Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting

With the number of baby boomers that wil be reaching retirement age comes the need to prepare for their exit from the workforce.  It is anticipated that 70% of workers between 45 and 74 will remain in the workforce; 20% of the total U.S. workforce will be in the age group of 55 and older by 2012.  This can be attributed to the large number of baby boomers, lower birth rates and our advanced health care that is leading to longer life expectancies.  With the large number of baby boomers - 76 million - there are not enough younger workers to fill the void of those who choose to leave the workforce.  Companies will need to find alternative ways to fill these empty positions in order to remain competitive in their respective markets.  One way is to retain and recruit older workers, those that are 50 and above.  There are several traits that older workers bring to the workplace that are valuable to sustaining an organization’s business practices, their competitive advantage, and their status in the community.  These include: experience, loyalty to the company, attention and detail to work tasks, perseverance and determination, healthy work habits, maturity, and a higher level of motivation to succeed.  Companies that value these traits and recognize them will be able to utilize them in their quest to retain their current employees and attract workers who may leave their former employer for a new occupation or role.  This generation of workers are the most educated and goal-directed.  Organizations who capitalize on this knowledge will be ahead of the game. Those that plan today will be prepared for tomorrow.