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NEW STARTS for older workers
Companies increasingly value experience, dedication of boomers
"It's Not Easy Being Green" is the theme song of Kermit the Frog. Older workers will tell you it's not easy being gray, either.
They have weathered vast changes in the workplace during their careers: the information technology revolution; the emergence of a global market; and the chaos of mergers, bankruptcies, downsizing and plant closures. Early retirement, lengthy job searches and disappointing offers have been problems for many older workers, who were targeted for layoffs because eliminating their higher salaries and benefits packages had a greater impact on the bottom line or because their job descriptions no longer fit a "lean" organization.
But things are looking up for America's mature (born 1922 to 1943) and baby boomer (born 1943 to 1964) generations, for several reasons.
"The pendulum has shifted, because there is a shortage of workers, and companies are concerned about the brain trust leaving as baby boomers reach retirement age," said Patti Dismukes, chief operating officer of OnSite Recruit in Atlanta. In 2006, 3.3 million of America's 78 million baby boomers are turning 60.
This year, Dismukes' agency has seen a jump in the call for permanent hires and is witnessing a change in corporate attitudes. If the skills and experience are right, age is no longer such an important factor.
"In fact, some employers say that they'd welcome 'a little snow on top,' equating gray hair with experience," she said.
"A shrinking work force and its changing dynamics as the baby boomers age out is requiring employers to take a hard look at how to attract and accommodate the talent they need to run their businesses," said Catheryn Perry, principal of InBalance Partners, an accounting and financial recruiting firm.
Several Web sites are putting retired professionals in contact with companies looking for experienced workers, including AlumniInTouch.com, SelectMinds.com, YourEncore.com, RetiredBrains.com and RetirementJobs.com.
Renee Ward, who launched Seniors4Hire.org in 2004, has found more than 500 companies that value the experience, dependability and strong work ethic of older workers.
Randstad USA is seeing more companies target -- and even advertise for -- older workers, according to Karen Carlisle, director of public relations and government affairs.
In her report "An Employer's Guide to Older Workers: How to Win Them Back and Convince Them to Stay" for the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration, Barbara McIntosh writes that older workers are a resource that companies no longer can afford to waste.
"Companies need to change their strategies of recruitment, retention and retraining, so that mature workers can and want to work longer," she wrote.
Workplace demands are dovetailing well with older workers' wanting to stay on the job longer because of personal satisfaction or financial necessity, but the new opportunities created don't always look like the full-time positions of the past.
"People laid off are usually hooked into a standard approach of searching for a similar job," said Larry Sanders, owner of Sanders & Associates International. "I decided that I wasn't going to put any boundaries on my future career, as long as it was legal, moral and ethical."
At 50, the Procter & Gamble operations manager had been with the company for 25 years.
When the company restructured, he took early retirement but knew he'd need to keep working: He had four children. Sanders decided to take what he had learned and start his own company.
Now, at 54, he assists businesses with their project management and leadership issues. Besides his expertise, Sanders said he brings to each client "an attitude of commitment and personal pride."
"A great counselor, Gail Geary, helped me network and showed me that there were plenty of opportunities to build off my experience. For those who have the gumption to pound the pavement, there are companies in need of help," he said. "I knew that, one way or another, I was going to earn an income. I finally got old enough to realize that what my career was wasn't as important as our family priorities and mission."
"When people have had high-paying positions and love what they do, it's hard to accept that they can't replace that. They may not be able to compete with a 33-year-old, but they can certainly identify all the strengths that they bring to the table," said Geary, principal of Atlanta Career Transition and author of the "Over-40 Job Search Guide" (Jist Works, 2005).
'Rehirement'
Contrary to old-age stereotypes, Geary sees workers "who bring immediate return on investment to employers, by having skills, integrity, commitment, energy and a willingness to learn and contribute."
"We're seeing more baby boomers go into 'rehirement' than 'retirement,' by starting entrepreneurial ventures, creating concurrent employment or working on a contract basis," she said.
Some even are going back to their former companies, thanks to new arrangements of flexible scheduling, teleworking, part-time positions or phased retirement plans.
"More than money or the big office, many older workers are interested in flexibility and satisfying, meaningful work," Geary said.
She encourages her clients to play up their talents and experiences, create "ageless" or functional resumes, network, keep up with trends, beef up their qualifications with new skills, and learn how to spot and defuse age-discrimination questions during job interviews.
"People out of work due to downsizing or reorganization have natural fears about their futures. They're in that roller coaster of change. Once they start taking action, they get excited and energized," Geary said.
Consulting options
Rick Sullivan had been in human resources for 30 years and had served as head of corporate departments for 15 years, when he lost his job during the 2001 recession.
He started his own consulting company, HR STAR (situation, tactics, action, results), and helps corporations solve their recruiting, employee relations, training and performance problems.
He also works part time for Jewish Family and Career Services and runs (as a volunteer) the Catholic Church of St. Monica's Career Network in the basement of the Duluth church. He helps workers in transition look at their skills and realize their options.
As the economy improved, Sullivan thought about looking for a full-time job, but he decided against it.
"I'm doing things I like to do, and companies with lean staffs have more need for consultants," he said. "I never know what I'll be doing, and I like the flexibility. Being in charge of my own world is very appealing."
