutti, where about one-third of the workers are over 50, told Matt Sedensky of Oregon’s The Register (News - Alert)-Guard, “There’s no experience like experience. I can’t put an ad saying, ‘Older people wanted,’ but there’s no comparison.”
Companies like Google (News - Alert), AT&T, and MetLife have signed a promise with AARP that they will consider and value applicants over 50 years of age. KPMG, a professional firm providing audit, advisory and tax services, says that older employees tend to want to stay with the company longer and that they relate better with customers. Sig Shirodkar, a human resources consultant with KPMG, told Sedensky that some Gen Ys and Millennials “have this notion of, ‘I will have five jobs in 10 years.’” Hiring managers, he says, are “looking for ways to tame that beast.”
Many companies are starting to realize that their customer base is reaching out to people who are in their sixties and that older employees tend to relate better to them. Arise Virtual Solutions (News - Alert) says that twenty percent of its 26,000 employees are over fifty. Chief executive officer John Meyer added that older customer service agents can find a way to connect with customers; “Having someone who is more senior, who has had some life scars, makes them much better at interacting with people. This is a chance for them to use the skills that they have built up over their life.”
For call centers, which are constantly struggling to answer how they will provide superior customer service, workers over 50 may be a good solution. Not only that, but they may also help alleviate some of the high turnover rates and subsequent training experiences that call centers notoriously go through.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson