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In episode 21 of “The JoyPowered™ Workspace Podcast,” JoDee and Susan discuss aging – and ageism – in the workplace. They talk about what constitutes “old,” common misconceptions about senior workers, and how to engage and retain older employees. In response to listener mail, the hosts discuss when a company is big enough to need its own HR person.

Employers often have misconceptions about hiring older people, and older workers often feel they’re viewed differently than they were when they were younger. “Old” is in the eye of the beholder, but under the US’s Age Discrimination Employment Act, 40 is considered old. Common misconceptions about older workers include inability to keep up with technology, leaving the company early, resistance to change, poor job performance, less innovation, outdated skills, and health issues. In reality, these things are rarely true, and older workers’ wisdom, experience, and previous failures can be a big benefit for employers. People starting second careers are often excited, energized, and ready to spend several years with the company.

People are working longer, sometimes because they have to and sometimes because they want to, and employers need to figure out a way to hire older workers, because that’s going to be a big portion of the workforce. Create a culture that embraces mature workers; things that are often important to them include flexibility, finances, insurance, retirement, and caregiving. Attract older employees by rehiring alums, posting on websites for older Americans who are looking for work, getting referrals from employees, and including older workers in your advertisements. It’s also important to engage your older workers, with things like reverse mentoring programs, offering flexible schedules and locations, bridge employment programs, and ongoing skills training. If you’re an older worker stay relevant and thrive as you age by being the most optimistic person in the office, being generous with your time and resources, engaging in every thraining opportunity at your disposal, continuing to build relationships, admitting mistakes quickly, not labeling yourself as old, and learning from younger employees.

In this episode’s listener mail, we get a question about what size of company requires its own full-time HR person. JoDee and Susan discuss a Summit Hosting survey ranking the top corporate buzzwords.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Purple Ink, the HR consulting firm JoDee owns
• Susan Tinder White Consulting, the HR consulting firm Susan owns
• JoyPowered, JoDee’s book
• “Act Your (Old) Age: Prescriptive, Ageist Biases Over Succession, Consumption, and Identity”, a research project showing that in developed countries, 60% of employees over 50 believe age discrimination is the biggest obstacle to their employment
• The Pew Charitable Trusts Economic Mobility Project, which refutes some negative age-related stereotypes
• “Older workers: Labor force trends and career options”, a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study that says that by 2050, the 65+ age group of the labor force is expected to grow by 75%
• “The 2013 Retirement Confidence Survey: Perceived Savings Needs Outpace Reality for Many”, an Employee Benefit Research Institute Study saying that 69% of workers expect to work during retirement, while in reality only 25% do
• “Diversity and inclusion – The missing step on the career ladder”, a Lee Hecht Harrison Penna poll saying the most common cause of workplace inequality is age
• “The Aging Workforce: Leveraging the Talents of Mature Employees”, a SHRM Foundation report including information about what matters to workers over the age of 50
• AARP Life Reimagined for Work, a website that talks about encore careers, celebrates people who have reinvented themselves post-retirement, and allows employers to post jobs
• Senior Job Bank, a career site for the over-50 talent pool
• Federal One-Stop Career Centers
• The Intern, one of JoDee’s favorite movies, a great example of someone who was looking to get back into a work environment
• Caremark, a pharmacy that has a snowbird program allowing older workers to be in the south during cold weather and in the north during warm weather
• The JoyPowered Family, JoDee’s second book
• SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management
• “Office Jargon Sentiment”, a Summit Hosting Survey about workplace buzzwords