Older workers can be a major asset for your business. Find out the key benefits of mature employees and how to sign up for the FREE Older Worker Employment Toolkit.
Like many developed nations, New Zealand has an ageing population.
Aotearoa’s ageing population means that people over 50 years old now make up more than a third of the NZ workforce and are the fastest growing worker demographic.
In April 2022, the Government set up the Older Workers Employment Action Plan, with the aim of highlighting the benefits of older employees in the workforce.
But what are the main advantages of hiring a mature workforce for your small business?
6 ways older works add value for your small business.
With such a wealth of talent available to your business, why are mature employees in the 50+ age bracket such a valuable asset to your small business?
Here are six key ways that older workers beat the younger competition:
Extensive experience and expertise.
Older workers bring decades of work experience to the table, with in-depth industry knowledge and well-honed skills. Their experience allows you to avoid the common operational pitfalls and streamline your processes.
Strong work ethic and reliability.
Older workers tend to be motivated, with a well-established work ethic, high levels of commitment and loyalty to their employer and customers. Absenteeism rates are also often lower among these mature workers.
Mentorship and leadership potential.
Older, seasoned workers have professional skills that can be invaluable when mentoring younger employees. Their age and maturity also makes older workers ideal for management and leadership positions.
Diverse perspectives and problem-solving skills.
Mature workers have lived a life and can bring a different generational perspective to the workplace. Years of hands-on experience often translate into superior problem-solving skills.
Customer relations and networking.
A lifetime of social experience make older workers especially well-suited to customer service and customer support roles. They also are likely to have extensive professional networks and connections in your industry.
A more diverse workforce.
Hiring a mix of older and younger employees makes your entire workforce more diverse, and [diversity is a vital factor] (https://diversityworksnz.org.nz/why-diversity/) in creating a business that can face the future with a broad variety of viewpoints, experiences and ideas.
Find out more hiring older employees.
Hiring older workers is a real investment, not just in the future of your own company but in the future social and economic stability of New Zealand as a whole.
If you’d like to know more about hiring mature workers, there’s a free ‘Older Workers Employment Toolkit’ that helps you hire, develop and retain older workers.