Tag Archives: older employees

Two podcasts about two sources of great employees – older adults and veterans!

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The mature worker can be a great source of experienced talent.

A COVID-19 note: I was originally going to post this blog in early April, and then the COVID pandemic hit. I realized that interest in recruiting discussions would be quite low, so I held off. Now that the pandemic is not going away anytime soon and we are learning to adjust to this new reality, organizations realize that continuing to recruit talent is indeed a never ending priority.

The demographics of our workforce continue to change. I read so many articles and hear so many HR leaders talk about the scarcity of labor as so many baby boomers are retiring with a smaller number of working age millennials coming into the pipeline.

But look around you; there are many diverse sources of talent. Early this year, I did two 11 – 12 minute podcasts with Fred Coon of Stewart, Cooper & Coon and host of “The US at Work,” listed by FreeSpot in the top 15 nationwide workplace podcasts. Below are links to the two podcasts and short outline of what Fred and I discuss in the podcasts.

Podcast 1: Link to “Advice on Aging Workforce Management”

NOTE: With now more people working from home, mature talent should definitely be strongly considered when recruiting!

Our workforce is aging. Companies are wrestling with replacement and many workers are struggling to hang on. What should companies and organizations be doing to better leverage and value their older employees? This podcasts covers:


• Misunderstanding about and issues facing the aging workforce
• The impacts that unconscious bias and stereotyping have on older workers
• What older employees have to offer, the importance of understanding the expertise and value of the older worker
• How older workers can handle these challenges facing them
• Building bridges across the multiple generations in the workplace
• What companies can do to value and leverage their older talent.

Podcast 2: Link to “Companies Are Waking Up to Onboarding for Military Veterans”

The “Boots to Suits” is an image often used to portray the value of veteran talent.


Why is it important for companies to exert effort to hire and support military veterans? What can be done in all areas to better position veterans for success in the civilian working world? There seems to be an awakening of companies regarding the onboard of veterans. It is smart business and it improves the skill pool at any company. This podcast covers:


• Top issues facing veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce
• Tips for onboarding of military employees
• The value proposition for companies to hire veterans
• How to position veterans for success
• Various resources and initiatives supporting veterans entering the workforce.

I hope you all find these podcasts useful in expanding your talent search. And please do not hesitate to contact me if I can assist you in your diversity training or diversity recruiting consulting needs. [email protected] 919-787-7315

Part 3 of 3: The Diversity of Aging – Considerations and Issues in the Workplace

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This blog concludes my three part series on the diversity of aging that I began in late June. In part one (link), I provided a general introduction to the topic of aging and shared some recent personal experiences that motivated me to write this series of blogs. In part 2 (link), I explored the intersection of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) and Aging Diversity.
In this final blog I will focus on two key areas for companies and organizations to consider in terms of aging or mature workers:
Aging workers
1) Are the talents and expertise of older employees being fully leveraged?

2) Are companies building the required pipeline of new leaders as older employees retire?

In terms of fully leveraging the talents and expertise of older, experienced employees, here are some ideas:

• Now with four generations of workers on the job, are you providing solid training so that the diverse groups can work together in a respectful and productive way?
• Are you introducing innovative programs for mature employees such as part time work as a bridge to full retirement?

AARP (An Ally for Real Possibilities) provides a wide range of resources (link) for the experienced worker.

The current experienced workforce is now one of the largest segments in the USA due to the increased birthrate from 1945 – 1964. This generation, often referred to as “baby boomers” are retiring in increasing rates and many companies are experiencing a critical talent shortage. Ideas for addressing the need to grow a leadership talent pipeline include:
• Do you have robust programs in place to engage your younger employees in meaningful career development and growth? Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer offers an innovative program using career maps of successful professionals to provide ideas and guidance to all employees. You can read this recent online article about this unique process.
• Are you taking full advantage of senior employees by asking them to mentor junior employees? This can be a great way to foster institutional knowledge transfer and to make the senior employees feel good about their work and accomplishments.
• Do your diversity programs include leadership elements so that your future leadership pipeline is as broad as possible and includes a full mix of gender, race, LGBT and other aspects of diversity?

Proper treatment and leveraging of the aging worker population can indeed be built into a business advantage instead of becoming a major issue!