Recruitment of Older Employees to the Workforce - Term Paper Example

? Recruitment of Older Employees to the Workforce TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 Business Case 5 Benefits and Challenges of the Strategy 7 Benefits 7 Challenges 9 Conclusions 10 Recommendations 11 References 13 Recruitment of Older Employees to the Workforce Executive Summary The Human Resource department has found itself in a bit of a conundrum as a result of the ageing that has occurred amongst the population. The decrease in the availability of a younger workforce has meant that new strategies will have to be implemented if an organization’s operations are to continue unhindered. The main aim of the study thus is to determine a means in which this problem can be approached and effectively handled so as not to cause a problem in the future. One positive solution is the recruitment of older individuals into the current workforce. This strategy will serve in solving the current shortage in the labor force as well as provide long-term benefits that future generations will be able to reap. The main approach that should be taken when attempting to implement this strategy is the encouragement of the ideal that older employees are still needed within the workforce. Organizations should strive to make their older employees feel wanted and integrate them with younger generation so as to allow them to benefit from their experience. Doing so successfully will solve the problems that are currently being faced by the organizations and attempt at ensuring that they will not have to be faced again in the future. Introduction The labor force has been faced with a problem over the past couple of years as an ageing population has become the near majority of available workers as the society faces a decrease in birth rates in most developed countries. This issue has meant that organizations have had to come up with a way to ensure that they can gain a steady supply of labor so as to avoid complications with replenishing their workforce when necessary (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2009). The main solution would be a long term objective of adopting strategies that will enhance the transition of employees that go through an organization’s doors. Including the older employees in the workforce can be said to be the first strategy that should be implemented towards achieving this objective. However, methods will have to be developed so as to ensure that the strategy implementation is successful (O'Brien, 2009). To do so one will have to look at the various challenges that may be faced while trying to integrate the older generation into the workforce and the possible solutions that can be found for them. The benefits should also be studied to determine the advantages that will come with the application of this new approach towards the older workforce (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2009). The strategy will have to include ways of encouraging the older employees to remain with the company as in some case, others could have been tempted with the thought of retirement. There will also be a need to develop ways in which the older generation will work in harmony with the younger employees. Business Case There is a wise business sense in implementing the strategy of involving the older generation within the workforce. The main issue would be to look at the benefits that such an action would bring to an organization and which areas would such a strategy improve (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2009). While looking at the case from a business point of view, the first thing to be considered would be the costs that could be incurred or reduced as a result of recruiting older workers into the labor force. The main issue would be that the action would only prove justifiable if the act of including additional older employees into the workforce will result in a reduction of the costs of operations and if possible, provide a means of profitability as well be it marginally or outright accountability (O'Brien, 2009). In order to establish this, there will need to be a number of areas that have to be studied in relation to the effect that such a move would have on an organization. Issues such as the position of the organization with regard to its competitive edge should be determined in order to persuade the case that older workers are an advantage to the labor force (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2009). This can be argued in the context that the provision of older employees into an organization will ensure that the company is able to conduct its day to day operations with no complications arising due to a shortage in the workforce. The number of employees that an organization has can be directly related to the level of output that they will be capable of thus it would logical to conclude that the ageing effect on the current society means that best options available at the moment lie in the older generation. Ensuring that older employees are involved in the organization will also provide a source of stability to the structure of a business as the experience will be useful to the younger generations who have yet to gain some. This can be measured in commercial value in the sense that the older generation would be providing free training and mentorship that will serve the organization well in the long run as the younger generation grows into their full capacity (Wright, 2011). This will also ensure that there are no hitches incurred in the operations of the business during a mode of transition whereby one employee passes over their responsibility to another as they leave the organization. It should be noted however that implementing this strategy could have its challenges as well and an organization will need to establish methods of approaching the case in a manner that will cut all potential costs down to the bare minimum. Issues such as the competition for older generation from rival competitors will have to be bro ached with caution as one will still need to maintain a hold on the current younger generation as they are the backbone of the organization’s existence (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2009). Concentrating on the older generation without putting the needs of the younger employees and their regards to such a strategy may prove to be a risky move if not handled carefully. An organization should attempt to involve the younger generation in the implementation of recruiting older employees so as to ensure that they do not feel left out (DeGraff, 2010). This would also prove to be a good opportunity for them to discover the benefits they can enjoy from such a move and thus give their full support to the project (Wright, 2011). This would make the integration of the older generation as it would create a welcoming environment in which they would be introduced into and first impressions could have a lasting effect in the final decision of the older population in general. Benefits and Challenges of the Strategy As mentioned earlier, there are several advantages that an organization would be able to enjoy from the implementation of older employees into their workforce. However, the implementation will also prove to have some challenges as the organizations have been concentrating on incorporating the youth into their systems and as a result tended to neglect the older generation until recently (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2009). There will also be challenges faced within the organization’s structure itself as an agreeable position will have to be established for the introduction of older generations as well among other issues. All in all the benefits of recruiting older employees to the workforce