From the mouths of babes My daughter was noticing the bald spot in the top of my head today while we were visiting my mom in the hospital. When my mom heard what my daughter said, she wisely commented "grass doesn't grow on busy streets". It reminded me of the fact that our elders have wisdom that transcends generations. Mark Twain said "My Father was an amazing man. The older I got, the smarter he got.
If you are a manager seeking talented people, don't overlook older workers. They have valuable skills and are typically focused and dedicated. You can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks. Many studies have shown that there is a coming shortage of Information Technology (IT) workers and that older workers will be some of the few people available to fill in the gap. Many of these workers have deep IT experience and have learned life lessons that can only be taught with time. Managers would be wise to grab these people while they are still available. IT is not the only field dealing with a shortage of qualified workers. The health care field will continue to be outpaced by demand for years to come.
What do you think about hiring older workers? Do you believe that people are sometimes discriminated against because of their age? Let us know what you think.
IT, like healthcare and the military have traditionally been the occupations of youth. But you are right in that we are seeing higher ages and thus more knowledge, or at least perhaps more experience and instinct than before. Twain said, "For all the talk you hear about knowledge being such a wonderful thing, instinct is worth forty of it for real unerringness." So yes I am in high favor of hiring older workers!
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