The Amazing Leverage of Mature Employees
Business is changing so quickly that there’s often the temptation to think that hiring younger employees is a safe bet. Apart from it being illegal in many areas to discriminate based on age, many have discovered that sticking to younger hires can be a costly and, sometimes, catastrophic mistake.
Here are five reasons why hiring more mature employees can save your business.
#1 – Toughness
Call it “character” or “maturity” or just “thick skin”, but when the going gets tough, a more mature employee is much more likely to just grit their teeth and get through it without letting it affect their personality.
Related blog post: Top 7 Ways to Achieve Work-Life Balance (#5 is our favorite!)
#2 – Communication Skills
The art of conversation was something more strenuously cultivated in pre-Internet generations. Not only do they know how to talk to your customers in a way that makes them feel welcome, but they have rare listening skills. This can make dealing with your customers easier, as well as your job easier when giving them feedback.
#3 – Dedication
They value punctuality, and they can’t stand to deliver anything but high-quality work. You can expect them to take pride in a job well done, and will often have an attention to detail that surpasses even talented younger employees – something that can save you costly errors in the long run.
#4 – Leadership
Even if you don’t put them specifically in a leadership role, they will tend to become a role model. Age often brings a quiet confidence that commands respect. As a result, other people in the same position will find themselves stepping up their game to match the standard of work established by more mature employees.
#5 – Reliability
There’s always been the potential of younger employees to just stop showing up if a particularly good week-long concert event or vacation opportunity comes their way, but this casual attitude towards commitment is just getting worse. These days the average person changes careers seven times in their lifetime, and so even the most reliable young hire will often need replacing within a year. In contrast, the older generations don’t have the same notion of taking a job “for now”. They see being hired as a commitment, one that they think of in terms of decades, not months.
Have questions about best hiring practices for your niche? Get in touch at info@anyoldtask.ca.
Meet your host
Sandra Booker, Founder of Changemaker Inc. (home to Sidekick COO and The VA Studio) and creator of Scale Society and The Advisory Board, is a mentor, Fractional COO and growth strategist. She specializes in helping overworked, overwhelmed, multi-hatted entrepreneurs become the CEOs of sustainably scalable, and powerfully profitable businesses.
After helping local businesses thrive, and receiving accolades in her community (like the 40 Under 40 award) Sandra turned her attention to the world of online service providers, and her clients include familiar names like Chanti Zak, Tarzan Kay, and Laura Belgray.
In her (efficiently used) spare time, she teaches others how to build and grow their own 6-figure virtual assistant practices and is on a mission to create a million jobs by helping her clients and students scale their businesses.
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