however would seem to outweigh the potential challenges that may be faced as they attempt to implement the strategy (Wright, 2011). Establishing the challenges beforehand however is advisable as this will allow the organization room for preparation of what they might face as well as assist in sharpening the outlay and design of the methods that will be implemented in the strategy. Some of the benefits that an organization is able to enjoy from the recruitment of older employees into their workforce include: Benefits Older employees tend to be more responsible than their younger counterparts in most cases and thus it can be said that they are more reliable as a result. An older employee working in the sales department is more likely to have a smaller record of absenteeism in comparison to a younger individual and thus would have the opportunity to conduct more sales and improve the profitability of the business for example. Older employees also tend to be more polite to customers than younger ones and this could have an effect on an organization’s profit if it conducts its business on a personal level (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2009). The face-to-face interaction that takes place in such cases weighs on whether a consumer may seek the services of the organization again when needed. In such a case, it can be said that older employees have the potential of retaining more consumer than their counterparts. However, this might not always be the case in certain niche markets where the presentation of the product/service is tailored to a specific target audience. Another benefit that an organization is able to enjoy from the implementation of this strategy is the wealth of experience that a good number of older employees bring to the table (O'Brien, 2009). It is a fact that in a majority of most cases an older employee will tend to have had more working experience than a younger individual. It is essential to consider the value that such experience would bring to the organization and the manner in which they can fully benefit from it (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2009). The operations of an organization would tend to run more smoothly under experienced hands than it would under the management of an individual who is just finding their footing. An experienced employee is also able to offer guidance to the younger generation and thus ease the transition of these employees into the organization. This guidance can be taken as a form of mentorship whereby a younger employee is taken by an older worker in the same position and introduced to the functioning of the business and the role they are to play (Wright, 2011). Unhindered operations will result in an increase in the organization’s output as they are able to operate at full capacity. Exploiting the entire potential of an organization’s functionality is essential in the maximizing of its profits and therefore should be taken into great consideration (Haroon, 2008). Challenges There are also a number of challenges that can be faced by an organization that is attempting to recruit older employees to the workforce, some of these challenges include: The issue of acceptance would be the main issue when addressing the potential challenges that may be met by an organization. This refers to the acceptance of the older generation by the younger workforce back into the stream of operations (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2009). The younger employees may feel threatened by the introduction of the older employees back into the workforce and see them as obstacles towards their progress up the organization’s ranks. Another challenge that may be faced is the mindset of the older generation as some may have been taken with the idea of retirement and thus may be hesitant to extend their stay in the organization (DeGraff, 2010). There may have to be a need for incentives to encourage the older generations to welcome the implementation of the strategy. Conclusions In conclusion, we can state that the implementation of this strategy can be considered the best option for the current shortage that is facing the labor market. Recruiting older employees into the workforce will increase the size of the labor pool thus solving the short term problem of a need for more workers to secure the operations of an organization (Wright, 2011). The need for a labor force will have to be the first problem that is approached as without efficient functionality levels, an organization will find it difficult to retain or improve its position in the market. The recruitment of older employees will provide much needed additional resources and help in solving the short term problem to good effect. The involvement of the older generation will also benefit the younger generation that is present and thus it can be said that the implementation of this strategy would create a symbiotic effect on the relationship between the older and younger generation. This would encourage the acceptance of age diversity within the workplace and further serve to extend the progress that is being made in this field (Wright, 2011). Though the challenges faced will need direct addressing before an organization is able to enjoy the benefits of the strategy, they are problems that can be resolved without much complication and thus should not discourage a business from taking up this new approach towards their labor force. Such a move would only prove to be beneficial in the long run and serve to solve the immediate issues being faced by the organization as well (Haroon, 2008). Recommendations There are a number of actions that can be taken towards increasing the level with which age diversity in the workplace is accepted. These can include the holding of in-house seminars on the actions that are taking place and why so as to keep the current workforce informed on the situation (DeGraff, 2010). This will ensure that the younger generations are more accepting of the age diversity promotion as they will feel involved with whole process and view it as beneficial to them as well. This is essential as acceptance of the older generation would be key to the success of the strategy and its implementation. The addition of a foreign occupant into a settled environment may not be the best approach to take thus it is recommended that the organizations highly encourage the acceptance of age diversity through the involvement of the younger generation in the implementation process even if that means simply keeping them informed (Haroon, 2008). Incentives should also be used to encourage the older generation to support the implementation of the strategy by agreeing to be involved. The incentives will be used to encourage those individuals who may be weighing their options as they decide between extending their stay in the present workforce or take up retirement (DeGraff, 2010). It should be taken into consideration that not all older employees may be keen to retain their presence in the workforce and thus countermeasures should be developed in preparation of such cases. The adding of incentives and bonuses into the offer would be a step in the right direction. References Denhardt R & Denhard, J. 2009. Public Administration: An Action Orientation. 6th Ed.: Thomson Wadsworth, Belmont CA. Haroon A. K. (2008) Introduction to Public Administration. University Press of America DeGraff , J. E. 2010. The Changing Environment of Professional HR Associations, Cornell HR Review. O'Brien, M. 2009. "HR's Take on The Office". Human Resource Executive Online. http://hrexecutive .com 19th November 2013 Wright, P. 2011. "The 2011 CHRO Challenge: Building Organizational, Functional, and Personal Talent". Cornell Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS) Read More