Ageless In America | The Mature Workforce - Interview with Brad Taft

Interview with Ageless In America's Brad Taft, Career Management Specialist and Talent Management Consultant Emphasizing the Changing Workplace and Workforce. Co-Author of "Boom or Bust" and the upcoming book "The Return of the Boomers."

ANewWorkForce.com: On your website, you discuss a "generational shift" in the workforce. Can you please expound on this from your perspective?

Brad Taft:

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, workers 50 years and older made up 25% of the U.S. workforce in 2003. By 2012, workers 50 years and older will be 32% of the U.S. workforce. There are many ways to slice and dice the demographics, but the point is that the workforce is aging. Even though the first wave of Baby Boomers have reached age 62 and are eligible to collect Social Security, recent surveys by AARP and Merrill Lynch show that 75% of workers age 50 or older plan to work past the traditional age of retirement.

ANewWorkForce.com: What top 3 pieces of advice do you have to the mature worker who is in the hunt for a new job or career?

Brad Taft:

1. Keep the job marketplace in mind as you assess your interests and decide on your career priorities. As a job seeker, you are selling yourself as a product that benefits the consumer, an organization that needs your talents. When companies develop a new product or service, they invest in market research to make sure that the product will be successful. It is vital to have an understanding of the needs of prospective employers as you decide what type of career opportunity is the best fit for you.
2. Do as much research as possible on a prospective employer, including networking to get introduced to current or past employees who can share their insight about the organization, its culture, management style, goals and the challenges it is facing. Armed with this information, you can communicate your background and talents in the context of the needs of the company.
3. Finally, realize that there are a number of myths about older workers that can be barriers to your successful candidacy. Anticipate these misconceptions and be prepared to give examples of your experience and accomplishments that challenge those myths and biases. For example, a prevalent myth is that "Older workers are set in their ways and are inflexible." Be ready to discuss how you successfully handled changes in previous work environments.
   

ANewWorkForce.com: What are some ways you've seen companies successfully promote different generations learning from one another, or the "Mentoring Up-Down-Around" process you write about?

Brad Taft:

Prime Time Partners Network, an initiative established at Glaxo Smith Kline Pharmaceuticals, is a great example of engaging people to improve their day to day work environment and effectively develop themselves by taking part in a number of networking opportunities in the company. A key resource for this is leveraging knowledge and experience through mentoring, not just by oldsters toward youngsters but also visa versa. This knowledge sharing increases the understanding of where the generations are coming from in their approach to work, how best to communicate with them and how to take advantage of generational differences and strengths to develop effective teams. Companies that support employee affinity groups bring people of all ages together who have a common interest, whether it be a sport or other recreational pursuit. This also promotes communication and understanding among the generations.

ANewWorkForce.com: In a recent article, you discuss the need for planning for America's aging workforce. What are some of the specific questions companies should be asking as they plan for a generational shift in the workplace?

Brad Taft:
Employees young and old are demanding more flexible working environments, and companies need to assess their ability to offer these changes. How can we (the company) provide for more flexible work arrangements, such as flex-time, part-time and project assignments, and still meet our production requirements and the needs of our customers? How can we modify our retirement policies to offer a phased retirement option that includes full benefits as an individual reduces their workload to less than 40 hours per week? How can we support employees who want to telecommute by working at home one or more days a week? Studies show that productivity rises when companies make changes to meet the needs of employees, so investing in the process of developing flexible work environments is worth it.

ANewWorkForce.com: What are some of the best practices in managing a mixed workforce that you've seen in your research and experience?

Brad Taft:

I already mentioned the Prime Partners Network of Glaxo Smith Kline Pharmaceuticals. CVS Pharmacy is also promoting the advantages of the different generations working together in their stores. It produces videos that profile a variety of employees who tell about their life experiences and how it helps them on the job. These type of programs go a long wah to promote communication among the generations and result in a positive environment that promotes effective teamwork.

AgelessInAmerica was developed by Carleen MacKay and Brad Taft, nationally recognized career management consultants and co-author of books, articles, newsletters and multi-media training materials. Widely known across the nation, on stage, in print and by America's smallest to largest firms and the maturing population themselves, Brad and Carleen inspire individuals and organizational leaders to understand and utilize the competitive advantages an experienced workforce offers the American workplace.